Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-07
Colony for COnsumptives.
OUR NEW NAVAL STATION.
The Old Spanish Arsenal ut San
Juan. Porto Rico.

The Old Spanish Arsenal at San
Juan. Porto Rico.
From Golfers Weekly.
Part of the government property handed
over to the United States, when Spain
evacuated Porto Rico, was the old arsenal,
as the Spaniards called it, which is today
occupied by the Americans at San Juan as
a navy yard What the future naval sta
ton at this point will amount to has not
yet been announced. When we have alb
sorbed Porto Rico's exports and are SUP
plying the greater part of her imports;
when questions of money tariffs and gov
eminent have been determined: when the
commercial and political education of the
people of this island is well under way:
when the restless curiosity of American ad-
venturers is satisfied and our people at
large have been told what Porto Rico
amounts to; and when the winter tourist
trade is regularly establshed-when all
this has been done, the value of this new
possession as naval station will have
been recognized and there will be estab-
hshed mere a navy yard sufficient to meet
the needs OF the location. In the mean
tune certain navy officers have been sent
down here to take official possession of
what the Spaniards turned over
On the north side of the island there is
the city OF San JUAN and reaching out into
the harbor is large stretch of low made
land rms area is given over to foundries
gas works, coal yards, storehouses and the
navy yard The Spanish arsenal was built
many years ago, and today, when the addi-
tons are considered, the yard is A confus-
ing collection of ck-walled, one-story
houses: The ground is only about three
feet above the level of the bay; conse-
quentiy the houses are damp and for the
most part musty and ill-smelling; the sun
and air have little chance to reach the in
ner rooms and passages, and the place is
oppressive The shadows of heavy trees
iNly Sta-I,tN tN<,.v,
ants house give pleasing variety to the
white walls. and 1.-THE Roman Catholic
chapel on one side of the small square in
the center of the clump of buildings, and
the curious beifry and clock on the other
are both picturesque and novel. The main
entrance to the yard faces the north; it is
a large white portal in the center of a white
wall. This portal holds on high the royal
arms OF Spain and is decorated with the
signs of the Zodiacn Above escutcheon and
device floats the American flag brilliant
AGAINST the intense blue sky behind it,
me Spanaards were never known for hy-
Creme or proper living, and the condition of
the arsenal when We took possession was
proof of this statement The place was
filthy. All drains We're choked by the ac-
emulation of years, and hundreds of cart
loads OF dirt had to be removed before our
men could contemplate living in these quar-
tiers. The Spaniafds never had any sani-
tary convehiencess' water and refuse were
allowed to sink into the ground so the
earth of the entire yard can be regarded
as polluted. There has been yellow fever
here within the last three years. and there
is TO doubt but that the place is today I'M
healthy.
Much can and is being done to improve
its condition; the entire place is being thor
oughly cleaned, all floors are being newly
cemented, and cracks in walls are being
sealed up, to prevent poisonous emanations
from the soil under the buildings. dis
filling plant with a daily capacity of 5000
gallons is being erected; until this is COM
pleted the station will get distilled water
from the collier Caesar anchored in the
harbor Sleeping quarters for forty ma
rnes are laid with board floors twelve
inches above the new cement SO that fresh
air can circulate freely under the boards.
The commandments house, which is in bet
ter condition than any other building in
the yard, is now used as Offices by the
American occupants.