Evening star., 1902-03-22
Dimensions of the Island.

| southern coast of western Cuba, about
| thirty five miles from the nearest point of
| the mainland. II is siXty-five miles S.SW.
| OF Batabano, the Cuban end Of the steamer
| line, and is in communication with the
| United States via Batabano (sixty-fve miles
water. and Havana twenty-five miles raiD
| to Miami Fla, 23S miles total distance.
| water and raid; $50 miles to Tampa, Fla. :;
| SO miles to New Orleans, La; and 713
| miles to Pensacola, Fla.
| From the first two points the Pennsylva-
| MIA railroad and southern connection each
| all parts of the nited States. the single
| rate New York to Havana being UJ4. 90, and
| from Habana to Isle of Pines. S1O5O (gold).
| The Louisville and Nashville Railroad and
| Steamboat Company also have facilities of
| intercourse between the island and the
| United States The nearest cable and tele-
| graph station is Batabano, siXty-five miles
on the mainland of Cuba. There is a tele
phone between Nueva Corona and Santa
| Fe with a projected extension to Jucaro.
| In a strategic point of view the island lies
! 80 miles from the entrance to the Ncara-
qua canal, $50 miles from the Panama
| canal and so miles from Jamaica.
| Owing to the numerous keys which sur
| round the island on tthe Caribbean sea side,
| its defense be accomplished at very
! little expense by means OF mines.
The Isle Of Pines is $50 square miles In
| area, or very nearly the size Of the state
| of Rhode Island 1t has a population Of
8, 199.
Its Physical Features.
| In its physical features it is very pic
| turesque.
| In general the surface is a plateau OF 80
| to 100 feet above the sea level, broken by
| ridges, the most remarkable SUBMITS be-
| ing the Sierra de la Canada 1.e0O feet; Da-
guilla, 1900 (from the summit of which
| may be had a view of the entire sland):
Sierra de los Caballos, 1.O74 feet; Mount
Casas composed of beautiful marbles OF
| various colors, and Mount Cristales of
moderate height, it's sides being covered
| with green-rock crystals.
The southern part, comprising about one
| third Of the entire area, Is an impossible
cienaga or salt bayou and lagoon inter-
| spersed by islets and rocky ledges and oc-
cuped by fishermen
The island has q number of rivers OF
excellent water, the most important of
which are the Nuevas, five to ten feet deep
and navigable four or five miles: the Sierra
de Casas, near the mouth of which is situ-
ated Nueva Corona. and accessible by ves-
| sells drawing five feet.
The Isle of Pines is connected with
| labyrinth of reefs and isets of which the
best known are the Jardines, SO named
| from verdure-cad islets strewn like gar
| dens' amid blue waters, and from which
| fresh water bubbles up from the deep,
| flowing probably in subterranean galleries
| from the mainland.
The Mineral Springs.
The mineral springs, for which the is
| land has a worldwide reputation, re-
| markable especially in pulmonary, rheu-
| matte and throat affections.
| chemical analysis shows the waters to
| be impregnated with oxygen and carbonic
acid gases. chloride OF sodium, sulphate OF
| lime. carbonate of lime, iron. magnesa,
| chloride Of calcium. nitrate of lime. slick
| and extractic organic matter. Tempera-
ture of water, 50 F..
The climate is described as delicious,
| the air pure and bamy and, notwithstand-
| is considered dry. The winds coming from
| the sea and passing over the pine forests
| are gentle and invigorating.' The year is
| divided into two seasons. The wet dlu-
viOsa) or summer, June until October. The
| hottest hours are from 10 to II am. About
| 2:30 pm. the breeze Oa virazon) blowing
| in from the sea mOderates the temperature.
The dry season tseca), or winter, extends
| from October to June, with casional
visitations from November to February OF
| los nortes. The annual rainfall ranges
| from fifty to f1fty-twO inches, or less than
| on the gulf coast of the states. The aver
I average humidity for the year, 20 per cent
The Climate.
The mean annual temperature is 15 de-
grees. The prevailing winds are the north
| east trades, which blow with but little va
| TidtIoA lHf OuSAout tAC year, IcnucTlnH the
| nights cool both IN winter and summer
| The range Of temperature between sum-
mer and winter rarely exceeds a mean of
| II degrees.
Hurricanes are less frequent than in
| Cuba.
The "Derrotero de las Antilles" referring
tn the climatic conditions, says:
| The climate OF Pinos is an0lg the
! heahhiest known. No yellow fever, nor
! cEolera, which in former years decimate.i
! the population Of Cuba. ever made It's ap-