The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-28

dressed their wounds from the first..
cheered the living and closed the eyes OF
tho dying. as only an angel In mortal
guise could do. W y, N X
!, Some thirty bodie1 are now. In the
morgue. or rather horrible bits of bodice
brought up from the sea during the last
few hours BY ropes and graphing hooks
and dumped into boxes, to be buried as
cemetery de = Cristobai Colon, where
several wide graves have each received
their, complement gof collins, other
trenches ARC kept In readiness for re.
cclvlng the remains OF our boys rs fast
Us they are found. + ~ iis
Yesterday made a trip with some
Cuban friends 10 Jaruco. thirty miles
from the capital. As we crossed the
ferry at s o'clock in the morning to the
railway station or, tho other side OF the
bay, we passed close 10 the melancholy
wreck OF the Maine q fleet OF small
boats at their gruesome fishing for
bodlcs by the light OF q crescent moon.
When we passed that way d few days
ago. en- route 10 Guanubacoa howpropd
we were OF our gallant warship and the
men who awarned her decks! The road
to Jaruco liea through q moot beautiful
country OF rolling hills and royal palms:
or rather, how beautiful 1t must have
been before this dreadful war. Mature
has done her best for It, in climate. soil
and scenery. Three years ago rich PLAN
tations. prosperous q villages. country
houses and sugar mills covered every
mile OF II; now all the caneflelds and or.
churds arc burned the houses and mills
In ashes. the villages inert heaps OF
ruins. Here and there is q small block
fort, or 10 straw-thatched camping sta
ton for q portion OF the Spanish army:
but not a sign Of other occupation or q
single trace of the former Inhabitants,
Tho latter. who have not been killed In
battle or died in prison, are nil among
tho reconcentrados who arc starving In
Havana and Jaruco. or IRE among the
10000 already dead by starvation. The
insurgents have burned caneflelds and
killed tho cattle and destroyed the viii
lagos to prevent the Spanlards from be-
Ing benefited by them, and the Span.
iards In retaliation have destroyed the
people. Our train was strongly guard.
ed by Spanish goldiers, for every hillock
might hide troop Of insurgents and
trains are frequently attacked. Under
pretext Of adjusting o refractory vim
dow. a dark-visaged. poorly dressed
straIgcr-eyidently q rebel in disguise,
the insurgents will not attack this train;
there are Americans on. board!" II Is
said that the movements Of all foreign-
ers In Cuba are closely watched by
Spaniards on one side and tho rebels on
the other; SO that notwithstanding the
extreme kindness and courtesy we are
constantly receiving. there Is always the
uncomfortable, feeling OF being "be-
tween two fires.
Our visit to Jaruca happened to occur
on the second anniversary of the raid
of the late insurgent chief, Alaceo,
when he laid the city In ruins. Before
that day It was rather important
place Of 1900 Inhabitants; now 1t num-
bers about 5000, three-fourths OF whom
are In n state bordering on starvation.
ABIDE from the sadness of its desola-
ton II Is one OF the most picturesque
places I have ever seen. The streets
strassle hap-hazard up and down stony
hills, the pink and blue and pea-green
houses mostly mere roofless shells with
only portions OF their wallis left stand
ing: the church Is a fort surrounded
by hastily erected barrlcade OF stones,
and the most prominent features are
now the quarters OF the Spanish sol7
diers. the prison and the graveyard.
The latter Is IN immense baro enclosure
on top OF hill. a small high walled
space shows the cemetery OF two years
ALI the rest having been added since
Maceo's raid. ! asked how many were.
killed In the battle. "Oh. nobody was
killed them" they said. There was no
battle. Maceo only rushed through,
burning villages as hetwent. After
wards the Spanish soldiers followed In
pursuit and murdered many people,;
but most of those in the cemetery have
died of miseria. That Is the disease
which atillcts all rural Cuba. The name
was coined by the physicians who at
tended the starving reconcentrados, and
now II Is SO recorded In the burial GER
tlflcates. It means misery, nothing
more--the gaunt shadow that has de-
populated the country. 1t happened
United States was attached to our train.
We did not know 1t when we left Ha-
vana, and were in no way responsible
for the good deed; but the grateful Ja-
rucans could not be made to understand
that. In spite OF. our repeated protests
and explanations that we came merely
as visitors and had nothing to do with
the food, the entire population turned
out 10 welcome US, headed by the Jefe,
the Alealdi and the Judge; we were es-
corted In state through the city, fol-
lowed by several thousand people, given
the best breakfast the place afforded,
loaded with gifts Of flowers and birds;
and to cap the climax your humble cor
respondent was addressed by deiega-
ton OF ladies' and presented with an
official document. signed by many
names, which made her the "Patroness
of the PublaclonI" In vain l tried to
dodge the honor. and to persuade the
people 20 walt for Miss Clara Barton,
who would probably come to Jaruco
later on, and make her their patron
ess." 3 Is. I'D!
was the first American woman who
had visited them, and upon my de-
fenseless head the full measure OF their
gratitude was wreaked! It was as
heart breaking as embarrassing. A very
large majority Of the crowd were like
living skeietons,--an army OF beggars,
with swollen feet and emaciated bodies.
victims OF fever, hunger and "miseria."
Patiently they followed lis about, from
street to street and house to house.
where we were led by the Delegation"
like lambs to the slaughter, and at
every opportunity they pressed to kiss
my hand, How guilty I seN to eat the
breakfast served IN the moson, with
that hungry crowd woItIpo- n, ttnpt1y