The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1899-03-24
MANZANILL0, CUBA.

"s'"s.sssy SS"
90 MASzaNILLo CrnA. March 4, 1899.
To the Editor of the "Old Reliable"
On the 2Sth OF June last the U. S.
gun boats rode into the bay Of Man
zanillO and in three hours time six
Spanish gun boats and three trans
ports were destroyed and sunk. In
August following the bay was again
visited by their rcmorseless enemies
and the city itself was bombarded,
the inhabitants took to the hills and
number were killed and wounded.
Early in the fall the 3rd immunes, un.
der command of Col. Ray, rode into
the town and found the Spanish flags
still flying. The Colonel ordered them
down, and upon their refusing lie said:
"All right, il you want little urush
with US, my boys a.3 aching for one.
Just .oI your flags stay up" In less
than half an hour the stars and
stripes hoated over the city
The immensity of the C0lonel's bluff
will be better understood when you
learn the Colonel only had a part Of
his regiment, while one half mile
away on the hills were cncampcd ten
regiments of Spanish troops.
Col. Petit. with the 4th immunes,
next came and relieved Col. Ray, who
was ordered to another point on the is
land. Col. Pettit's presence was the
inaugurating OF a street cleaning
gang which under most vigorous rules
made this the very neatcst place on
the island.
The streets arc lcvelcd and straight.
cned and every part OF the city to-day
is in perfect order. No trash is
thrown into the streets and no animals
are allowed to run at large; even the
cats are lariated, as well as chickens
and geese.
The Colonel is the supreme Judge
here and no matter what class or con-
dition OF men 20 to him with their
grievances, he never turns deaf ear,
but gives each case his personal atten-
tiOn as far as possible. The soldiers
love him and affectionately call him
"Uncle jim" when he is not near. No
better officer ever commanded regi'
lnent and no officer in the service has
greater reason to be proud of his men
than our handsome Colonel.
Physically and mentally the fourth
immunes have no peers In the ser
vice. The gossip of the camp has il
reported that all the immunes on the
island will be ordered home for mus
tering out not later than May lst.
Spain had never but one architec,
and to see one Spanish town Is tt
know them all. A square Plaza forms
the center, from which the street!
lead in straight lines north and south
east and west. The streets OF Man
zanilIO, including sidewalks, areabou
forty feet wide, the sidewalksof bricl
pavement two feet wide. The houses
are constructed Of smalf stones ant
mortar, plastered and calsomined in
side and out. Built In solid blocks al
are one story high;th roofs are form
cd of inverted half circular tilinp
J which forms deep gutter every eigh
inches across the roof. The doors ar
always double and OF such height an,
weight that six large strap hinges ar
required to hold each door 10 place
The windows are simply large open
ings prote:t :tcd on the outside by thre
quarter inch iron rods placed fou
!. inches apart, which reach from tn
!. ground to the roof, and on the insid
by heavy solid wooden shutters whic
can be fastened when closed with iro
bars.
The impression as you walk along
that the town is one vast prison, wit
a the victims looking through the bar
. the dividing walls are from eightee
8 inches to two feet thick. The ceiling
9 are usually twenty-five feet high; th
floors are beautifully tiled or brio
% laid, and the rooms are very large
!. = open onto the street or into the cour
:, In the rear. There Is but one egres
y and whether It Is a bouquet or 80
barrel, a peddler on foot or horseoac
!" " or the commanding general, aIIente
: and pass out BY the same door.
\. In this city Of $1,000 inhabltanSl
. said TO be one Of the richest commit
mites on the island on account Of III