The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-04-12
The Dungeons of the Famous For
tress Explored.
HORRIBLE ASSOCIATIONS.
Notes of a Recent Visit by the
Rev. Dr.. Henry Nj. Field
to the Spanish Sas-
tile.

was the MOTTO SaSlIe, "LlCIi 44dS otCi
for centuries the citadel Of Spanish
power. l had only to express my wish
to see the interior Of MORO Castle,
when friend soon brought me apass,
not only for myself, but for any Of my
friends whom | should wish to take
with me.
That was enough. The next morn
ing l was with friend at the landing
from which boat took Us to tue other
side. As we climbed up the hill the
landscape stretched out farther and
farther. Instead Of narrow neck Of
land, or rock il the sea, just large
enough to be base for the fortress 1t
self, was an upland plateau stretching
out far and wide as if to give the great
er effect to the white teutS that we're
seen IN the distance. On this breezy
hill top was plain broad enough to be
the camping ground Of a hundred thou
sand men.
As our pass did not come from the
Governor, the first sentry directed Us
to the tent Of commanding officer half
a mile away, where we found him sit
ting under the canvas quite alone. II"
received US not only graciouSly. He
had but to glance at our pass to give 1t
his approval, and to tell our escort to
show US everything in both castles, the
MORO and the Cabauas, the latter Of
which was by far the larger and the
more iull of thrilling, though horrible
associations. While giving US this
complete unrestrained liberty, he felt
it due to US aud to himself to warn Us
of the danger We should run.
The old fortress had been for months
reeking with pestilence, and in spite of
all attempts to make it clean, only a
short time before three sturdy men, who
we're employed in the work, were struck
down with yellow fever and hurried in
to the grave. If We ventured where
they had fallen, we must do it at our
own risk. We thanked him for his
thoughtful kindness, and then proceed:
ed to do the very thing which he had
warned US not to do.
How could we help it? 1t was as if
ne were standing on the Bridge Of Signs
in Venice, with permission to descend
into the dungeons below. And then
there was fascination in the danger it
self. We began cautiously, taking our
first view from the outside. am not a
soldier, but | have seen first and last a
good deal of the world, and no fortress
has impressed me so much except Gil
braltar. The Cabanas alone covers
many acres Of ground, and the forti6ca-
tions are in the style Of those in Eu-
rope, as for example in the Low Coun-
tries and along the Rhine. They are
girdled with high and massive walls,
surrounded by deep moat and an outer
wall beyond, the two together being
sufficient to rerel any attack that could
have been made before these later
times of dynamite and other explosives
that seem sufficient to tear the very
earth itself asunder.
Bat the walls standing alone, cannot,
would not, move US more that the bro
ken walls standing on the Canpania
around Rome. 1t was the tragedies
wrought within that were to stir our
blood. Following the guide over the
bridge that crossed the moat, We came
down into the interior. Here we were
on lower ground and could look up to
the walls above us, and then turn to the
in3iosure within Herr we sovS oaAe
in close touch with recent events, and a
strange horror came creeping over US.
What was the matter? Oh, nothing!
nothing was only standing by lit
tie tree, and had put my arm about it
lovingly, as if l were embracing one of
my own loved naples on the Berkshire
hills. To be sure, the bark was little
rough, and there we're many marks, as
If the woodpeckers had been pecking at
the bark. There must have been a flock
to peck SO many holes. So stranger
would reason til! the horrible thought
comes over him that these deep linden
tations had been made by more terrible
destroyers than the birds Of the air
That little tree had been pierced by
hundred bullets from Spanish rifles,
and at every discharge fell some native
Of this island, who had loved it, not
wisely, but too well. To judge from
the shots, many brave heart ceased
10 beat on that spot.
But the exercise of Spanish skill In
firing at the tree was small affair COM
pared with the larger massacres that
took place within these walls. | did
not attempt to count the prisons vault
ed with stone into which the rebels
we're forced by hundreds. Here was q
grand array Of captives upon which
their brave captors could vent their
rage On every side the walls are pit
ted with shots, at every sound OF which
some poor creature had an end put to
his suffering, till even the murderers,
if they still retained touch Of human
ity, must have been sick with the sight
of.blood. But if they grew tired Of
their work, there were outsiders who
were never tired Of massacre. Many OF
the rich Spaniards in the city Of Hava-
IA we're eager to witness tragedy that
was more to them than hundred bull
fights. They had been accustomed to
shout with delight when bull gored a
horse, that rushed bleeding around the
arena, and now they would ind a still
greater excitement in the shedding Of
human blood, 1t was the spirit CT old
Rome when captives were thrown to the
lions in the coliseum, and human lie
was thought nothing if it could serve to
make Roman holiday.
So these Cuban prisoners were kept
for great battue. DO YOU see that
line, said our guide, along the WALL
That was the dead line, where the con-
demned were ranged in row Of hun
dred or more, with their backs against
the wall. to be shot down in cold blood,