The age-herald., 1898-07-20
SANTIAGO RIPE
 FOR AN EPIDEMIC Awful StenCheS Arise From tho Dirty
 Streets and Alleys. A TYPICAL TROPICAL PLACE Many Houses Are Succeed and Painted ] in Startling COlOrS. THERE IS NO SEWERAGE SYSTEM Hundreds of Cases of Malaria and Six Cases of Yellow Fever Are in the Hospi-
 taIs-Why Admiral Cerera
 Made the Dash.
THERE IS NO SEWERAGE SYSTEM

Santiago, July 1S.-Via Kingston, July 19.-Noon.-General Shafter has had a thorough examination made of the sanitary by Dr. Goodfellow, of the generals staff, and by civilian physician Dr. Orlando Dwiker. They find that although there are at presnt but six cases of yellow fever in the city in addition to two suspicious cases, the town is ripe for an epidemic. Santiago and Rio Janeiro are considered the greatest fever-breeding centers in the world This town lacks every sanitary feature at it's best and now, after two months siege, leaving dirty and repellant, it is yeritable pest hole.
 The awful stenches that arise from the streets stagger and choke one. No cordial in Santiago has the power to wash out this odor from ones throat.
 Typical Tropical City
 The city of Santiago is a typical tropical place with narrow, crooked streets and low, one-storied dwellings and stores. Many of the houses are stuccoed and painted with startling coiors, sky blue and vivid shades of green predominat1ng. These, with the red tiles of the roofs and the quaint verandahs, show evidences of past picturesqueness, but everything is now in state of dilapidation and decay and the city is but a shadow of itself. The majority of the houses are absolute ruins. The iron fences are broken and rusted, while the fountains, on account of the dearth of water supply, have long been dry.
 But here and there through the open doors of more pretentious dwellings one meets with the vision of an open court filled with palms and brilliant-hued pou- cianos and other Towering trees and plants It is like brief glimpses of a happy past long gone. There is no sewerage system The city drainage is all from the surface into the harbor, and the lower part of the city through which much of the drainage runs, especially from the poor quarter around the northwest of the city, is the center of malaria, typhoid and other low levers.
 Four Hospitals There
 There are four hospitals. dirty and dishev- eled presided over by the sisters of char ity and the military Mercedes and Con- chas hospital. In these hospitals are 1,7iS patients, which is a comparatively small number considering the lack of food and the siege, but 1t must be remembered that the reconcentrados were never admitted to the hospitals. and when the notification of the proposed bombardment by our batter ies were received every patient who could stagger out was driven out into the streets. Twenty lepers who were in the civil hos pftal were turned into the streets, and they have been in the streets ever since. The largest number of patients are in the mill itary hospital. In addition, there are hun dreds of cases of malaria and dysentery and six cases of yellow fever.
 Admiral Cervera. it is said, sacrificed his fleet to the popular clamor, both in Spain and in Cuba. including Santiago. that he should give battle to the American fleet