The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-12
CONDITION IN CUBAN TOWNS.
In HOIguIn Spaniards Killed All Live
stock and Filled Cisterns.

stock and Filled Cisterns.
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Dec. 11.-Gen
Leonard Wood, military governor of the De-
partment of Santiago, has returned from his
tour Of inspection along the north coast
very well satisfied with the results of his
trip He considers that Colonel Hood of
the Second Immune Regiment, who is in
command of Holguin, has done excellent
work in the district. 1t appears that when
the Spaniards left they filled the cisterns
with manure. rendering it extremely diff
cult to get water. They killed all the ami
mails they could leaving the dead bodies
in the streets, and burned all the furniture
they were unable to remove. In fact, they
devastated the town.
General Wood approves, too, all the APP
pointments made by Colonel Hood, who APP
parentIy has followed General Woods sug-
gestions as to methods of selection He
found smallpox still very prevalent, but un-
der control and gradually being reduced by
DR.. Woodson and his assistants. The health
of the troops is excellent, there not being
one case of serious sickness. General Wood
also found Jibara in good condition with
the smallpox on the decline. All the light
houses along the north coast of the province
are now in use, owing to the wreck of a
Spanish brig loaded with coeoanut oil,
which proved opportune in this case.
No little interest attaches to the appoint
ment of a mayor at Mayari. General Wood
found three candidates about equally sup
ported and all with civil lists estimating an
average annual expenditure of about $780,
COO When he had discovered that the reve-
nue. was something under 100000 General
Wood asked If there were not some repu-
table citizen with patriotism enough to give
his services for nothing. A merchant
promptly responded, and the appointment is
acceptable to everybody except the three
other candidates. The minor offices were
filled at a considerable reduction in salaries,
bringing down the expenses of Mayari
which is up the Mayari river a few miles
from Nipe bay, to a point where they will
not exceed it's revenues.
While in that locality General Wood was
informed of the whereabouts of a sunken
Spanish gunboat, ninety-five feet long and
of seventy tons register. nearly new. Lieu
tenant Lucien Young inspected the vessel
and found that it could be raised at an ex-
pense of about $4,000. General Wood, there
fore will have the vessel raised immediate
~, as small vessels of that size are badly
needed.
At Baracoa General Wood found the
health of the United States troops excel
lent and the Cubans generally satisfied.
Similar conditions prevailed at Sagua de
Tanamao
Owing to the difficulty in communicating
between Jibara and Holguin General Wood
intends to establish a mounted postal serv-
ice, twice a week. from the distribution
point at the end of the railway to San Luis.
This decision was reached during the north
ern trip.
So far as the Second Immune Regiment
IS concerned General Wood thinks the men
equal to any volunteers he has yet seen.
Their discipline he says, is perfect, and re-
fleets the highest credit upon Colonel Hood.