Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-05
BOON FOR AMERICANS
Tourists Find Much of Inter-
est in West Indies.
CLIMATE EXCELLENT
IMPRESSIONS OF sANTo DOMINGO
AT FIRST GLANCE.
United States Once Sought to Acquire
It, but Was Defeated by
Charles Sumner.
CLIMATE EXCELLENT

When the United States becomes as in
| doent as Europe the West Indies will be
| the winter resort of the Americans" said
| a. newspaper man, who has spent much
| time In the West Indies. THE tempera-
| ture resembles that of southern Spain,
| lower Italy and the many resorts on the
| Mediterranean. The climate is even more
| perfect. There is the tropical luxuriance
| of vegetation and the balmy sea breezes.
Many of the mountains have mineral springs
| of great medicinal value and the pine for
| ests half way up the hills are already ia
| nous for the cures they have effected.
Fear of yellow fever will disappear, as will
the fever also, under proper sanitary regu-
| lations.
Even now 1t is not nearly so bad as
| people imagine. 1t is the hearing about 1t
| and nothing else that creates the impression
| that the West Indies is the home OF the
| fever bacillus. Typhoid fever is much more
| prevalent in the north and much more fatal.
| The earlier malaria of the western states
was not forgotten for many years and the
! classic banks of the Wabash were more
: dreaded than Cuba is To-Day. The man VINO
| emigrated to Indiana was advised to take
| his coffin along. Nothing came from 1ndi-
! ana then bit ague stories and naturally
| the belief sprung up in the east that no
| otAer product existed. Now, when the state
| is the home of literature, poetry, art and
music, a correct idea of the real conditions
| prevails. So 1t is with the islan.s Of the
! Caribbean and they will in time be sought,
not Stunned, by those who seek health or
wish to idle time away.
THE sights and scenes in Havana are
familiar to almost every American, with
| the wealth of newspaper and E-agazlne
story and illustration. little line runs TO
the south thirty miles to Batabanoa on the
south coast. Vessels sail there for t-.e Isle
of Pine and the harbor is filled with the
sailboats of the sponge fishers who make
Z hot thpjr he a
Sps ish company, skirts the southern coast
of Cuba, and Captain Fernandez OF the
Reina de los Angeles Queen of the Angels
tells many stories of the towns along the
coast, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Vera d, uZ,
ManZanillo and Santiago.
From Batananoa to Cienfuegos the course
is over the water, clear and blue, and hours
are pleasantly spent observing the reefs,
vegetation and animal life, the bottom al
ways in sight. Most of the harbors are
historic especially since the war with Spain,
and the Queen of the Angels is not hasty
in her flights. The loading and unloading
of freight give several hours, sometimes
day two. to visit points of interest q
There is line around the north coast
to Santiago, but it does not touch many
points of interest, and th- railroad ride
through the interior is missed. At Santiago
vessels sail for Hayti. but the most inter-
esting trip Is around Hayti, along the south
coast of Santo Domingo, with a day - the
capital, and o. to Porto Rico. vessel
returns along the north coast of Santo Do
| mingo or a vessel direct for Jew York can
be taken at San Juan. Days may be spent
in minor trips to St. Thomas, Jamaica,
Curacao, the Barbados and other islands.
Small sailing vessels skip to and fro and
steamers touch the larger ports.
Santo Domingo at First Glance.
Possibly q first glance at Santo Do
mingo would not be encouraging Coast
ing along the shore. the mountains seem to
come to the waters elge and to be COW
cred by thick, unattractive shrubbery.
Closer investigation reveals many fertile
valleys and plains, and that the supposed
shrubbery Is pine, mahogany logwood and
other valuable woods. White clouds hover
around the mountain tops 1t is said that
an English admiral when asked for de-
scription of the island by King George III,
crumpled up piece of paper, and, throw
ing it on the table, said:
Sire Haiti looks like that
The mountains consist of two long
ranges running from east to west through
the island. There are many fertile valleys
in between. There are mountain streams
for irrigation and minerals to interest the
miner. The island Is in all 400 miles long
and go miles wide, and contains 81 900
square miles. Thus it is about six times
as large Connecticut, larger than South
Carolina, and one-fOurth larger than Yer
mont, Massa Chusetts, Rhode Island and
Connecticut combined.
The temperature is seldom over 90 In the
day time, and the nights are so cool that
blanket is needed There are no sunstrokes,
no heat prOStrattons and little steady rain.
Showers are frequent but they last scarcely
half an hour, and the sand carries the
water away at once. This description will
answer for all Of the islands, and they will
no doubt attract American tourists and
those seeking winter homes more and more
as the years go by. Perhaps a modern
Moore will erect a new Utopia on one Of
them
SANTANA bay at the eastern end of
SantO Domingo, is one of the most beauti-
full bays in the world. Mountain ridges al
most surround it, abrupt coral covered
with greenest Verdure. Islands of ricNest
emerald dot it. 1t rains little every after
noon in the year. and the vegetation is
constantly kept green. The rainfall is
something remarkable. Sea breezes meet
mountain currents about 4 clock every
afternoon, and the moisture is precipitated
The people expect 1t, and do not seem to
mind II. The water runs off quickly and
leaves no mud nor dampness the shores
The bay Is thirty-one miles long, and
from eight to twelve miles wide, with water
enough TO float the navies of the world
The channel al the mouth is about mile
and half wide, and the entire width from
peak to peak is about five miles. On ac-
count Of the narrow channel and the
winds, it is not very accessible to large
sailing vessels, but steamers go to its inner
most shores. The high ridges at It's mouth
and the islands IN its channels make i'm
presnable Notifications possible. Land
| locked as 1t IS, it affords haven in time Of
| storm.
United States Once Sought It.
LAS is well known, the United States once
| sought to acquire it. President Grant IA
| vored the acquisition in almost every meg
| sage to Congress, and a treaty entered into
! and signed was defeated in the Senate by
| Charles Sumner. Later, in 1882, the United