The times., 1899-03-13
With UNCLE SANS
TROOPS IN PORTO RICO
Hardships and Dangers of
Garrison Duty.
Unacclimated Soldiers Exposed to
Contagious Diseases.
Diversions Enjoyed by the VoIun-
tccrs to Relieve the Monotony
of Burrnck Life.
CFrom the New York Hcrald.l

most miracle that our unacclimated
American forces, who took possession of
these barracks soon after the signing of
the protocol. have not been decmated by
these dread diseases, and yet, While small
pox did make its appearance in Ponce and
claimed few victims, it's spread has not
been universal.
Spanish barracks and fifth are synony-
nous terms. The pestilential holes into
which Spains fighting men were crowded
beggar all description in their original con-
dition before they were changed into hab-
liable quarters for our boys by an ardu-
Gus cleansing and the free handed applica-
tion of much disinfectant. 1t is difficult
to select any particular example as being
the worst pest house, for they were all
originally in fearful condition.
BARRACKS at Cgguns
At Caguas, for instance where the Forty
seventh New York Volunteers had their
headquarters, the main barracks was low
two -stored building, abutting on nasty,
filthy streets. down which ran the sewage
of the town, while the inside was in even
more unsanitary condition than the streets
themselves. a small rear courtyard back
ed by high wall was filled almost knee
deep with garbage and out OF the second
story windows at one point there could be
seen, jammed between this twelve-foot wall
and the rear of the house, all manner of
decaying and putrid offal from the kitchen
On the same floor where the men lived and
slept and ate their meals were the closets.
reeking in rottenness and permeating the
air with disgusting odors.
In another loom the noisome smells were
so oYerpowering that the men became sick
and faint in the atmosphere. When the
wooden Hoorlng was pried up il was dis
covered that the rains OF years had been
washing under 1t from a single-story ce-
ment-roofed building the cast-away por-
tions OF soldiers food. until the accumula
tion was eight or ten inches deep. II is
! little wonder that the Spanish soldier went
back to the sunny vineyards of his native
land a physical wreck. broken with fever,
palied with ague, and yellow eyed with
jaundice
Perhaps one should apologize for shock
ing the sensibiliiies by the portrayal of
such conditions of uncleanliness. II was
not only in this instance or at this one
place that the American officers fought the
battle of sanitation against the dread and
insidious foe of squalor and microbes, blt
at every town on the island where they are
now quartered. Those who have watched
| the health returns from the island must
have noticed that the sick lists have stead
| ly fallen in numbers and that the deaths
have decreased until the mortality rate Is
| less than that in our great cities which
| is all due TO the strenuous efforts made by
| post commanders to get and keep the
| mems quarters in the highest state of
! cleanliness. The sinks wherever il was
possible. have been removed far away from
the sleeping and dining apartments. and
/ every day the floors OF the barracks are
/ swept and scrubbed until not particle OF
! dirt remains.
| All garbage is carted outside the limits
of the towns and fresh. clean water is
! hauled twice day in covered barrels. II
may be that We viii soon prove that ii is
! possible for northern troops to live IN
tropical climes with little sickness or dis
| case, where the well-being of the men is
| carefully taken into consideration through
| proper diet and sanitary measures.
Hurdships of Bnrrack Life.
| The initial hardships or barrack life in
| Porto Rico, which are now almost wholly
| overcome, lay in the lack of the little
| comforts which make life worth living
! There were few cots for the men: conse-
! Guently hundreds of them rolled up In
/ their single blankets and dropped into fit
/ ful slumbers on the hard wooden and brick
I tiled floors, with their knapsacks for pill
I lows. There We're no chairs or benches or
!
could not be procured for their construc-
! tiOn. Guns racks were wanting, and there
| were no pegs upon which the clothes might
! be hung; hence il was no uncommon sight
! to find whole companies of men eating
| their meals from the centre Of the floor.
! while around the edges of the walls rested
! their arms and equipments.
| At Caguas the headquarters staff unless
they were invited out to dinner by some
| Hospitality inclined Porto Rican. were fore
ed TO eat their meagre meals from the top
Of dry goods box, and most of the Off
GERS slept in canvas hammocks swung
across the room.
month after the flag raising at San
Juan these conditions had been very great
ly ameliorated by the quartermaster's de-
| partment, though even yet, in many of the
| out -theway places. the surroundings
are too primitive for the soldiers to secure
many comforts Canvas and wire mattress
| cots have taken the place of the floor for
beds. and American pine lumber has been
| laboriously hauled from Ponce and San
Juan to be converted by the artisans OF
the army into tables and benches and
minor Outbuildings.
Reforms VIII Come Quickly.
So much for the hardshIps of Forto RIcan
garrison duty. In another years time mill
tary life on the island will have become as
regular establishments of United States
posts. T!ardships or no hardships. the ay-
erage soldier, after all manages to break
off a fair chunk of the worlds pleasures
The regular is a dgnifed sort of a fell
low compared with his brother volunteer
who seems to think il essential Ia attract
attention TO himself by forced animation
which has resulted several times in paint
ing some OF the little towns bright Grim
son.
The First Kentucky. the Forty-seventn
New York and the Sixth lmmuneS all vol
unteer regiments. came pretty near know
ing every unattached girl on the island aud
the sights We're many and amusing of
broad backed fellows crowded into tiny
Porto Rican rooms surrounded by pretty
girls, TO whom they made love with might
and main not by speech, but by mongrel
sign language. supplemented by expressive
eyes. The BerlitZ method is not in it with
this graceful and fascinating mode of ac-
quiring fluency in the Spanish tongue
Gambling Diversion.
1t is not possible to gamble on horse races
and there are no prize fights. but game
cock fighting goes on constantly in every
town and affords the gaming minded sol
der an excellent opportunity for specula-
tion Opposed to this, II will be noticed
that in the cities OF San Juan and Ponce
where they have small public libraries they
are crowded nightly 10 Overlooking with
soldiers in whose hearts glow the light of
literary ambition. They even go TO church.
though there is no mother or sister to send
them there, though there are some who
even up on this righteous. inclination of the
morning by indu!ging in little quiet game
OF draw, hidden away in some obscure cor
ner, during the evening hours.