The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-20
N THE HEART Of CUBA
Trinidad, Never Touched by
the Wand of Progress,
ONCE A PIRATES HAUNT
Beautiful as a Dream and
Yellow Jack a Stranger


papers, the world has lately become well
acquainted with Habana in the west, San
tiago In the east, Cienfeugos and Matan-
zas in the middle-the New York, San
Francisco. philadelphia and Chicago Of
Cuba-br TO this day few people know
much about the country between those
widely separated cities. 1t is hard TO re-
allze that the Pearl Of the Antilles
STITCHES over three and a half degrees
of latitude-farther than the distance be-
tween New York and St Louis, Phila-
delphia and New Orleans, San Francisco
and Denver. Harder yet 1t Is to realize
the difficulties OF travelling through the
interior-the impossibility of making the
entire journey overland, from one end Of
the island to the other. Spaniards and
Cubans seem to have considered the wat
erways a their forefatherS good enough
for all time to come, and there has never
been and connection, except by boat, be-
tween the eastern and western portions
OF the country. In all this rich territory
there are but four good roads. and they
lead only a few miles out OF Habana.
rugged mountains full of minerals, ex-
tensive forests and painless jungles, has
no public highways worthy of the name,
the few countryward routes being mere
mule trails, and poor ones at that. Since
the war, however, an American syndi-
cate has investigated the feasibility of a
railway line between Santiago and Ha-
bana, and reported favorably; therefore
the time is at hand, maybe, when loco
motives will rush shrieking from end TO
end OF this .leepy land, connecting for
gotten towns and villages like the beads
of a rosary. on strings OF steel.
As yet the greater part of Cuba resem-
bles the Heart of Africa" in one par
ticular. 1t remains terra incognita, con-
corning which any wild story, well told,
gains ready credance. Even during the
war, when the eyes of all nations were
turned this way, only occasional scraps
OF information found their way from the
southern ports, leaving the whole vast in
terror. with it's tragedies OF murder. star
walton and wanton destruction, bui'cn in
impenetrable silence. In this region Of
gloom and mystery, OF which Trinidad is
ire southern outlet and Sagua la Grande
the northern, I have been spending the
last few weeks, fir the. purpose OF telling
THE Record all about It. Santa Clara
province Is the very heart Of Cuba, AMI
once the garden spot Of the world before
those destructive patriots" Gomez and
hIaceo," overran It with their negro rab-
bic, al machete, and converted sixty mil
lion dollars worth of growing cane into
drifting ashes. Today little is left but the
royal palms. standing like plumed senti-
nels amid the dead. In a hundred miles
of the richest territory, not house nor
human being is to be seen. Plantations.
ranches, and farms were all destroyed by
one army or other. villages wiped out,
sugar mills a thing OF the past expensive
machinery broken up and rusting In the
fields waiting a purchaser as old junk
nothing to speak OF former population but
heaps of melancholy ruins.
The six hundred miles or so between
Habana and Santiago are traversed berely
halfway by the railroads which ends at
Santa Clara, sending out branches to Sa-
qua and Cienfeugos. II you insist on an
aIl-round route. the roaming 800 miles
must be made over robber infested trails
in the saddle, in OK carts. on foot, accord
ing to circumstances and locality. 1t is
not to be thought of without q strong
escort, and If after great expense, danger
toll and privation you arrive at the end
OF the journey with whole skin and purse
in your own possession, you have been
exceptionally fortunate. No native I'M
derstands such a hazardous thing without
saying seven Ave Marias at every mile,
10 bring himself good luch, and even then
the reverse is likely to be his portion.
Hardly one person in a thousand comes TO
Trinidad except by water. usually by
coasting steamer from Cienfeugos. forty
miles to the westward. You may so all
the way by water from Habana, rounding
the western tips of the island. or by rail
20 Batambanao, the southern port of Ha-
bana province. and thence sailing east
ward 10 lies. among innumerable wood
ed islets, OF by railway to Cienfeugis and
thence by steamer. or from Santiago, sail
ing in a northwesterly direction. past
the dark mountains OF the Maestro range.
Cape Cruz, the historic banks OF Buena
Esperansa Columbus Good Hope'O and
the beautiful green Gays of Dcce Beguas. |
Having rounded Punta de los Negros-
the long. narrow blum which defines Trim
idad Bay on the southwest-yOu see a
white walled city glistening in the golden !
Light. away up on the sunset slope OF La |
Villa lookout Mountainl. a thousand |
feet above the level OF the sea. Trinidad
Is blessed with trinity II ports. but at
present only one is used, Easilda, the
worst Of the three, small village at the
head OF the Inlet. The lovely haEbor is
almost land-locked. hut so shallow that |
vessels drawing only ten feet OF water |
are liable to run aground with the least |
deviation from the tortuous channel All |
vessels must be lOadetby means of light |
ers and put TO sea as quickly as possible. |
10 avoid sticking fast on the sandy bot |
tom. The landing place AZ Casilda Is lined 1
with wharves and warehouses. for IN PROS |
porous days a great deal OF sugar and |
honey was exported from the place. There |
IS also q handsome depot for the railway, |
which runs north for twenty-five niles or |
so. connecting several villages and bring |
ing the products OF neighboring plan;a- |
tions down for shipment. Less than |
mile to the westward Guarabo River en- /
piles into the sea-, navigable fro small /
boats a considerable distance inland. Ma /
sio Bay. four miles east Of CasildS. raelly 4
ought to be the port Of Trinidad. being /
deep enough to accomodate vessels Of I
largest tonnage.
As the cars do not run regularly on the |
little narrow-gauge road but only when /