The times., 1899-10-29
IN GOBA'S NEWEST CITY
Cdrdenas the Philadelphia Of the
Island.

/ c''A NNh'tS thC h'tudOiPhi" VI INV
Island
Interesting Scraps of History, TraS-
cdy, nnd Trudition-The Strange
Adventures of Narciso Lopcz-A
Bloody Tale Of Base Ingrutitude
md RctriBution in GaudaIupe.
CARDENAS, Cuba, Sept 2O.--At first
sight this newest Cuban city impresses
you as extremely "triste" and uninteTest-
ing, but closer acquaintance leads to
clearer understanding Of it's exceptional at
fractions to Americans who have dubbed
it The Philadelphia" of the island. Ly
ing due south from the ports of Southern
Florida, at the head Of a safe and spacious
bay, it possesses certain commercial ad-
vantages far beyond those of Matanzas, flf-
ty miles to the westward, or even of Ha-
vana. I3O miles nearer sunset Besides
. being more easily accessible to ships from
the north. it is less unsalubrious than its
older. drtier. and fever-hauuted neighbors.
and its harbor is deep enough for vessels
to come up TO the wharves, without the de-
lay and expense of lighterage-a very rare
advantage indeed, in Cuba. Cardenas was
founded as late as 1890 and beyond il, go
ing eastward, nearly all the industries of
the island are suddenly shifted to the
south coast-to that other new port, Glen
fuegos which Americans are now calling
the Chicago Of Cuba. There is no doubt
that Cardenas is bound to become one OF
the largest and most important cities Of
the Antilles, though its present population
is a triile less than 10000. 1t is already
the great railway centre of Cuba--or, more
correctly speaking, it ought to be-as all
the principal railways of the island form
q junction at JOvellenes, an insignificant
station without a village ten miles inland.
Before the war Cardenas exported sugar
and molasses to the amount of 100000 tons
a year, when trade touched high-water
| mark.
The wonder is that the United States did
not take Cuba through Cardenas instead of
remote, well garrsoned Santiago. No for
tiffcatious OF any sort have ever been
erected to protect this city from invasion
by the sea. There are some rude defences
on the land side, intended to keep out
thieving knights-errant of vagrant patriot
ism; but not a stone wall or antiquated gun
faced the sea front to offer any show of re-
sistance to an enemy approaching in ships.
Had Cardenas been built hundred years
earlier it would have had forts with the
best OF them, but before the town was born,
Spain had reached her days Of poverty.
By the way, the account Of our recent
slight bombardment of Cardenas is very
different story, as related ON the spot, from
that which figured in the United States pa
pers. Here IL is spoken OF as an unpro
: vOked attack upon defenceless people
. mostly women and children. the men hav
ing gone to points where the war was GO
: ing on. The one loyal American citizen
Mrs Henrietta Yribas, was the greatest
sufferer. Born in Philadelphia, where two
of her sons are being educated, and mar
ried to the Cuban Administrator of the
Cardenas Railway, she fearlessly remained
in the city with her smaller children count
ing on American protection whatever hap
pened One day when her husband was
: temporarily absent and she sat at dinner
with her babies, the unexpected shells of
her counrymen came crashing into her
dining room, like lightning out of a clear
: sky. Flying bricks, mortar and bursting
bombs filled the place, frightening the little
!. family almost to death, and the wonder is
: that they were not killed The Yrbas house
I was the only one in Cardenas that suffered
] serious damage-quite an accident because
] it happened to be the tallest, and the gentle
mistress of the ruined mansion boasts nc
: more about the protecting care of her coun-
tTymen
c Forgotten Incident.
The world has wel-nigh forgotten that
Cardenas was stormed and taken, fifty
4 years ago by a force which started from
5, the United States. II was the expedition
T. Of the once famous fIibuster Gen. Narciso
e Lopez, who sailed from New Orleans ln
s the spring of 1880 when the idea OF an
IS neXing Cuba and her half million slaves
IT to the United States was the dream of the
n slave owners of our Southern States.
d Lopez was a singular character; a rene
+ gade Spaniard lborn in Venezuea). who
,e had won many laurels fighting Spanish
L. American rebels. He was sent to Cuba il
a 1871, to FIJI some important post under the
IS Government of Spain, and in Havana he
in met a wealthy Cuban girl. Perhaps il
/ was owing to her influence that he soon re
F. signed his official position and afterwards
took part in a conspiracy against the
g crown The seditious undertaking was dis
l. / covered and nipped in the bud as wee 81
"a many incipient revolutions in those day.
Of uahindered Spanish oppression, anC
-s General Lopez found it expedient to leave
= the country in haste and secrecy. 'be.
- tween two days" This was in 1871. HI
- went TO New York. that paradise of CubaI
> conspirators and disappointed revolution,
-" lists, and in the following year undertook
X his first fiiibustering expedition with
assist what was known as the Separatis
revolt in Cuba, and he believed that tn
powerful faction would rally TO his sup
o port Landing at Cardenas, he took th
undefended city without much trouble
Or but held it only two days, when he wa
an compelled TO retire The Cubans dis;rust
- ed and failed to support him remember
~ ing that he was a Spaniard, who had gain
x ed high rank in the army of the oppressor
re The following year he came again, il
OF his stanch ship, Pampero with SOC men
,a In our Southern States there was no pre-
tence OF disguise in the object OF the ex
IS pedition, and the details Of it were fool
IN ishly made public so the Spaniards wer
l. fully warned and had time TO lay ira
T. for Lopez. Being advised that he mean
- % land in the eastern end Of the island
Is they sent letters TO him, purporting L
re come from Cuban patriots, persuading hi1
er TO land in the western portion and prom
h. Using TO support him. He stopped at Ke
West TO take on coal, landed at Bahia Hon
,a da. as the Spaniards had planned, an
= marched into the interior where the nsur
9, rection was to take place His second i
.. command, w S. Crittendon graduate O
gu West Point who had already earned envi