The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-03-29
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE
On Board Ship, March Sth, 1901

1
Nassau on the 4th. The voyage from
Nassau to Santiago was most delight
full. The ocean was as smooth as
duck pond, the weather bright and
warm and the thirtyfve passengers
all in good spirits. The distance is
something over 400 miles and the time
consumed was from o'clock Monday
evening until 6 O'Clock Thursday
morning. A stop of one day was made
al Guantanamo to discharge freight.
This port is only Ga miles from Santi-
ago but it consumes an entire night
to make the run because of the fact
that the ships captain refuses to enter
this historic harbor at night. At
dawn of day all passengers were up
and on deck to catch the first glimpse
of the harbor where Hobson sank the
Merrimac and from out of which the
Spanish fleet made its escape only to
be destroyed by the brave boys behind
the guns on the American men Of
war. Moving at a snail's pace about
6 o'clock a. IN. the pilot boarded our
ship and the gong was sounded for
full steam ahead. The morning was
perfect. Not a cloud was visible,
and MORO Castle stood out in plain
view at an elevation two hundred feet
above the sea. As we passed into the
mouth of the harbor, all eyes were
strained and all necks stretched to
catch glimpse of the mast that marks
the spot where lies the Merrimac.
About sixty rods in the bit of wood is
seen and it stands out of water not
more than four feet. At night it
marks the spot by the twinkling of an
electric light.
Santiago harbor is certainly beauti-
full and the location of MORO is such
as to make successful entrance from
without an impossibility with modern
guns manned by soldiers made of such
stuff as those in Uncle Sans service.
1t has clear survey of the ocean for
miles and in every direction, and it
is little wonder that Sampson kept his
fleet at respectful distance neither
is it a mystery how the Spanish fleet
could so successfully. hide itself, for
| the entrance to the harbor is as crook
ed as rams horn and is hidden from
ocean view by high hills on either
side.
The whole of one day was spent in
Santiago to the delight and edifcation
of the passengers. The battle fields of
FL Caney and San Juan hill We're visit
ed and MORO Castle investigated.
There has been so much written about
these points and our readers are so
well informed of their various inter
esting features that it would be super
fiuous for us to write more. But as
one stands on San Juan hill and notes
the defense of the Spaniards and the
great disadvantage of the American
soldiers, it seems almost miracle
that our boys could have overcome
the enemy and won the day. The
hill is not very high, but its eminence
| is sufficient to give great vantage to
the occupants, and the valley through
! which the American forces fought
their way lies open and unprotected.
1t seemed to us as we stood on that
historic and blood stained hill that had
the positions of the two forces been
reversed, the whole standing and vol
unteer forces of Spain could not have
taken that hill against Col. Roose
velts forces alone The same adj
vantage was held by the Spaniards at
Ell Caney, and still our boys fought
their way through and took the block
house which is now only pile of
stone San Juan and Ell. Caney are
about two miles apart and the entire
distance was fought over inch by inch
our boys in the ravine wading through
marsh and underbrush, the enemy on
the ridge out of the quagmire.
Santiago is pretty city on high
elevation. From the harbor, the city
is built on a side hill and from the
boat at night the city is a beautiful
picture under electric light. Many of
the streets have been asphalted, water
and sewer have been put in and the
city is now in splendid sanitary
condition. The population is about
40, 600. 1t has some very handsome
and substantial buildings, and with a
few years of peace and security is des-
tined to become most thriving city.
1t is surrounded by rich country,
but only small portion of it is as yet
under cultivation. Living is high,
because all kinds of produce have to
be imported Eggs sell at cents each
and other things in proportion. There
is great opportunity on the island
for stock raising and great fortunes
await the enterprising Americans who
embark therein. Grass grows most
abundantly and the few heads of cattle
that we saw while driving through the
though corn fed, and we were assured
that they had nothing to eat but the
grass in the pastures. We took a ride
of six m lies by carriage to MORO
Castle and through the courtesy of
,, Lieut.. Stoker were shown through
the establishment 1t is a model
of masonery It's construction was
started in 1914 and it was completed