Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-02-16
THE BURLINGTON FREE PRESS AY FEBRUARY

before the battle. TO my right | could sec
the loop i'm the channel where CerVcra's
0ect was anchored, between the entrance
to that loop ana the entrance to the harbor
! could look down on the spot where Hob
son intended to sink the McrrimaC ana the
spot where he did sink it, But short dis
lance from the sunkcn Mcrrimac, say 20
rods, there was Il tug boat ana crew Of
mon raising the sunkcn Spanish warship
fcina McrCcdes-abOut onc-half its size
was raised out of the water; while in
front of where I stood could see tho spot
whore the fleets met for battle. What a
picture. All in all it was panorama SIR
passing anything Of its kind I ever saw,
or expect again to see, although when /
left Santiago for New York on the Ward
Line Steamer "Santiago," as she left that
enamel and entered the sea, standing on
the hurricane deck of that steamer. look
Ing up at old Moro. with an uplifted hand
J wrote with my fingers on the walls of
that castle these words: "NO csperO vera
I unotra veg. Adios." q hope to sec you
again Adicu)
CUBAN PRICES.
THIS morning a steward Mr.. Dollar. Of
the Anglo-Amcrican club invited me to 30
TO market with him. While there | priced
few articles. Chickens are sold three
for $500. cabbage. $40 each; beer, -
cents per pound; eggs. SOC per dozen; po-
tatoes, $500 per barrel; flour cents pr
pound; sugar. SO per pound coffee. u cents
per pound. These prices are American
money. When in Havana | got a draft
cashod receiving Spanish gold at $i.gi for
500 American money Jan. LIST, it WAS
worth but $S2. Sales and purchase in
Santiago to-day are all made payable i'll
American money.
SOUVENIRS FROM SAN JUAN.
Capt. Allison has charge or ail the army
teams in Santiago. At the time was
there he was working 40 horses lie call
Cd at the club house about one O'Clock and
invited me to ride out to San Juan battle
field with him in an ambulance. ! had
once been there but was pleased to accept
his invitation. Taking with US Ratchet [
succeeded in getting many more relics
from san Juan hill As the captain Wa
there during the fight the information he
gave me was very interesting. We went
as far as the river. and Travelled over The
same ground that the Rough ria ars'
Fought over, from the river to the top of
the hill where the block house once stood.
There is but little left of the block house,
it having been carried off by relic hunters.
| split from the corner of one of It's posts
several pieces of wood. and among the
pieces Of brick found a plate. | also found
in one of the trenches "a hoe which was
used 10y the Spanish in making their
trenches. found many empty shells. and
Z
telegraph line from El Canoy to san Juan.
All of these | will bring with me to Ner-
mont.
Block houses are made about II feet
square and Il feet high--that is a major
itY of the block houses-some ! saw were
not more than L feet square and II feet
high. hut all are built with a four corner
cd roof with a cuaplo resting on the CEN
tire of that roof. This cupalo Is about
three feet square by four feet high. The
first six feet of sides to block houses are
brick the rest of the wall from this brick
work TO the roof is wood on level with the
top of the brick wall is the floor, and On
this floor the soldier stands when guard
ing recOnccntrados. Through the six feet
of wood work of the house there arc OPEN
ings every two feet; these OPEN
ings are about two feet in length
ana Just large enough 20 put
the barrel of a gun through. The
four corner posts are usually six by six
teon inches and set into the ground about
two feet.
succeeded in getting an orchid from
the tree under which the surrender Of the
Spanish to Gen. Shafter. This tree is
about six rods distance from the road
.eading from San Juan to Santiago, and
about "a rods from the top of San Juan
hill The tree is specie of cottonwood.
and is called Ceaba. 1t is about five feet
in diameter and about - feet to branches.
lite branches are very long and to these
branches cling hundreds of orchids, or air
plants. They are simply n parasite.
What ! prize the most are two presents
from Allison: one a cane made out of the
leg of a table in the ward room of a Span
ish gunboat "Cristobal Colon" Ohristo-
pher Columbus) The leg was brought up
by United States diver No 8, and four
canes We're made from this leg. The other
present was Il silk handkerchief taken
from the pocket Of Gen. Maceo when he
was shot. The gcneral-in-chiof of the
staff took it out of his pocket. and for the
favors shown him by Allison, gave him
this handkerchief. Mrs. Allison being SUI
perstitious about such things-that Is nav
ing in her possession an article that came
from the body of Il dead person-obioctcd
to her husbands keeping IL and that is
York was made on the steamship san