Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-05-03
WEDNESDAY. MAY 3, 1899.
Havana Letter.

L VIII relate you an lnCluent shOh-
ing the utter childishness of these peo-
pie. All over the city, decorating the
parks and the streets are marble stat
ues of the nobility of Spain. They are
as beautiful as any piece of sculpture
could be and add greatly TO the artistic
beauty Of the surroundings. One of
these on the Prado, the principal park
of the city, was a statue of Isabella.
1t was erected in 1851 by a wealthy
Frenchman named Corbeilla. This was
the only statue in the park, and was
mounted on huge pedestal of marble.
This suddenly became dstasteful to
the city council, who have very strong
anti Spanish views on thiss lipe, but
were>n5bSeSeS officers in the SCpbap
h army dfltberahon, ,land they rettlFouaA
Gen. Ludlow that it might be removed.
Their patriotic CD request was granted
and Queen Isabella was deposed. No
other monument was ercted in its
place and the pedestal stands there
alone, marring an otherwise beautiful
park. 1t is to be hoped that their an
tipathy does not extend to any more
OF the monuments, or much of the
beauty of Havana will disappear.
Through seeing articles of Lawton in
the Register, knew he was here and
took the train the other day and went
out to Quemados and hunted him up.
He was the only man had known pre-
vious to my enlisting that l had seen
since enlisting in New Mexico last
year. We had long talk of Marietta
City and College and of Barlow.
Since then have met my room mate
during my first years attendance of
lectures in Cleveland. Like the many
other Americans, he is just looking
around to see what openings there are
and like many of the others, the action
of the Cuban Assembly in deposing
Gomez and their anti-Amerlcan sentl-
ments have discouraged them from To-
eating here.
Last Sunday / took a carriage to
Jesus del Monte one of the aTiStocratic
suburbs, and from there to Avatares
castle. This is the one Spanish fort
ress on the island that is deserving of
credit, and it has it locally from the
fact that when the town of Havana
was captured in the seventeenth CEN
tury together with all the other fortl-
fications, this one alone stood out and
resisted all attempts at capture. For
this they were rewarded with silk
flag. Thief ort lis situated at the top of
a very steep hill that while permiss-
ible of climbing, would be very diff
cult. 1t is approachable by graded
road that leads Ito one of the entrances
It is surrounded on the outside by a
wall or trench of stone about 18 feet
thick. There is then deep mote (it
reminds one of Walter Scott's novels
with a draw bridge that may be raised
and cut off communication with the
castle proper. Passing over this and
through the vaulted doorway, you
reach an open court From this the
barrack rooms lead off and the stone
stairways to the cells of the prison
and the dungeon below. 1t is full of
the narrow entrances and mysterious
passages that lend an exciting interest
to the buildings of the last century,
In the shadow OF the walls of this
fortress, General Crittenden and his
men were shot one morning in 1851.
Mounting the stairways we are on
top the fort. Here again are case
ments through which huge muzzle
loading cannon of antique pattern,
frown, commanding the bay and the
city itself, but not the entrance to the
harbor as do MORO and Cabanas.
About the stone walls is worn a.
track, ,rhe incessant tread of the sentry
for a century past and at the corners,
are sentry, boxes Where in the past
the sons OF CASTLE have kept ,untiring
vigil, today there walks an American
soldier of the I'd United States Artil-
lery.
One OF the largest guns, and the one
70 which is assigned the credit ofstand-
ing of the English feet, has the in
scTiptfon, "El SOL" Barcelona, Espani,
1862 About the guns are piled pyra-
mhds Of balls and at the foot of the hill
are hundreds of inch solid shot that
furnished amusement to the nauVe
oh uThf1
hill. The hill itself is artificial. From
the top of the fort there is a fine birds
eye view of the city and bay and the
shipping. Several huge U. S. men OF
war grace the harboT and the spotless
white of their hulls and decks con-
trast strongly with the blue waters of
the bay. The black and red of
French man of war and the tricolOr at
her masthead mingle with our own
ships, No other foreign war vessels
are in this port now. The portion of
the Maine that remains above waiter
can be plainly seen. On the other side
opposite the city, the green fields
stretch out for miles. Tall and stately
palm trees break Uhe green fields from
view, and back of all the mountains.
A huge pile of antiquated and rusty
grape shot has been almost entirely
carried away by relic hunters. had
no desire to load myself with these
and contented myself with a few snap
shots. The camera iend Is every
where.
Next Sunday | expect TO visit
Guaunbacoa, village captured by the
insurgents in 1897 and now occupied
by the Cuban and American troops.
CHARLES Il. ADHEY.