The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-24
ROMANCE OF . WAR
WITH sPAIN-REsCUE OF SEM
oRITA CISNEROS.
A Visit to the Scene of her Escape
Clean Streets of Havana--A Fine
System of Water Works-The
War Against Mosquitoes.


most deeply. perhaps. was that OF the
beautiful Senorita Evangelina de Cisneros
Cassie. the high born Cuban maiden. VINO
was imprisoned by the Spanish authori-
ties, ostensibly on account of alleged as
loyalty to the then existent government
through her letters to New York news
paper but really, 1t Is claimed Dy ner
friends, because she was her fathers
daughter, and he patriot tthenA calico
'rebef), in the insurgent army, ana
whose romantic rescue by her Cuban low
er, assisted by an American newspaper
reporter and others there were four oI
them in the plot, was the sensation OF
the hour. in the early days of the war.
Everyone remembers her arrival in the
United States where Mrs. Mary A. Lo-
gan became her .chaperon, or guardian.
and her beauty and misfortunes appealed
to every heart, while homes and fortunes
were laid at her feet IL she would only
consent to remain in this country, all OF
which she declined with gracious thanks.
where the heart u.s. and seized the first
opportunity after American occupation
rendered 1t safe to do so. to return TO
lover (the chief actor in the drama Of
effectng her rescue-a Cuban gentleman
Of high standing), with her hand, and
is now one of the loveiiest young matronS
in Havana, the mother of beautiful
child-a vigorous young scion of the new
republic, in whose natal throes, she bore
her part, shedding her tears. IL not her
DlOOd, IN nef C0untryS cause.
A visit to Havana without seeing the
place of her Incarceration and escape.
would be like the play of Hamlet, with
Hamlet left OUT" SO we wended our way
(my trusted guide and myself, to the
women's Prison. on Compostella Street,
and were soon behind the bars. and as
cended a narrow wooden staircase that
opened directly into the room which sfs
occupied. There was a single iron bed
stead and sewing machine in this room.
Adjoining and connecting with IL, was .
larger dormitory. containing several beds
Everything was as clean a1d neat a.
wax (white wax, and the wide, folding
windows were open, with only the iron
bars between the inmates ana freedom
not q very terrible place In itself; plenty
Of air and light and the birds singing
outside; only the thought of those bars.
beyond which one cannot move, the lack
Of freedom to come and go and do az
one chooses. which makes any place
prison.
One of the windows, In the end of the
room, opens on the roof of the front part
of the building, where the offlces are,
which Is only one story in height only
a single iron bar had to be cut. by .
passage of the slender girlish figure, to
this roof, and from that to the roof OF an
adjoining residence was but few steps.
from which trap door and staircase
gave access to the street where car
Rage and her three other friends awaited
her and hurried her on to the Bay, and
on board an American vessel In the oinns:
which Immediately set sail for the land
of the free and the home of the brave.
with It's precious burden.
It was the American reporter who man.
| aged to secure an interview with her. the
| day before, when he found an opportnn-
| ity to slip note into her hand, detail-
ing the plan together with some drugged
candy, which she gave to her female
mitory which made them all sleep sound
Iy, while the bar was being cut and her
escape effected.
The dividing wall between the prison
and the adjoining residence has since
been raised several feet, and the top
filled with spikes and broken glass to
prevent any similar attempt in future.
A murderess occupies the cell now, IL
It may be called a cell. 1t is simply an
ordinary room, with whitewashed walls:
the house having evidently been an ola
residence before being converted to it's
present use. Even the iron bars We're
probably there, Just the same, as in all
the old houses in Havana, and most OF
the new ones, for that matter: only they
were formerly used to keep intruders out
rather than the inmates in, as at present.
This homicide Is a mild-faced woman,
who no doubt was long-suffering before
her spirit rose to the desperate deed
which makes her life prisoner. It was
her husband whom she killed, ana no
doubt, he deserved his fate.
Down stairs. in the patio, around which
were ranged other cells. all open to the
sunlight. like those above (only the one
entrance gate to the court being barred)s
were gathered many of the prisoners
some of them cooking on range sucn
as are of fire burnt clay, common in THIS
country, as in Mexico; some wor r
the rooms. being kept scrupulously clean
This is the city prison for women oniy-
l am told that the prisoners in the PEN
itentiary are required to take Two paths
a day.
The streets of the city are also kept
clean cleaner than those OF any city tnac
1 know of in the United States, thanks
to the vigorous regime introduced by Gem
eral Wood, which is stu strictly adhered
to. This included the introduction of law
atories in every house In Havana, wheth-
er rich or poor, and the complete aoolsn-
ment of the old vault system, which
was a constant menace to the health or
the town.
Havana has one of the finest systems
of water works IN the world. furnishing
best spring water, brought from Nentos
nine miles distant, being conducted un-
der the Almendares River, en- ROUTE
through an inverted syphon pipe. the
works were constructed by the eminent
Cuban civil engineer, Francisco de Alnear
cara. They were commenced In 1sSS
and completed in 1878. The daily supply
now furnished Havana is about forty-one
and a half million gallons. In the Plaza
de Montserrate, at the head of Obispo
Street, is a fine monumental statue OF
Albear.
Everyone has heard of the crusade
against the mosquito, inaugurated BY
General Wood. which is still being faith
fully prosecuted. No uncovered vessel
containing water Is permitted in any
house. What would an American house,
holder think of being fined SO upon the
discovery of the larvae OF the mosquito
on his premises; yet such is the law in
Havana, the morning paper containing an
instance of a warning being sent to .
certain house. to the effect that such
larvae had been reported by the inspectors
as existing in vessel containing water
within its confines. and unless the nuis-
ance were Immediately abated the ownar
would suffer the aforementioned PEN
atty.
70 these stringent measures Havana
owes her present exemption from the
ravages of yellow fever, IL having been
scientifically demonstrated that the dis
ease is due to incubation by the mos
QUITO In the tests made during the mil
itary occupation of the island by the
United States troops, persons were found
who were so thoroughly convinced of
the truth of the theory in question, as 70
voluntarily undergo the experiment OF
living and sleeping In rooms and beds
where yellow fever patients had died. and
wearing their clothes while the most
stringent precautions were taken to pre-
vent thu disability of mosquitoes gaining
access t. he apartments and no Infection
ensued: whereas. others, as fully con-
WINGED of the fallacy of the doctrine. and
using all kinds of disinfectants ana pre-
cautions and maintaining the most per-
feet conditions possible for health, with
the exception of permitting the free ac-
cess of mosquitoes to the rooms, were
victims of the disease.
II was also demonstrated in similar
manner, that malaria is conveyed into the