The herald., 1898-06-20
PORTO RICO
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Strategic points in the war thus far have
been points which, geographically. are not
well known. and just now Porto Rico is one
of the most interesting of these. 1t Is
rather out of the line of the southern tour
ist travel, and except to the people whose
business takes them there, 1t is almost un-
known. From the present indications
Porto Rico may be the strategic point OF
the next naval battle, SO information about
it is interesting.
Porto Rico is seventy miles east of Hayti,
1925 miles from Key West, 500 miles from
the east coast of Cuba, 1900 miles from New
York and 1900 miles from Norfolk, where our
flying squadron has its base OF supplies.
From Cape Verde, the rendezvous OF the
Spanish fleet. it is 2400 miles, and from the
Canaries 260O miles. 1t is about 5000 miles
from Cadiz. By occupying it. it is believed
the United States will control the situation
in the North Atlantic. The Army and Navy
Journal says:
Porto Rico is about 10S miles long by
thirty-seven wide. Its area is about three
and one-half times that of Rhode Island,
being $3.50 square miles. Its geographical
contour is that of an irregular parallelo-
gram; its physical conditions are those or
most islands in tropical countries, l. e..
mountains in the center and moderate pelt
of level land on the coast The average
height of the mountain ranges, which run
east and west is about 1900 feet The high
est peak, El Yurgue, in the Sierra de Lo-
uuillo, in the northeast, is $500 feet IN
height, The low coast land ranges from
five to ten miles in width. The island Is
we'll watered having about 1900 streams,
nearly fifty of which are considerable riv-
ers. The climate is hot but not unhealthy,
and the island is free from beasts of prey
and serpents, although infested with rats,
centipedes and mosquitoes.
1.-THE rainy season in Porto Rico does not
begin until September and lasts until
March. Owing to the hills, the northern
lowlands have a superabundance of moist
ure while the south suffers from drouth, a
resultant of the prevailing winds. 1t is
extremely fertile, its staples being sugar,
coffee and other tropical products. tobacco,
cotton, rice, yams, pantains, etc. Large
herds of cattle are raised and it has unde-
veloped mines of gold, copper, coal and
jamaica and amounted in 1896 in the four
principal items of coffee, sugar, moasses
and tobacco, to about SIG, 500, 600. Its ex-
ports to Spain in 1895 were over s6,OOO.O 900; its
imports from it about 50, 100000. During 1895
1O77 vessels. about 100000 tons, entered at
the various ports. Its population is some
what over 800 ,OOO half whites, one-third OF
mixed blood and the rest negroes
1.-THE island has about 470 miles OF tele-
graph, 1877 of railway and 40 miles pro-
jected The railroads runs first, from Aqua
dilla in the northwest southerly through
Mayaguez to San German; second, from
Ponce on the south to Coamo eastward In
the interior, and, third, from San Juan Bau-
tesla on the northeast directly across the
island southerly to Guayama. BY building
about thirty miles from San German 10
Ponce, and twenty miles from Coamo to
Guayama, the island would be thoroughly
in railroad connection. 1t is probable that
this has been contemplated in the l70 miles
projected. Its four principal harbors are
San Juan on the north, Ponce on the south,
Mayaguez on the west and Maquabo on the
east. San Juan, the capital, on the north
east. is situated on an island called Moro,
connected with the main land by bridges.
It's population is $4,000. The harbor is one
of the best in the West Indies, having a
comparat lively unobstructed entrance, with
a depth at wharves of ten to thirteen feet
at low and eleven and one-half to fifteen at
high water. 1t is place of some strength.
Ponce, on the SOUTH is the largest town,
having about 4O, 600 inhabitants. Mayaguez.
on the west, has about $1,000 1t has
good harbor for vessels not exceeding six
teen feet draught
Porto Rico is very valuable possession
to Spain, both stragetically and financially.
It's revenue for 1S94-95 was 5,454. .95S pesos; its
expenditure, 3905,667. A peso is about SO
cents in value. Compact and symmetrical,
Porto Rico could be occupied and held by a
reasonable force and Spain deprived of a
considerable revenue. Our fleets could then
be to a great extent released for effective
hostilities. The typographical conditions are
favorable to its occupancy by moderate
force. The great want is good roads and
bridges, wheeled traffic along the coast
being at times interrupted. but as we would
simply need to occupy the three or four
important seaports, tina: would not initiate
against our operations.
1.-THE island is the most healthy of the An
titles, and the land breezes, so constant at
are seldom felt here. The prevailing winds
are east and northeast, with frequent
breezes from the north between November
and March. Much injury is done at times
by hurricanes. New York Sun.