The L'Anse sentinel., 1898-06-25
Interesting Facts as Related by
a Native of That
City.
CAN EASILY BE CAPTURED.
No Reason Why the Town Should
Not Fall an Easy Victim to
American Arms.

The following interesting inter
view with DR.. Henry Austin Adams,
who lectured in this city Friday of
last week, is reproduced from the
Milwaukee Journal of recent date:
IF the reports as to the position
in which Hobson- left the Merrimac
are true, then Santiago is sealed up
as tight as anything ever was sealed. "
Thus spoke Henry Austin Adams,
who is native of Santiago and who
passed his boyhood days in that
place. He played around MORO
castle and threw stones nearly
across the channel where the Mer-
rimac is sunk, climbed the hills
which surround the city and waited
for sly chance to get in a shot at
one of the vultures which are now
the protected scavengers of the city
streets. Mr.. Adams has a number of
relatives still in Santiago, though his
sister escaped a fortnight ago along
with a number of other persons who
were sent to Kingston, Jamaica, in
a German freighter, by the British
consul.
''The harbor of Santiago" said
Mr.. Adams, lis the narrowest in it's
entrance of any ever saw. No one
would dream who saw the narrow
opening in the cliffs that there was
such an immense body OF water
within. Santiago is a fine, land
locked harbor. whose entrance is
simply a rift in the mountains. On
either side of the channel the hills
rise precipitously and above are the
fortresses. | was there three years
ago, just before the opening of the
rebellion. | have not heard from
Cuba directly for over month, and
| have not heard from my sister
since she escaped to Jamaica, but
expect to get particulars.
''Te my mind, Santiago should fall
an easy victim to American arms.
The town is at the bottom of bowl
formed by the surrounding noun
tains and there is no railway com
munication with any other city. The
roadways are bride paths, not over
hills, but over some of the most
rugged mountains to be found in the
world With the harbor corked and
guarded and with land force in the
hills surrounding the town, the in
vaders may do as they choose. They
may sit still in certain knowledge
that the inhabitants will be starved
out, or they can carry guns to al
most any point in the hills and be
able to shoot into the bottom of the
bowl and raze the city to the ground.
My nephews at Santiago write that
the land Notifications are extremely
weak and they say that there is a
plentiful lack of discipline among
the soldiers there.
The names which are telegraphed
here recall many a boyhood scene.
Punta Gorda, where there is now
battery, is country resort of my
sisters; Daiquiri, where it is said the
United States troops have landed, is
a little town along the coast where
there are mines and there is rail
way from there to Santiago. One
of my relatives had country home
there, and | have cousins at Guam
tanamo.
''My sisters name lis Brooks.
Brooks & Co. have had their offices
in Santiago for a hundred years and
have worked sugar estates in the
island for that time. Their offices
are now on the harbor front.
n OF hot
Brooks & Co. stood to lose if there
was any bombardment of the city.
Mr.. Adams said That is so; but
they won't mind that a bit. They
will be glad of it if the lombard
ment results in more stable govern
ment For the last century, almost,
the history of Cuba has been revolu-
tion after revolution, and there has
been nothing like fixed condition
The foreign capitalist in Cuba has
been between the two contending
parties, as between the upper and
the neither millstones. He was sure
to get ground and queer squeezing
he has sometimes had This fact has
hindered the development of Cuba,
as it has kept away the foreign
capitalist. If there can be estab-
lished system of government which
will protect property and protect a
man in his ownership of it, then
there will be great development in
Cuba.
Il am afraid that for the present
the Cubans .cannot govern them
selves and'afte this war the United
States will have on her hands the
necessity of devising some way
which will ensure good and stable
government until the people are able
to care for themselves. At present
the population of Cuba is "a fright