The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-26
THE FORTS OF SANTIAGO
C. NJ. JOHNSON, OF THIS CITY, MADE
NOTES OF THE CITY's DEFENsES.
EnvirOns of the Town Healthy-Cham@
mel Which HobsOn Blocked
with the Merrimac.

Charles NJ johnson of this city, an em-
roye of the Nordyke & Marmon Company,
has had an interesting experience in Cuba.
Before coming to indianapolis he was the
Cuban agent Of scale company in New
York, and in the line of duty visited nearly
every port of Cuba during the years from
1888 to 1896. He says he knew early in the
nineties that a rebellion was brewing from
the fact that in nearly every port he visited
he was approached by emissaries of the
Cubans, who asked him to smuggle guam
tity of powder into the different ports that
he visited. 1t is his opinion that there was
hardly a trip made by the Ward line steam
ers to the ports of Santiago de Cuba and
Cienfuegos but what the pursers brought
from fifty to enc hundred pounds of powder
with them for the Insurgents, who for a
long time were perfecting their plans for
rebellion. Several times during his visits TO
the different portions of the island he
stopped at Santiago, the present scene OF
hCstilities. While there he made notes in
his diary of the Qualifications. Santiago is
a city of considerable beauty, by compari-
son with other Cuban cities he says. The
casino especially is a grand affair. being
built entirely of white marble with the
most sumptuous furnishings The Candida
bra in this building are reputed to have cost
a fabulous sum- and are massive and beau
tiful in the extreme. The cathedral is an
other fine building, second only to the Ha-
vana cathedral in size and beauty of de-
sign and furnishing These two cathedrals
are the seats of the only two archbishoprics
of the island, which is divided into the east
ern and western dioceses. The Notifications
of the city have been for years the laughing
M he ards
right side of the entrance to the harbor, and
is perched on the top of a cliff and is APP
parently hewn out OF the solid rock Right
across the channel from MORO is Zacapa,
another Anticipated fertilization, which, in
the hands of the American war correspond
ent, has been spelled with an instead Of
a u, which is the correct Spanish method.
Neither of them are formidable except by
reason of their excellent strategic position.
In the hands OF a progressive nation, how
ever, they could be made practically i'm
pregnable. Inside the entrance, and beyond
the range !S OF sight from the open sea, is sit
vides and the apparently wide channel to
the right is in reality the shallow one, and
IS not tit for the passage of large boats.
The one to the left is scarcely one hundred
yards wide and looks dangerous, but this
one is really the deep water channel and is
draught. This narrow channel, the only
Quiet Tor war shlps, Is the one
LndC Lieutenant HODSOn Dl0cked up
with the Merrimac, and, in the mind of Mr..
johnson, there is no room for doubt that
the Spaniards are safely Gagged. The only
way possible by which Cervera could extri-
cate himself from Santiago, even If he could
escape the American war vessels would be
to dredge new channel and a painful ex-
perience has given Mr.. Johnson the right
to state authoritatively that the thing is
impossible, as there are no facilities on the
entire island for even smaller job than
this would be-. There is no manufacturing
enterprise in the island and several times,
when he desired to have comparatively
small repairs made on scales, involving the
casting of only ordinary iron pieces less
than twelve feet in length it was found i'm
possible to get it done anywhere in Cuba.
Caimanera, which is the port of Guantana-
mo, near the scene of the recent lighting, is
quaint old port, Enthusiastically sleepy.
There is not in the whole town a decent
house. The place is guarded ordinarily by
detachment of infantry under the command
of a courteous old Don named Manuel
Lopez del Rincon, whose quarters are at
the so-called Fort of Cape Zorro Through
out the neighborhood the prevailing style of
architecture is the primitive thatched-roofed
and dirt-hoored hut, where the natives live
like bees in hive. One natural advantage
the place has, however, and that is, from
here can be obtained the finest view of the
constellation known as the Southern
Cross" Early in the morning the view is a
fine one, it being only visible at that time
of day.
The point where the troops recently eff
fected a landing in Cuba is an Insignificant
hamlet where the Bethlehem, Pa, iron
works have erected an iron pier and a sta
ton for the handling of their ore, which 10
mined few miles back in the country and
to accommodate which a narrow-gauge
railroad has been built to the pier. The place
is designated as Diequire, but consists OF
less than dozen huts and houses. The eli
mate is not of a kind that will injuriously
affect healthy man and there is, in Mr..
that the American army If taken care of,
will suffer materially, except from the heat.