The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-03-21

NANp 1N@AGNSp CAoA IAIdl SCnOOtS- l0EEc
Is a public hospital, with accommoda-
tons for fifty patients, and an orphan
asylum kept by the city. The city wa
ter works were almost completed, but
have been entirely abandoned. The wa
ter used for all purposes is taken from
the Grande and Santiago rivers and is
distributed through the town I'm bar
rels. There are several means OF COM
munication. The Porto Rico railroad
has a station here, and there are roads
to Utuado and Lares. The principal
Industries are a %tannery, an ice factory.
several rum distilleries, a lumber steam
mill, two steam coffee mills. several
cigar factories, eight sugar-caae mills
and other factories Of less importance"
From the same source 1 give the fol-
lowing brief description OF Porto Rico:
1T is said that when the great Color
was describing the newly discovered
isldand OF Borlinquen TO Isabella, queen
of SPAIN, to illustrate the conlguration
Of its surface he crumpled a silk hand
kerchief in his hand AMI threw il down
on the marble table before his sovereign.
He could scarcely have given a more
striking and correct representation of
this island with it's mountains. hills.
valleys, n plavas, with it's cliffs and
gorges. its glens and streams running
in every direction from the center to
the sea.
The central cordillera, extending ir-
regularly from Mount Yunque. near the
eastern coast to Cape San Francisco on
the utmost western verge of the is
land. forms the comb of the water
shed, directing the streams on their
courses towards the ocean. Forty-SiX
rivers and more than a thousand small
Ter streams find their sources in the in
terror mountains and their outlets,
through the grassy playas that fringe
the foothills, in the Atlantic On the
north and the Caribbean on the south
ern border. Woods ard groves crown
hills and mountains, increasing in den
sity with the elevation; till on the
slopes of Mount YunQue, rising to it's
pear 5000 feet above the sea, they form
an almost impenetrable forest. Along
the margins of the streams are mar
row valleys which widen as the stream
grows larger, until they join the en-
circling playa. The soil from peak to
reach is everywhere remarkably fer
tile.
The principal rivers are the Lola,
Plata, Bayamon, Cibuco, Manati, Are
Giro. Camuy. and Guaiataca flowing
north: the Portuges, ~Jacaeuas, Desca-
labrado, Coamo, Guamani, and Qua
yanes flowing south; the FaJardo, Ma
guabo, and Humacao flowing east; ana
the Naguez, Anasco, Culebrinas, and
Gunanjitos flowing west. Other num-
erous and well filled streams are per-
haps as worthy of mention as these,
but they can be found IN the map.
MANY of them are navigable for ten
or fifteen kilometers for small craft,
but sandbars across their mouth shut
out the larger vessels. Half a dozen
small fresh water lakes lie e the
coast to the north and south of the
central hills.
THE principal harbors are those of
San Juan, Guanica. and Jobos, which
are la~nd-locknd; and hose OF Ponce,
NavagueZ. Aguadilla. n Arecibo,
which arc merely open roadsteads. All
the harborS require Improvement and
dred~ing.
The adjacent islands are Vieques,
Culebra. Mona, n a score of smaller
ones. VieCues has a fertile soil and is
we'll populated. Culebra has a very
fine harbor. quite fit for a coaling sta
ton and to shelter naval vessels. Mona
has a lighthouse. Many of the islands
can be utilized for prisons, leper colo
MES, insane asylums, and the like.
Porto Rico lies farther to the east
and south than any other of the An
titles. 1t is almost a U~arfect parallelo-
gram. and it's four sides follow almost
exactly the -four cardinal lines of the
compass. 1t lies between attitudes II
DIS. 81 ms and Is DIS, 50 ms north, and
longitude 65 DIS Is ms and 81 de-
grees Is minutes west. 1t is about one
hundred and ~siXty-eISht kilometers
from east to west and Sc kilometers
from north to southland contains in SUI
rerficial area something less than 92S,
OO0 hectares. The island is ituate6 dis
tant from New York 1920 miles, Ha-
hama 1000 miles. Key West I.05O miles
Charleston 1000 miles, Panama 1000
miles.
Professor Hill says: THE general
ASPECT of the island is thai Of a cor
rugated, mountainous Landscapes; its
lofty SUBMITS and fertile plairs, the
abundance of flowing streams. the var
iety of vegation. including palms which
elevate their fronds above the lower
stratum of evergreen, the bright
patches of cultivated fields. the clear
skies. mild temperature, and invigor-
ating winds, give to the country an en-
| gazing aspect"
Today 1 strolled to the top of the
great wall which almost surrounds San
Juan and viewed the great Atlantic
ocean stretching out 10 the north and
thought of North Carolina. The Mes
senger and many other things back
there; went to see the soldiers march
and hea the band play near the bar.
racks; saw the st. Joseph's church
through which Il bsll passed from on
i VI III III WI Edii'pS'Hl - lSF " llI1S
he was bombarding the city, and agar
| called 10 see Capt and Mrs. Carmichae
at Moro castle.
1t is said the St. Joseph's church,
abov mentioned, is ore of the earliest
founded churches of the island, dating
back eve earlier than the settlement
of St. Augustine. Fla, or Jamestown
Va. 1t is stated on no less authority
than that of Washington Irving, it is
said, that the remains OF that grim ole
warrior. and conqueror, Don Juar
Ponce de Leon are safely deposited in
n serulchre beneath one of its five
affairs. Another chapter was added to
| it's history May II. 1888. when it was
twice hit by prnjectiTes from Simp-
| sons powerful guns
Hoping all connected with The Mes
scnger are well.
am respectfully yours.
!. A. CREWS.
A FrightfuI BIunder
Will often cause a horrible Burn,
Scald. Cut Or Eruise. Eucklen's Arn'-
4 ca Salya tho 'aSr in the world. Will