The times., 1899-04-23
CUBANS Of ALL Ages
STUDYING ENGLISH
Progress of the Work of Recon-
struction.
Amusing Efforts of the Gas.
tilian Tongues.
Achievements in Havana
Matanxas, and Cnrdenns-Amcri-
cnn Charities In the Island.


can Charities In the Island.
Tulipan Suburb, Havana, April 14.-That
Cuba is becoming Americanized with Won
derful rapidity is apparent on every hand,
and even the most disgruntled an:i-Ameri-
can patriot unwillingly admits that the
change is infinitely for the better.
Never before within the memory of man
has there been SO little sickness at this
time of the year-owing to vigorous
American sanitation, in the way of clean
streets, immediate disposal OF all decaying
matter, and constant use of disinfectants.
Today there is not a single case of yellow
fever in Havana, Matanzas or Cardenas-
the three cities of consequence in Western
Cuba. Yesterday / made the rounds of
the Havana hospitals and gathered the OFF,
oial information that the total number of
patients in all of them combined, exclusive
| of the lepers' home, is 113; whereas in
previous Aprils and Mays it has been away
up in the thousands, with an appalling
| deathrate.
For the first time since the settlement OF
the island by the early Spaniards, the
/ streets are actually clean, and the cutters
filled with running water, instead of the
foul, putrefying eXcrements of mongrel
population.
Medicos and coffinmakers are complain
| ing that their business is being ruined by
these meddlesome Americanos; and the
| vultures-those unclean scavengers of the
air that erstwhile fattened upon abounding
| carrion, are growing lean and hungry-eyed.
| No longer is the Jesus del Monte road
| thronged as of yore, with spectacular fu-
neral professions, resplendent in gold lace
and gorgeous liveries. bowling merrily
along TO the music of brass bands; and the
| sections OF the great over-crowded Colon
| Cemetery, like old Uncle Ned have lain
| down the shovel and the hoe for lack OF
| employment.
Just now the only prevailing diseases are
| those incident to the close of the long dry
season-an affection of the nose and throat.
| caused by clouds OF blowing dust, and the
! peculiar complaint locally known as ''ner-
vioso," which at its worst, produces con-
| yulsions in children and hysteria in adults,
but is seldom fatal.
There is no good reason why this balmy
and beautiful island, with its bright skies.
fresh sea breezes and delightfully."- even
| temperature, should not be as salubrious
| as any country under the sun. The lion
| in the way of perfect sanitation is hidden
inside the handsomest houses. Built af-
ter the fashion of medieval Spain, none
of them had originally any sanitary ar
rangements whatever, and the attempts OF
| recent years have taken the form OF finn
| sy pipes laid outside the walls. After two
or three centuries of occupation the result
| TO sight and smell can be better imagined
than described in print.
An Unsanitary Palace.
A fair sample is the once magnificent
but now somewhat dilapidated casa in the
Cerro suburb of Havana, which was rent
ed last week by the American National
Red Cross for the headquarters and resi-
| dence of its representatives in Cuba. The
large imposing residence, surrounded by
ample grounds and fronting park, stands
| in the highest and coolest portion of the
city. where the streets are widest and the
residences all of the better class. In such
favorable environment one would think
that its great, airy marble-foored rooms
would be comparatively free from unsani-
tary conditions.
But listen, Little more thar year ago.
a few weeks before all Americans were
| compelled TO leave with Consul General
| Lee-the Red Cross Society took this house
for an orphanage and collected therein 200
reconcentrado children, under eight years
of age. At first all went well, under the
| benelicent care of Miss Barton. DR.. Lesser,
. | sister BetIlDd, anu OtHer experienced
! workers; and when they were hurried from
the island. Just before the blockade was
declared only two deaths had occurred In
the asylum. A well-known Cuban physi-
clan was left in charge. with ample money
and food supplies for six months need
What became of the food and funds it Is
now impossible to say. Perhaps the good
doctor, out of the kindness of his heart,
and, like his fellow Cubans, taking no
| . for no Orip OH al
purpose of the provisions and distributed
| them unfortunately among the poor OF
Habana Heaven knows there was need
enough everywhere when nation was dy-
ing of starvation. At any rate, in less than
, one month the cable brought piteous ap-
meals for more supplies for the orphanage
which could not be sent because of the
, | blockade. The worst OF all was that in the
second month of the institutions existence.
, the children began dying by scores. and in
a short time not half dozen OF the origi-
| nal number remained alive.
{ Cause of the Death Rate.
The cause of that terrible death-rate mas
only now been discovered Last week,
when the long deserted orphanage was re-
rented for Red Cross occupancy and re-
pairs begun, the government sanitary in
J spector was sent for to investigate the
plumbing which the owner declared TO be
in perfect order; and then was discovered
a state of things which, uncorrected, would
have meant sure death to the new tenants.
Not being versed in the mysteries and
technical terms of plumbing, l may not be
able to clearly explain the situation. but
perhaps you can guess at 1t by knowing that
the pipes from the closets. instead of con-
Quoting the deadly gases outside, were laid
| in such a way as to vent them all in the
second story of the circular hallway. exact
ly in the centre of the casa, II the pur-
pose had been to conhne the gases within
the stately mansion and distribute them
|; evenly throughout the apartments, 1t could
, not have been more successfully accom-
, plished. Thus after 200 children and a
score of nurses and attendants had been
Using those closets for couple of months
the whole place became a pesthole. with
the inevitable result for all corralled
therein Of short route to glory via typhus
and diphtheria.
IL such is the condition of one of the
best houses in Cuba, what must be that
! of the poorer? The owner thereof-a
proud hidalgo of high degree, but like his
ancestral casa, somewhat down at the heel
in these nefasti dlar of Cuban fortunes
is willing to lavish paint and gliding ga
lore, for liberal monthly consideration,
but cannot be made to comprehend the me-