The Portland daily press., 1898-07-20
A FILTHY CITY.
The Sanitary Condition Of Santiago
is Very Bad.

July 19-Noon. Shafter has had
a thorough examination made of the
sanitary conditions of Santiago. The
work was done by DR.. Goodfellow, of the
Generals staff and by civilian
physician, DR.. Orlando Dwiker. They
find that although there are at present
but six cases Of yellow tever in the city,
in addition to two suspects, 1.-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
it dirty and repellant, it is verite BILE
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.
The city of Santiago is typical tropical
place, with narrow, crooked streets, low
one storied 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
pictrresqueness. But now it is in state
of dilapidation and decay, and the city is
but shadow of it's former self The ma
jority of the houses are absolute ruins and
public squares, once green, with fountains
playing in their centre, are now utterly
neglected. The iron fences are broken
and rusted, while the fountains, on ac-
count of the dearth of water have long
beesi dry. But here and there, through
the open doors of more pretentious
dwellings, one meets the vision of an open
court filled with palms, brilliant hued
pouchianos and other Towering trees and
plants.
There is no sewage 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 peoples quarter
around the bull ring, to the northwest of
the city, is the seeding centre Of malarial,
typhoid and other slow fevers.
There are four hospitals in the city, the
civil hospital, presided over by the sisters
of charity, and the military, Mercedes
and Conohes hospitals.
In these four hospitals are1747 patsents,
which is q comparatively small number,
considering the lack of food and long
siege, but 1t must be rememb bered that the
reooncentr ados were never admitted to
the hospital 0nd when the notifications of
the proposed bombardment by our bat
teries were received. every patient who
could stagger out was driven into the
streets. Twenty lepers who were in the
civil hospital were turned into the streets
and they have been roaming through the
city ever since.
The largest number of patients are in
the military hospitals where there are 81
wounded Spanish officers and 43l
wounded soldiers and sailors. In addition
there are hundreds of cases of malaria
and dysentery, and six cases of yellow
fever.
The sailors were wounded in the battles
of July and July 2. They were disem-
barked from the ships of Admiral
Cerveras fleet in order to assist in resist.
ing the attack of the American troops by
land These soldiers say that when the
Spanish fleet sailed out of the harbor,
half of the sailors and marines on board
had been fighting and working in the
trenches ashore for 4S hours previously.
Admiral Ceryera, they also assert, sacri-
feed his fleet in obedience to the popular
clamor, both in Spain and Cuba, includ.
ing Santiago, that he should give battle
to the American fleet