The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-17

| (which was entirely swept away after I left itl
eleven bodies woro taken. Bodies arc still be-
| Ing found wherever heap OF brush or lumber
has lodged. On the day the Philadelphia sailed
| 204 bodies weio In the Morgue awaiting identi-
ncatlon.
Porto Rico people have always seemed to
me the most poverty stricken In the world. II
was hard to believe that they could be wor SO
on than they were before the cyclone. but
their state then was happy and comfortable
compared to that in which they were after tho
flood Many Of them go about with sheets.
given to them by the Government. pinned about
them for their only clothing. Meantime tho
people from tho country districts are pouring
into Ponce every day. Tho wind devastated
the entire island. 1t destroyed every stalk OF
sugar cane. every coffee tree. every banana
tree in Its path. Those people have absolutely
nothing to live on. and they come to the sen
port for bread. The Government took cha rye
Wednesday morning, and promptly forced the
price OF bread down - practically nothing. No
bread was allowed to be sold until the poorer
people who had 6od to the higher districts were
fed.
But they were by no means the only suffer
ers. Tho entire business district OF Ponce was
directly In the course OF the flood. and there
was barely ANYTHING left in the stores. In the
warehouses along tho water 'front.' where all
the export goods for tho last six months were
In storage. waiting the time when the export
duties should DO reduced. the goods were
ruined.
AS physician the santarr side OF the stua-
tion OF course appeals to mo most forcibly.
am absolutely certain that within a few weeks
the entire city will be overwhelmed with ter
rible epidemic Of fevcrs. yellow or typhoid
The only drainage that Ponce ever had was
snrfnpa a roi cna ppola Of on n 40
overlooked into the CUTTERS. Not one OF those
cesspools. so far as any living being knows.
has been cleaned in a hundred years. Every
one OF them Is absolutely clean now; what was
IN them is under the foot-deep layer Of mud
which lies upon tho city. When the sun begins
to bake that layer OF mud. and to spread
abroad the vapors OF a hundred years Of filth
God only knows what will happen. As soon as
can gather up some clothes and medicines l
am going back, for Porto Rico will need doc
tors then II ever.
When the Philadelphia sailed thousand
people were pafadinE the streets with a great
American flag. crazy with hunger and scream
ing Give us bread" They were looking for
the Mayor and l believed that they would hang
him when they found him. You cannot reason
with such people. Those scenes will be con-
tinued for long time. Tho most urgent n eeds
down there now are food and medicine. Money
is no use. 1t will buy nothing. lam told that
all the medicine in Ponce that was not abso-
lutely worthless was destroyed by the storm
As for food. they have none. Porto Ricans have
really never raised vegetables. All their crops
are for export. They live on their Imports"
DR.. Sidcy is going to Chicago to gather up
supplies to make his new start in Ponce.
Cant Warren VI. Hopkins OF the Philadelphia
said that when the steamer went into the har-
hor at Ponce Playa all the buoys had disap-
peared and number Of vessels were ashore
Among them was an American schooner. the
Race Rock. two Spanish briggs, one large ship
and a coastng schooner. A number Of light
ers had been beached or sunk. When his party
arrived at Ponce they found detach-
ment OF United States Cavalry drawn up
in the market place preparing to Guell riot
The Inhabitants. enraged at the apathy Of the
Alcalde. who had done nothing to relieve their
distress. had determined to lynch him. The
troops succeeded in dispensing the crowd.