The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-29


the Cuban Governments Birthday
Festival, the Dungeons and Rattle
ments of Cabanas and Moro Castle,
and Scenes of Life and the Country
of Eastern Cuba and the Interior
of Porto Rico-TOOk Snapshots on
the Battlefield of San Juan Hill.
Mr.. William H. Connery. who
left Savannah in May for the
West Indies and Martinique on
a photographing tour, has re-
turned home after two months in Cuba
and Porto Rico with about six hundred
pictures. He was unable to secure
passage for Martinique from Porto
Rico on account of the quarantine on
passengers and did not ascend Mt.
Pelee, as he expected to do when he
left Savannah.
Mr.. Connery made the trip for
of Philadelphia. Besides the views he
made for them, he has large individ-
ual collection of views taken all the
way from Havana to San Juan.
The art of photography is not prac-
ticed with that degree of perfection in
the West Indies that it has attained
in the United States and elsewhere, said
Mr.. Connery. There is by no means
a lack of photographers, and no end
of amateurs, but their work is not
artistically equal to that done in this
country.
.'ToOk" the Inauguration.
Mr.. Connery had a variety of exper-
fences. No photographer goes on such
an expedition without them. He left
here about the middle of May and was
Cuban government. He entered Hav-
ana harbor on the first ship that en-
tered flying the Cuban flag. After
photographing the inaugural ceremon-
les he took the Herrara line of steam
ers touching at Nuevitas, Gabara,
Barracoa and Santiago, Cuba, thence
to San Domingo and to San Juan,
Porto Rico. He stopped at all of the
ports and made views. At Nuevitas
the wrecks of the Spanish torpedo
Lieut. Worth Bagley was killed, are
still lying in plain sight in the harbor
At Baracoa he secured a col
lection of views of the banana and
cocoanut groves which are said to be
the finest in Cuba.
To Fumigate His Cameras
At Santiago the Cuban authorities
wanted to put Mr.. Connerys cameras
and Photographic plates through
steam disinfection with his other eff
fects. but he managed to save his out
fit by sacrificing his personal effects
to the quarantine process. He spent
some time in Santiago. photographed
the entrance to the haNbor, the scene
of Lieut.. Hobson's exploits, MORO Cas-
tie and the old Spanish Notifications
and Santiago itself, which he says
has been made a modern city by Gen.
Wood. The streets are paved with
asphalt and the public improvements
show the expenditure of large sums of
money.
In Hayti Mr.. Connery did not do
much photographing, but at San Juan,
Porto Rico, where he spent three
weeks, he did his best work
''At once you land in San Juan you
feel you are in the United States
said Mr.. Connery. There is an Amer
lean air about the city that makes
you feel at home
But One Photographer In San Juan
There is only one photographer in
San Juan. He has monopoly, and
is coming money.
Mr.. Connery made a number of ex-
cursions into the interior of the ISL
and, travelled over the military road,
climbed the mountains and made views
of the scenery, photographed the
plantations and homes of the people.
made snap shots of the natives, and
later took views of the government
buildings and parks and the harbor
of the capital. There is no trouble
getting photographs of the natives,
said Mr.. Connery. They all want to
get in the picture, and they want to
see how they look as soon as it
is taken. That, however, is not an
! uncommon thing anywhere. good
many people imagine that the instant
they are through being took" the
picture is all made ready to pull out
of the camera.
Failing to secure passage to Mar
Unique, which was the principal desti-
nation and chief object of Mr. Con-
pery's trip, he returned to Cuba by
the same route he went, stopping again
at Santiago to visit San Juan Hill and
the scenes of American operations
at Siboney and FL Caney. He photo
graphed the historic Protocol Tree.
the scenes of the fight ON the
hill, the entertainments and the
monument to the Rough Riders. The
| battlefield is now a park, made so by
Gen. Wood. and is cared for by the
| Cuban government.
On his return to Havana Mr.. Con-
merry spent about two weeks at the
capital and in the surrounding coun-
| try, where he made about a hundred
views. He obtained some fine pictures
of the interior of Moro Castle and
| Cabanas. showing the cells, the exc
cution wall and the grim exterior of
the old fortresses which at one time
were thought to be impregnable Two
soldiers now guard Moro, said Mr.
| Connery. He had, after much diff
Guilty and considerable delay, secured
a "permitto" to visit the fortress, and
armed with it and his camera he ap-
preached the gate. The soldier on
guard halted him and asked, Per
mitto?" Mr.. Connery dropped his
camera and put his hand toward his
pocket for his permit. 1t was not nee
essary. TIE military guard lacked the
energy to inquire further, and passed
him in.
Leaving Havana Mr.. Connery went
to New York by the Ward Line, and