The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-20
SANTIAGO APEST HOLE.
The Town Ripe for a Terri
BILE Epidemic,
SCORE OF LEPERS ON STREET
Six Cases Of Yellow Fever and
Two Suspicious Gases.

No Sewerage System and City Drain
nge All From Surface-Awfm
StencheS From the Streets Stagger
and Choke One-A Total of 1,747
Patients in the City's Hospitals.
sailors Assert That Admiral Ger
vera sacrificed His Fleet in Obe-
dience to Popular ClamOr in Spain
and Cuba.
SANTIAGO July IS, via Kingston. July 10,
noon Gen. Shafter has had a thorough
examination made of the sanitary condi-
ton of Santiago. The work was done by
Dr. Goolfellow of the generals staff, and
by civilian physician, DR.. Orlando
Dw1er
They find that although there are at
present but six cases Of yellow fever, in
addition 10 two suspects, the town is ripe
for an epidemic
Santiago and Rio Janeiro are consid-
elei the greatest fever breeding centers in
the world.
This town lacks every sanitary feature
al its BEST and now after two months
siege. leaving it dirty and repellent, it is
verita5le pest hole.
The awful stenehes THAI arise from the
streets sloggor ana choke one.
The city Of Santiago is a typical tropl-
cal place, with narrow, crooked streets
and low, one-story dwellings, and stores.
Many Of The houses are succeed and
painted with startling colors, sky blue and
vivid shades of green predominating.
These, with The red tiles of the roofs and
the quaint verandas, show evidence Of
past pcturesqueness.
But everything is now in state of dilap-
idation and decay, and the city is but
shadow of its former self.
The majority of the houses are absolute
ruins, ana public squares, once green, with
fountains playing an their center are now
reelected
But here and there, through the open
doors of more pretentious dwellings, one
meets with the vision of an open court
filed witch palms, brilliant-hued pouchia-
nos and other towering trees and plants.
il is like brief glimpses of happy past
now gone
There Is no sewerage system. The city
drainage is all from the surface into the
hdra5r and the lower part of the city
through which much of The drainage runs
especially from the poor quarter around
The bull ring to the northwest of the
city, is the seeding center of malaria, ty-
pboid and other low fevers.
There are four hospitals in the city, the
ciVd hospital presided over by the Sisters
OF Charity and the military, Mercedes and
Conchas Hospitals
IN these hospitals are 1,77 patients,
which is comparatively small number.
considering the lack of food and long
siege.
j. must be remembered that the recon
fnHadcs were never admitted to the hos
N'ais and when the notification of the
proposed bombardment by our batteries
were received, every patient who could
S'1Esr ont was driven into the streets.
t"eh% lepers, who were in the civi.
'0s'i'o were turned into the. streets,
''' '4eE have been roaming ever since.
IHo largest number of patients are in
'4e military hospital, where there are tl.ir-
"""ideo spanish officers and 43l
wounded soldiers and sailors
i' addition, there are hundreds Of cases
o malaria and dysentery, and six cases
OF yellow fever.
l.e sailors were wounded in the battle
'7' ] and ?. They were disembarked
''l 'ae ships of Admiral Cervera feet
order To- assist in resisting the attack of
VIE American troops by land.
'ss1 sailors say that when the Spanish
sailed out of the harbor, half Of the
'''# ana marines on board had been
-.'s aud working in the trenches
Tor forty-eight hours previously.
'.H'fa 0ervera, they also assert. sacri-
"'5 Heet in obedience to the popular
.''.'''. '9,h in Spain and Cuba, including
r '-'' that he should give battle to
'-s American fleet