The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-02-10
Dubois Comfy Soldier in Cuba.
CAMP COLUMBIA, HAVANA,
CUBA, Jan. 10, 1899.

1tBA, Jan. ~, 1913.
Possibly another little sketch OF
my war" experience and of what
! have seen as best | can give it
will interest readers.
/ The 9th Ills. to which | belong
broke camp at Savannah Jan. 2,
about foul o clock, p. IN. Equip
ped in heavy marching order, we
ma.ched TO the Savannah river,
three miles, and with the 4lh Ills.
boys, making two regiments mum
boring near twenty four hundred
mcl, embarked on the transport.
Mobile, which was to carry US to
Cuba.
1t was near ten O'Clock in the
night before all the men could get
on board However she succeeded
that night, Ia getting ready to sal
having the designated number of
men, their baggage. and one hun
dred horses, besides some other
neces -arles.
She carries 1900 tons, Is bal
lasted with 4 900 tons of pig iron,
i 100 fit. long (instead of 600 as |
stated in my other description) !;
breadth between fifty and sixty feet.
Having gone Oh board, my atten
tion was at once attracted by the way
the cooking was managed. They
had four vessels, or cooking uten-
sils, which held one hundred and
ten gallons each, and four one hun
dred gallon vessels. They made
for Us at one time one hundred and
thirty gallons Of coffee, cooked ten
bushels OF potatoes, and one hun
dred and seventy five gallons oil
soup.
We arrived here Jan. ), near four
O'Clock P. m, leaving Savannah
harbor Jan. 3, at III. 80 a. IN. We
slept on the boat four nights. When
we went on board we found her nea.
and clean; but before we left her
deck was well decorated. Most of
us will understand, after this, what
sea.sickness means. During the
days we we're most of the time, out
of sight of land, but at night could
discern a light occasionally.
When We came in sight of Cuba,
it seemed as pretty view as could
exist. There are low mountains all
along the coast, covered with a
growth of rich, luxuriant grass, flow
els and evergreens.
Tn city of Havana is beauti
fully situated and would be lovely
place if it had drainage to keep i,
clean. But, considering the people
and their opportunities for the past
two years, we found the city in
much better condition than we ex-
pectej.
Havana is peculiarly planned
and built. The streets are but little
broader THAI the alleys in our cities,
and are very rough, the stones pro-
jecting little high sometimes, and
now and then "chuck hole.
The houses are all built of stone,
some very ruGely constructed, 9th
ers showing great artistic skill. They
are generally low, the largest | have
seen being five story building.
Their walls are from twelve to eight
cen inches thick; some have solid
rock floors, while the rich class
have marble floors, and have their
houses beautifully finished and fur
The doors are double and
the windows protected by iron bars.
The houses are covered with some
thing like tiling and cement; two
half filings are placed down with
the cupping side upward, then join
ted with third, the cupping side
down, and between is placed the
cement, making substantial roof,
and protection against the sun 5
rays, which are very hot.
The buildings are m.de so as to
be verv cool and comfortable on the
inside.
Their electric car system here
is generally run by three ponies or
mules in the old spike team form. =
They have no wagons like ours,
but use draws for everything, which
are drawn by oxen. They use a
woke without bows, having a pad
which is placed on the forehead OF
the OK, and the yoke sets just back
OF his horns and is connected to the
pad and his head with some kind OF
string, 50 he pulls with his head in
otaad ,f he chambers