The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-14
GRAPHIC STORY.
Horrors Of Reconcentrado
Life in Santiago.
Santiago de cuba. Maren 4. 1899.

! week. Inere mas Deen q delay IN ulS-
charging the cargo, which has pre-
vented our work from being com
menoed
All the party are well, and as the IA
days are up today, since we disinterred
the small pox in Puerto Rico, we feel
safe from that.
The Massachusetts delegation is inn
patient at the delay, but it is unavoid-
able. They are here and must wait
took some of them over the grounds
few days ago, and located the graves
of their dead
A certain Captain Bates of the Thir-
| tyfourth Michigan left the Roumania
at Ponce and came here about two
weeks ahead of US. Upon arriving, he
set about disinterring the dead of his
battalion, II in number. The caskets
he used were with glass tops and the
outer cases were partially demolished
He had no permit from d. H. Rhodes
to do the work. and as he was one of
the party he, at least oVerstepped his
authority. Mr.. Rhodes is now having
anG placed in the ones brought here
for TIE purpose. Doing the work as
Capt. Bates did it, leaves it possible
| to doubt the proper identification as
well as to fear a danger from conta-
gion from improper disinfectiOn, as
well as causing hard feelings by others
who would have liked 10 have done
the same thing.
Mr.. Rhodes thanked the Massachu-
sets people, who came on the same
ship with Bates, for not doing the same
thing that he did.
The graves of the Massachusetts sol
diers are fast being found. l. Holler-
han of Adams of the Thirteenth Z. S.
infantry, who was thought to be I'M
! certain. has been found. Others who
were on the list as uncertain or I'M
possible. have been located, SO the
Massachusetts dead will be nearly all
| returned, properly identified.
| There is much sickness mere among
the Cubans, principally caused by
starvation and priVation. Yesterday l
met a perfect type of Spanish beauty,
in the shape Of a tiny girl, who asked
me fer "cinco centaros'' Give cents). |
talked with her a moment, and her
talk was so pitiful | took her in car
rage and went to her home Home?
| Yes, * was a home, but a more mis-
cradle one can scarcely be imagined. A
rude howell, no floor, one rough bed It
box or two and some pieces of rotted
canvas, evidently pieces If Old tentage,
completed the furnishing.
On the bed We're three children
racFed with fever, the mother was fee
Bile. her blood burning up with the
same ailment which kept her loved
ones in bed; yet she was forced to
keep up. There was not crust, not d
scrap of meat. not u thing to eat to
be found. A pail, filed with tepid wa
ter, was all the medicine at hand.
Surely, Weyler, your mark on the re-
contra6os is plainly seen yet!
The little beauty whom I ilrst met
was the head of the family. Her
papa" as she softly called him, had
been killed by the Spaniards in 1897
at san Louis. took her out 10 a near
by shop and filed a basket with such
things as could be purchased there
then went for quinine and other medl-
cines When l returned / found one
Of the children up and the other Two
brighter. They had been fed. In spite
Of all the great resources OF our noble
/ ueoDle, in spite Of all the efforts Of the
officials at Washington, and in spite
of the efforts of the Red Cross society,
. there are hundreds Of cases or stafNa-
tion. hundreds of sick and aged people
without medical aid.
Large forest and brush fires are rag
ling. and the head boards Of our dead
Iare in danger 1t is d beautiful sight
Ito sit in our camp at night and see the
numerous fires shooting up from valley
land mountain, resembling the camp
Tires of a gigantic army.
There is a certain undercurrent of ill
Feeling here against the Americans, ana
the order of Gen. Wood, disarmlng an
lcivilians. has prevented much blood
shed and trouble. While one is safe
lin going about the streets here, it is
wisdom to be on guard while on the
roads leading out into the country.
A number Of the Americans are stop
Iping at the Casa Grande, and last
might a stranger visited them and re-
leved them of valuables to quite an eA-
tent
II is excessively hot here now, the
thermometer registering around 80 de-
grees. Last night we had d heavy
rain, and today the air is better.
1t is hard TO find man here who
: likes cuba, and those here now are on
some brief tour, excepting the soldiers.
When the military law is removed,
= Americans want to fit.
We all write letters home regularly,
but receive none one mail only has
reached us as yet The postal matters
need attention. Uncle Sam is charg-
ing Is cents for stamped envelopes
. which cost SO at home; he discriminates
between soldiers and citizens in rates
soIdiers letters come and go for two
cents, while civilians must pay five
There is trouble in store for our par
Itv. inqsmuch as certain CubanS say
they win refuse to allow us on the prop
! erty where the graves lie. However
Cubans or no Cubans, the remains will
be removed.