The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-12
IT'S A QUAINT OLD TOWN
First Shot of Insurrection Fired
at Guantanamo.
FEVER-STRlCKEN DISTRICT
No Sanitary Precautions Have Been
Taken-One of the Wealthiest Cities
in the Province-Negro Troops
Are Nuisance

Correspondence of the Associated Press.
| Santiago de Cuba, Jan 29.-Guantana-
mo has been more or less in the public
eye since last June, when the marines
landed at Caimanera, in Guantanamo
bay, six miles from the city of Guam
tanamo 1t is city of some 10000 IN
habitants, surrounded by sugar and
coffee estates, the former being in the
| majority. 1t has always been a large
garrison town of the Spanish forces.
and for many years the district has
been considered as the most dangerous
in the island, as indeed the first shot in
| the instruction four years ago was
| fired within 10 miles of the city.
The merchants are mainly Spanish,
with a sprinklng of English, German
and French and Italian. The old town
itself has all the quaint Moorish aspect
about it SO familiar to those who have
visited Spain or her colonies, and there
is quaintness and picturesqueness
about it, surrounded as it is by hills
that remind one very much of the city
of Santiago when seen from certain
points. 1t is on a higher altitude than
almost any city in the province, and
should for that reason be one OF the
healthiest in the province, but it seems
so impregnated with malaria and fever
germs of one kind or another that it is
difficult for any one to stay there many
weeks and retain his health. 1t is
proved to be the worst station in the
province for troops, but the sickness
amcng the troops is no more in proper
ton than the sickness among the lnhab-
itants of the city.
There are probably two or three
causes combining to make this undesir-
able state of affairs. In the first place,
the water is supplied from house to
house in barrels on carts. There is very
little question but that a good water
system would not only be exceedingly
useful and a great boon to the inhabi
tants, but also as q sanitary measure
would be invaluable, and with the very
many mountain streams in the near
neighborhood there should be very little
difficulty in supplying the city with all
the pure water needed the year round.
Since the Americans have been there
sanitation has to a certain extent been
carried on, but not in such extensive
manner as has been done at Santiago.
1t lacks the method and system, the
main obstacle apparently being lack of
funds to carry out the needed improve
ments.
Guantanamo has for many years been
one of the wealthiest cities in the PROV
ince, but as her wealth has been almost
entirely derived from sugar, and as for
three years past there has been practi-
cally no sugar grown there, there has
practically been a cessation of income.
This has naturally made great differ
ence in the state of the city, and it is
more or less Impoverished, but there
are many valuable estates that could be
made to pay large sums of money and
employ numbers of laborers, but the
planters have been unable to commence
operations this fall owing to lack of
funds, and it would probably pay any
well established bank to open branch
in that city, prepared to advance money
on mortgages, which would enable the
planters to begin work again. Any bank
could profitably advance from $4,000, 900 |
to $3,000,000 in that district with the
most perfect security possible and at |
good rates of interest.
To make the city Of Guantanamo |
healthy it would probably take an APP
preparation of at least a quarter Of a |
million dollars, and the temporary serv-
ices of some sanitary expert likeMajor |
Barbour, who has had such signal sue |
cess here. In three months he could or
ganze sanitary department there and |
have it in good working order so that |
If it did not completely check yellow |
fever there next summer it would at all
events considerably curtail it. For gem
erations there has been no effort at SAN
itation of any kind, and the city, being
on level ground, nature has been unable
to assist in that respect, as was pos
sible at Santiago, for here, when the
heavy rains come down, the majority |
of the streets being on an incline, all
leading down toward the bay are wash
ed by the force of the water and cleaned
rntJ1Y b,,t OF t+fly,
the water merely sinks into the ground
leaving the dirt where it was before,
which, when it becomes dry, gradually
poisons the atmosphere. This is a state
of affairs requiring immediate atten-
ton before the spring is well on the
way
So far as the troops are concerned,
Colonel Ray believes there is no neces-
sty for a camp in the city of Guam
tanamo, and if he had his way would
the headquarters of his regi-
ment to a very healthy spot in the hills,
some rs miles, where the Spaniards al
ways sent their troops when they first
arrived from Spain, so as ito get them
accllmated by degrees, the consequence
being that sickness was practically I'M
known there. BY this time Rays regi-
nent is more or less impregnated with
and 1t would probably take
some time. even in the healthiest place
n the world, to eradicate this entirely,
out it is probable that his place in the
lills would be the best spot for the regi-
nent to be sent to recuperate unless,
indeed, they were brought down to
and sent up to ST. Louis, in
he place now occupied by the 9th col
,red immunes, the only objection being
hat it is practically impossible to send
/ colored regiment to take the place
# the Sd in Guantanamo. for the Amer
can colored troops are cordially dis
liked in the province, and the 9th espe-
tally has made such bad record for
Itself, that they practically have to lie
lept out of the way, and to all intants
md purposes they are merely an eX-
'ense to the American government
Without being any use in return ex-
ept in so far as being an element of
Iiscord. 1t is generally understood in |
Santiago that the department has more |
han once recommended their disband-
nent.
Sxyi Cob