The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-02-22
MATANzAs DE SAN sEvERINo.

by Volante to Bellamar--A Subterrane-
an Ramble Amid the Coral Founda-
tons of Cuba--Caverns More Wonder
full Than the Mammoth" of Ken
lucky and the Luray of Virgina--A
Fortune for Some Enterprising Amer
lean Hidden Far Underground.
Especial Correspondence of the Journal
and Courier)
Matanzas, Cuba, Jan. $3.50 much
has been written about this old city
since the war that a minute description
OF 1t would now be quite thrown away
upon readers OF the Journal and Cour-
Ter. As everybody knows, it lies about
q beautiful bay Of the Caribbean sea.
Its harbor, though not so large as that
OF Havana, is superior to it in some re-
spects and infinitely cleaner; and of late
there has been considerable talk of
transferring Cubas seat of government
to this place. The town was founded in
christened San Carlos y San Severino.
1t was first settled bya colony of Cana
ry Islanders, who devoted themselves to
the raising of cattle for beef to supply
the Havana market Close by in the
valley was their Matanzas, Spanish for
slaughter-pen, from the verb matar, to
kilD; and hence the place soon became
known as the Matanzas de San Carlos y
san severino. In course of time the
names of the saints were left off alto
gether, and not only the CITY, but the
whole district and the bay that borders
1t, were called Matanzas-the "Slaugh-
ter-pen." 1t looks to-day as if the an
Gent name had not been misapplied.
The Cubans love to call it 1.-THE cradle
OF liberty" and for two hundred years
the Spaniards looked upon it as a very
nest of rebellion. Matanzas furnished
more men to the insurgent army than
any other city; the first skrmish of the
war was fought in this province, and
throughout the four years struggle it
was the favorite battle-ground. In all
previousTevolts it has figured as proni-
nently, and in it's Plaza d'Armas hun
dreds of patriots have been shot The
blacklist page in the history of Cuba
can never be accurately written, for no
record was kept of the thousands of
brave men who, suspected of having
hand In some conspiracy to overthrow
the government were publicly executed
or privately murdered, or left to die by
inches in some noisome dungeon, in
SPANS effort to maintain her hold upon
the island In 1896 Matanzas was a
thriving city of flfty-four thousand in
habitants; to-day Goldsmiths Deserted
Village would be lively in comparison.
At the beginning of the war upwards Of
fifteen thousand citizens fled to save
their families from the vengeance of the
mother country. When Weyler issued
his Infamous "reconcentrado" order
more than twenty three thousand men,
women and children, driven from their
country homes, were herded in these
streets penniess and helpless. The Gu
ban staff of life sold for seventy-five
cents the pound, and meat was not to
be had at any price. The twenty-three
thousand died-to a man, a woman and
a child. The feeble, who died quickly
were to be envied-not the stronger,
who fingered in the pangs of slow star
walton. In this little city upwards of
I6U IHOuSdUu utdlIlS OCCulISu WlllllH
two months from one general cause
hunger. was so unfortunate as to
come here in the midst OF it, with the
congressional party about year ago.
How unspeakably horrid it was! Eve
rywhere the wretched creatures wan
dered forlornly, stretching bony hands
in vain for bread. Others on the curb
stones, too far gone to beg except with
their eyes, whose pteous expression will
forever haunt the beholder; while hun
dreds of others, having given up the
weary struggle, lay dying or dead in the
streets On that awful day I saw scores
of people, young and old, breathe their
last and each time I thanked God, amid
my tears that the poor soul was re-
leased at last
In its best estate Matanzas came
about as near to date as the time of it's
building, a little more than two centu-
ries ago. The amphitheater of green
hills, three hundred feet high. that en-
close it on three sides, resemble those
that encompass Valparaiso; but these
heights, with their natural sanitation
and drainage, are not utilized for resi-
dence purposes like those of the Gillian
town. Neither ancient nor modern Cas-
tilians were ever much given to eXer-
else They evidently reflected that if
they put their houses up there and left
the water front for wharves and shops,
they would have to walk up the hills
and down again; so they placed the
town on some nice low land conven- |
iently near the bay and only three feet
above it. They did not take the trouble
to put in any sewerage, for were there
not plenty of buzzards about? Besides,
did not the elements sometimes give
things pretty fair cleaning up be-
tween rains washing down the, hills and
a good storm at sea sweeping up into
the streets?
The town is now divided into three |
parts by two rivers the San Juan and |
the Yumri, that used to bound it on the
north and south. Beyond the second |
river was swamp; but when the town
grew and it came to be q question as to |
whether it should spread up the hills or
over the swamp, there was no hesita-
ton in deciding in favor of the latter.
This choice has no doubt helped the
rate a good deal and rem
dered the Campo Santos incredibly pop
it made level walking for the
law dons. There is only one wharf in