The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-04
Santiago, Cuba, January %.

Santiago. Cuba, January %.
Editor Messenger:
We reached here from Caimanera
and Guantanamo Bay at about z o'clock
this morning. Leaving there at near
midnight the run OF forty miles was
made very slowly SO as not to reach
the entrance to Santiago harbor before
day. I remained UP late last night to
again get a view of the pretty mountain
scenery and the bay as we came out
from Caimanera, and to again see
where our brave soldiers first landed on
Cuban soil and ran up the first flag on
e Spanish flag staff. Then, of course,
/ was up early this morning to see all
n could of the famous naval battle
ground. the entrance to the harbor and
the Moro castle and other Notifications
as we wound around in the narrow and
crooked harbor. 1t being a bright
moonlight morning everything was al
most as plain as day. The grand noun
tain scenery which we had been sailing
along side of ever since we rounded
Cape Maysi and entered the windward
passage, was still in view. The first
thing that come in sight, except the
mountains, vas the lighthouse at the
entrance to the harbor. Then the old
Moro castle doomed up and We knew
that that was the entrance, though it
could not be seen till the ship turned
into Tit being so narrow.
When the lighthouse was first seen We
were not far from where Admiral
Sampson and the New York were when
the Spanish fleet came out. The ship
slowed down took on the pilot and
- v--
the fort. The ship moved slowly around
the hills up the harbor till her dock
was reached and 1 felt that 1 was now
on a historic bay, as it was where Ser
vera's fleet was anchored before he
made that fatal dash for liberty.
l stood on deck and took in every
inch L could as the point where Hobson
sank the Merrimack, with her hundr
tons of coal was cached. The Segu-
-anca passed right Over the spot, or
nearly so.
1 will not attempt to describe my feel
ings or tell the thoughts that came
rapidly to mind along now, but will
say that L felt greatly blessed in being
permitted to see the scene of some of
the most stirring events that ave ever
come to pass in American history. 1t
seems that the ~mbinatio of sights
on approaching his now historic part
OF the world could not AVE been
gTander. The weather was fair and
90 comfortable as one could wish;
a full moon was sinking behind the
western horizon; day was Just break
iug-making it just about equally as
light in the east as in the west; a
bright light was flashing from the re-
volving light on our right, with the
MORO castle and the narrow entrance
to the harbOr almost before US. l will
leave the reader to imagine my feelings.
1 hope never to forget the view.
1 am now on board ship m will sail
about midnight for Cienfuegos.
As soOn as 1 went ashore from the
ship this morning n had my baggage
examined. for this be done On en-
tering every Cuban port, 1 was carried
to the Anglo-American hotel, assigned
to my room, expecting to remain here
severa days., then go from here to ia
maica for a short time, but finding that
no ship would sail for that island for
some time, n that / would nave to re-
main here for a week or more for an
other BOAT going to Cienfuegos and Ha-
ana. l concluded TO make one day do
for this i~ntere-ting city. l went at Once
for my mail. then to the steamship
office and purchased a ticket for Glen
fuegos and Havana, good for six
months, got inner and was ready for
San Jua hill.
ON leaving my hotel for the postoftice
1 soon realized that unless l found some
M who could speak English / would
be in a poor way to get information. for
of a half dozen or more whom / asked
where the postoffice was. but IL could
understand me. / went in for my mail.
presenting my card. and after helms
waited en-. as I left the office I saw a
handsome lende built young gentle
ma standing on the sidewalk reading
a letter. Taking him to be an Ameri-
-n,r, n
states. He told me he was: that his
name was W. NJ. Anderson, and that he
had lived in North Carolina. and had
people there. I told him who L was,