The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-06
THE THIRD GEORGIA IN CAMP.
WHAT THE SOLDIER BOYS ARE DO
ING AT NUEVTTAS.

Description of the Town and It's
standardization the Drinking
Water Is CoOIed-The Appearance
of the Houses-The Club and How
1t Is COnducted-Other Matters of
General Interest.
Headquarters Third Georgia Volunteer
Infantry Nuevitas Cuba. Jan. S0-After
waiting two days for orders from Gen.
Carpenter as 10 whether the regiment
would disembark here or go around the
island to Jucaro. on the south side of this
province, at 2 p. m, Jan. 20, final orders
came to go ashore here, and go into camp
temporarily until arrangements could be
made for sending the regiment there, eth
er by a smaller steamer or by rail, to
Puerto Principe, and thence forty-five
miles by wagon train. Jucaro, pronounced
Hookeroo, is the terminus of the military
railroad at the trocha, now in the hands
of Cubans, and it was Gen. Carpenters
idea to send the regiment there 10 take
charge of the railroad, which is some fifty
miles in length, and there are four or five
good-sized towns on the line, besides sew
eral mines. However, we are encamped
at this place awaiting orders. Nuevitas
is the principal seaport of this province,
and has 1000 inha bitants. 1t is situated
eleven miles from the sea, on beautiful
land-locked harbor. Vessels come up to
within three or four miles of the city,
and are discharged by lighters of forty
or fifty tons each, of which there are sew
eral. The William Mckinley, a tow boat
of good size, is doing towing in the harbor,
and is under the orders of the United
States depot quartermaster, and in COM
mand of Capt. johnson of Bath Me. There
are but two companies of the Fifteenth
Infantry here, the rest of the regiment
and six troops of the Eighth Cavalry are
at Puerto Principe, the capital of the prov
ince, and situated half way across the
island, forty-six miles by rail, and is
city of $1,000 people, and the principal dis
tributing point in the provinces of Principe
and Santa Clara. Our camp is situated
on the side of a hill, sloping down to the
waters of the bay and, although very
rocky, is a very nice, clean and healthy
place, and all the men and officers are
well pleased. Their desire to do duty for
Uncle Sam in Cuba has been satisfied.
The only drawback to the camp is the
water. which, being rain water, and kept
in cisterns, has to be boiled before drink
ing 1t is then hung up in monkeys"
which are earthen jugs. With the Their
mometer from 80 to So in the shade, after
the jugs have been hanging up for two
hours the water is very cool and pleas
ant. Ice made at Puerto Principe is worth
10 cents a pound. The water from it can
not be drank, so it is only used for keep
ing articles cool.
The cistern spoken of, although no one
seems to know its capacity in gallons, is
quite large. The water that falls on 40
ten acres of roofs is run into it in pipes.
Much to the surprise of all there is an
electric light plant here. 1t is ample
for this place. 1t is operated and owned
by a French company. ~
The next place of interest is very
large tannery, owned and worked by Gu
bans l have not yet been able to find
out its capacity.
There is also a Cuban club here, 1.-THE
lMartipa," 20 which all the officers have
been invited and all that are out of camp
can be found there. They have a month
" reception on the last day of each month
and at that time the ladies' attend. So
Tuesday night next all are expecting a
very pleasant time. The band of the reg
iment has been engaged for the occasion.
Among the places of interest here is,
first, the city itself, as everything is new
and strange. The architecture and the
general appearance of everything reminds
one of what books tells us of the fifteenth
century. All the streets are very narrow
all the buildings one story; no windows
only shutters, outside of which are iron
bars, behind which the female portion of
the family may be seen at any time
The old Spanish church here is just like
it was when Columbus left 1t (probably)
The present burying ground is the one that
has been used by Nuevitas since its set
Element; as only the rich people have per-
manent tombs or lots. All the poorer
people are buried, and after the ground
has been used, they start over and dig
up what is left of the first lot, and throw
the remains in one corner, and keep the
same covered with lime and-well, they CO.
but it is all right. The "bIockhouses" that
were built around the city, the remains
of which are still here, were of brick and
cement, and We're, as near as is possible
to judge, about twenty feet in diameter
and some twenty. feet high, are 500 yards
apart. These were entirely surrounded by
barbed-wire fence, like that at Santiago.
The first mail steamer arrived to-day
from Havana, and b rought mail from
Georgia dated Jan. 16 So all are happy.
and every one is writing letters to-day,
20 go back on this steamer, which sails
tomorrow for New York.
Gen. Carpenters orders are. and
very strict they are. too, that neither Of
ficers or men, do anything in the way OF
duty between the hours of 10 a. m. and
p. m. during which time everything closes
up in the city and every one sleeps; so
the Third Georgia is trying to obey or
ders Every one visits at daylight now
about O'clock, and no one thinks of re-
thing before Il at night. Ouray.
--s-e-~---
THE THIRD IN CUBA