The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-12
RELIC HUNTING NEAR HAVANA.
Fred A. Toolen of Second Illinois
Tells His Experiences In Cuba.

Chicago 1nter-Ocean)
| A letter describing the gloomy dun
geons and blood-stained walls Of the
ancient Castle la Cabanas, near Ha-
wanna, and relating the incidents of a
relic-hunting trip among the Spanish
! Notifications, and to the wreck of the
Maine, was yesterday received by Dep
uty Commissioner of Public Works A.
J. Toolen from his brother, Fred A.
| Toolen of the Second Illinois infantry,
now encamped at Camp Columbia, in
the Cuban capital. The letter is as
| follows:
THE climate in the United States
cannot at any time be compared with
the climate we are enjoying here. The
days are warm, but not oppressive, and
the ocean breezes at night cool the at
mosphere, so that a good, sound, COM
Portable and peaceful sleep can be en-
joyed
Havana and it's vicinity are very in
teresting, and I have had a. few oppor-
tunities to satisfy my curiosity and
visit some of these interesting places.
Last Saturday 1 went to see Castillo del
Principe, and from the hill upon which
that strong fort is situated l had the
best view that can be obtained of the
city of Havana and its harbor. MORO
castle, La Cabanas, Punta castle, the
Santa Clara batteries, the wreck of the
Maine, Atares castle, Colon cemetery,
the town of Cerro and the beautiful
harbor, with it's ferry boats plying to
and fro, warships and ships of all ma
tons lying at anchor, and the little sail
boats, with what the boys call Chicken
coops' in the stern, sailing around the
harbor, made a fine panorama
LAS to MORO castle and La Cabanas,
was more fortunate, for, in the latter
part of January, 1 and three other SER
geants and Lieutenant Colonel Hotch-
kiss explored the musty and bad-smell-
ing dungeons of these forts to our
hearts content We entered into the
moat of Cabanas by a long and steep
covered ascent, and; after showing our
passes several times, we were allowed
to enter Cabanas proper. 1t was more
like a tomb than fort or prison.
musty odor greeted our nostrilS. The
echo of our voices and footsteps re-
minded one of ghost stories. The enor-
nous locks on the iron doors changed
and resounded along the corridors as
we went from cell to cell, investigating
and searching fer relics. Blood stains
on the walls of various. cells and cells
whose darkness the light of matches
would not penetrate, and from which
a stencil came that was beyond human
endurance, suggested to our minds ter
rible and unholy deeds which a cruel
race alone could perpetrate. But there
were better parts to this large prison.
The officers quarters, with beautiful
flower gardens around them, were a
great contrast to the dark and dingy
cells not more than 200 feet away. There
are very few guns in Cabanas. and
those that are there are old-fashioned
guns which would not count for much
against the modern guns on our war
ships Carloads of shells of all sizes
are lying around in both Cabanas and
Morro, getting rusty. [ picked up quite
a number of relics in Cabanas; two old
Spanish caps, a cartridge box, a hook
off one of the doors, and q spike cut
off one of the cells, whose walls were
covered with blood stains.
Then we went out of CabanaS, across
the drawbridge, and over to MORO,
which is far more famous than Ca
banas We explored the different rooms
and dungeons of MORO, and here we
also picked up quite few good relics.
I found a candlestick (Which I am now
using) in one of Morro's dark rooms.
got a sight off of one of her largest
guns, and 1 also carried away a three
inch shell. OF course, 1 got a small
piece of her walls. The lieutenant coll
onel was almost afraid to go around
with us. for fear that we would get ar
rested for stealing MORO castle. But,
of course, we had to have something to
remember this place. so We helped our
selves to everything in sight.
"On this same day we all were lucky
enough to get out on the wreck of the
Maine We stood upon her starboard
gunwale, and each of US secured a piece
of wood from the gunwale and a piece
of rope from the ladders which lead to
the fighting top.
II have not as yet had a chance to
visit Punta castle, Atares castle or the
Santa Clara batteries. but hope to do
SO before start for home"