The evening times., 1898-10-19
THE NEW AMERICAN CITIES.
ohiciaI Data Concerning Towns and
Cities In Porto Rico.

1
is situated on a long and narrow island.
separated from the main island at one
end by a shallow arm of the sea, over
which is bridge connecting it with the
| mainland, which runs out at this point
in long sand-spit some nine miles in
length apparently to meet the smaller
island; at the other end the island ends
in rugged bluff or promontory, some
| hundred feet high and three-fourths of a
| mile distant from the main island. This
promontory is crowned by Morro Castle,
the principal fortification of the town.
| At this end Of the island is the entrance
to the harbor. with narrow channel and
rocky bottom, so close under the headland
that one can almost leap ashore from
! passing vessel. The water here is some
| 81 feet deep. To a mariner unacquainted
with the locality, or when a norther is
blowing, this entrance is one of difficulty
and danger.
After rounding the bluff, one finds a
broad and beautiful bay, landlocked and
with good depth of water which is be-
| ing increased by dredging II is by far
| the pest harbor in Porto Rico, and prob
ably as good a one as can be found in
the West Indies. However II has its
| drawbacks. Sailing vessels are frequent
| ly detained by the northerly winds dur
! ing the winter months, and even steamers
| with a draft of over twenty feet are
sometimes delayed; but these occasions
are rare. When they do occur the ''co-
| ca, or entrance TO the harbor is a mass
| of seething, foaming water and presents
| an imposing spectac,e To see steamers
of sixteen 10 eights,,.! feet draft enter in
- 1aa,- s L.
/ bered, as the graf waves lift them up
and seem about to hurl them forward TO
destruction. AT such times there is need
OF stanch vessel, steady nerYes and a
ceptain well acquainted with the chan
mel, as no pilot Will venture out. The
island upon which the city stands is
shaped much like an arm and hand: il is
about l-2 miles long and averages less
than one-fourth of a mile in width The
greatest width is little over half a mile
in the portion representing the hand
which also contains the major part of the
city. San Juan is perfect specimen of a
walled town, with portcullis, moat gates
and battlements. Built over two hundred
and fifty years ago. il is still in good con-
dition and repair. The walls are pictur-
1 eSque and represent a stupendous work
and cost in themselves Inside the walls
/ the city is laid off in regular squares. six
parallel streets running in the direction
/ of the length of the island and seven at
right angles. The houses are closely and
compactly built of brick, usually of two
stories, succeed on the outside and paint
ed in variety of colors. The upper floors
are occupied by the more respectable peo-
pie, while the ground floors, almost with
1 out exception, are given up to negroes
and the poorer class, who crowd one up
or another in the most appalling man
ner.
The population within the walls is es-
| timated at 10000, and most of it lives on
the ground floor. In one small room, with
a fiimsy partition, a whole family will re-
side. The ground floor of the whole town
reeks with filth. and conditions are most
unsanitary. In tropical country. where
disease readily prevails. the consequences
Of such herding may be easily inferred.
There is no running water in the town.
| The entire population depends upon rain
water. caught upon the fiat roofs of the
buildings and conducted to the cistern,
which occpies the greater part of the in
ner courtyard that is an essential part of
Spanish houses the world over, but that
here, on account of the crowded condi-
tions is very small. There is no sewerage,
except for surface water and sinks. while
vaults are in every house and occupy
whatever remaining space there may be
in the patios not taken up by the cisterns.
| The risk of communicating the water is
very great. and in dry seasons the supply
is entirely exhausted. Epidemics are fire.
quent, and the town is alive with vermin,
fleas, cockroaches, mosquitoes and dogs.
The streets are wider than in the older
part Of Havana, and will admit two car
riages abreast. The sidewalks are mar
row, and in places will accommodate but
one person. The payements are of com
position manufactured in England from
1
no heavy strain is brought to bear upon
them, but easily broken and unfit for heavy
traffic. The streets are swept once day
by hand and. strange TO say. are kept
very clean. From its typographical situa-
ton the town should be healthy but il is
not. The soil under the city is clay mixed
with lime, so hard as to be almost like
rock. 1t is consequently impervious TO
water and furnishes a good natural drain
age.
The trade wind blows strong and fresh.
and through the harbor runs a stream q
sea water at a speed of not less than
three miles an hour With these c0ndi-
tions no contagious diseases. if properly
taken care of. could exist; without them
the place would be a veritable plague
spot Besides the town within the walls |
there are small portions just outside |
called the Marina and Puerta de TERRA |
containing TWO or tnree thousand lnnaDi- |
tants each. There are also two suburbs. |
one, San Turce, approached by the only |
read leading out of the city, and the |
other, Catano, across the bay. reached by |
ferry The Marina and the two suburbs |
are situated on sandy points or spits, |
and the latter are surrounded by man |
grove swamps. The entire population OF |
the city and suburbs, according to the |
census of 1887. was 1900. 1t is now esti- |
mated at 80 900. One-half of the population |
consists of negroes and mixed races. |
There is but little manufacturing, and ii |
is of small Importance. The Standard Oil |
Company has a small refinery across the |
bay, in which crude petroleum. brought |
from the United States. is refined. |
Matches are made some brooms, little |
SOAP and a cheap class of trunk. There |
are also ice, gas, and electric light works. |
The climate is warm, but for three |
months of the year agreeable, although |
one is subject from the sudden changes, |
to cold and catarrhs. The natives are |
particularly susceptible to this class OF |
ailments, and to consumption and bron- |
chitis.
Ponce is the second city in size and |
Importance. III is situated on the south |
coast of the Island of Porto Rico on |
plain, about two miles from the seaboard. |
IL is regularly built-the central part al |
most exclusively of brick houses and the |
suburbs of wood. 1t is the residence of |
the military commander and the seat of |
an official chamber of commerce. There |
is an appellate criminal court besides |
other courts; two churches-one Protest |
ant. said TO be the only one in the Span |
s-n, Ind hnG fto1c