The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-02-23
LETTER FROM HAVANA.



days of Spanish misrule on this part
of the world. Moro loomed up
high and frowning above us, floating
the Spanish rag to the breeze. Sen
tinels paced the high walls, looking
more like precipes thananything else,
guarding vigilantly the still possess
sious of the conquered country. OPP
posite MORO was another fort wick
ed in appearance and capable of do
ing much damage to theenemy. This
fort seemed to be occupied by our
own boys in blue. The channel here
is very narrow indeed and less than
a stones throw across from land to
land. A very short distance from
the mouth of the harbor still anoth-
er very large fortress trownedabove
us-this was Cubaaass. An old
ancient pile of masonry as antique
as anything | had ever seen but
capable of doing gmuch damage. Now
we were in the harbor and all about
it was the shipping, the city lying on
every side. Passing on our course
to our anchoring place we had the
wreck of the poor unfortunate Maine
on our port side close at hand. 1t
looked exactly as pictured in the dal-
ly Northern paners, but the actual
sight of this dastardy work brought
spirit of revenge in your heart.
We were not tar distant from the
Brooklyn, Cincinnati and another
American man of war when wethrew
out our anchor, and had passed one
after another Spanish transport max
ing ready to put out to sea with
Spanish soldiery. 1t was like tll-
neral procession going into the har-
Dor. Not single sign of welcome
was given us except occasionally by
group of American soldiers lining
the uuavs. These wc.e the Provost
guards of Havana. Peopleallalong
the shore looked upon our arrival
with Indifference, or perhaps with a
worse feeling, but darednot expressit.
According to thearrangements we
were obliged to spend another night
on board the Panama with Havana
right at hand. Permission to 90 on
shore was refused by the Command
ing General SO wepassed the evening
walking around the deck taking in
the city lights, passing boats, ferries,
etc. sicand singing would occI-
sionall " float out over the water TO
our ears, giving lis to understand
that what has been said OF Havana
is true, that she is Il gay, bad town.
Some fear was felt by us that we
might be anchored in proximity to
one ofthose internal machines that
hlcw up the Maine, but it made no
difference in our sleeping just the
samc, The great heat, however,
caused some rcStlcssncss. We had
truly come to IL hot country ~ all
will verify that night.
After brcakta fast Friday morning
we were tOwcd hv an American lug
to the Depot Quartcrmastcr's Dock
and there we discharged on cargo.
Ii was relief to once more set Il
foot on terra tirma, even i'll this pest
hole of Il city. Naturally those who
had never seen Havana were restless
to take an excursion sup town. and
Il party otus struck ont ON this cx-
petition. Well. | don't know who
were the most curious, our crowd or
the Inhabitants. 1t was Il plain case
of g"p, gap, gap ON both sides. twas
Illtlt WOIl'ltT on our iSluc uS VIC I1uu
never seen anything to compare with
the streets of Havana in our lives,
and it battles my description to say
what did see. We readily accus-
toned ourselves to our ursurroundings,
however, and went ahead as business
like as anybody, barring our ability
to walk on the narrow strips they
cal! pavements. Most of the streets
encountered this trip are barely wide
enough to allow two vehicles topass
and the sidewalks-well, they were
from six inches in some places to two
feet wide. The people put down
two feet sidewalks. / imigible felt a
little higher up in the walks Of life
than the others. We walked duck
fashion, single file, had to do it or
take the street for it. We gave the