The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-25

racks in the United States This shows
that the American can live there without
any inconvenience. Storms occur very
often although they are not always so
serious as the one of August s. 1895
which devastated the whole island The
barometer fell 2.S inches and the velocity
of the wind was eighty-five miles an
hour. Roofs blew of. which caused the
walls TO fall in. burying many people
All the trees were scared and the coffee
will take several years to recuperate; p
312 bodies were found and 1000 are miss
ing. About 10000 people were rendered
destitute and had to be aided by the
Army
There are no Indigenous animals OF
large size the island. There is a large
rat which is preyed upon by the hunter
snake, boa six or nine feet long. Mon
goose have been imported but as yet
they are not very numerous. There is
a razor-backed species of hog which is
raised by the natives. The horses are
small and very why. and can climb the
mountain trails with immense loads on
their backs. There are many species OF
insects and a large, poisonous spider. The
sea is very We'll stocked with fish re-
sembling very much those found in Ha-
waiian waters There are few varieties
rises almost perpendicularIy from great
depths
The vegetation il very luxuriant and
tropical The forests have been destroy
ed only a few trees remaining on the
SUBMITS of the mountains These are
mainly hard and dye woods, such as
ebony, cedar lignum-v vitae walnut, ma
hogany and loguood
San Juan. on the north side of the ISL
and, is the capital. II is built on a small
island surrounded by wall and connect
ed to the mainland by a bridge. The
harbor is shallow and there are neither
wharves nor warehouses. The city will
be supplied with pure water from a new
reservoir, which has just been built
through A-inch main. AT present there
is no sewer system. but the land slopes
enough to secure the success of one If it
should be built. The streets are narrow
and very dark because Of the overhang-
ing balconies. The population, according
to the census, is 3204s. The city cannot
expand because it already occupies the
whole of the island A more promising
and energetic town is Ponce It is
healthful, has wide streets and fine build
ings. 1t is connected by railway to the
rich Yauco district and has many roads
leading out to the agricultural lands. It's
popula ton is 1850 and It is increasing all
the time, 1t is situated about two miles
from the south coast, and is connected
to its seaport town, La Playa, by the
only tramway in the island. The cars
hold eight persons, including the driver
and conductor and are drawn by two
mules. La Playa is well built and ad-
mirably situated The merchant may
have his stores in the seaport and live in
xx-hi 10 rp aSid
site. Mayaguez, the third city in tmpor
lance, is very pretty and healthful
place. There are more whites and fewer
poor natives there than in any other city
of Puerto Rico There are four big cof-
fee mills. a fair-sized tannery, four choc-
olate manufacturing firms and an ice
and electric plant Water for the city is
brought in an aqueduct from a mountain
torrent two miles away. Caguas is
dirty town of $3.50 inhabitants. Cayey is
a cigar manufacturing place. and Areci-
DO, Aguadilla, Yauco, Coamo. Guayama,
Fajardo, Humaeao, Lares and Utuado
are small towns of from 5000 to 5000 in
habitants.
With the exception of the military road
between San Juan and Ponce, a branch
from Cayey to Guayama, the road from
Aguadilla to San Sebastian, and from
the port of Ponce to Adjuntas, there is
not a good road in the island The milf
tary roads are excellent and are kept IN
repair by the eamineros. m>u responsible