The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-11
Cienfuegos, Cuba. January Is.

Santiago / remained up till the ship
sailed out of the harbor and for some
distance down the coast to see II I could
get a glimpse of the two Spanish ships
which have been lying near the shore
ever since they were destroyed by Ad-
miral Schley; for the ~Seguranca passed
right along a part of the way they did;
but 1 could not see them by moonlight.
AS we came out of the famous harbor,
notwithstanding it was midnight, the
Seguranca gave a long whistle as she
passed under the old MORO castle, the
same as she did as she yer in.
The distance from Santiago here IS
some 32o miles and the fare $1,000. We
sailed along close to the high mountains
till Cape Cruz was reached, then went
out of sight of LAND till near Cienfuegos.
The weather was fair and comfortable,
the ship steady, and finer sailing h
we had all day yesterday could hardly
be possible. From the time We left
Nassau till now we have had beautiful
moonlight nights all the time, and even
since we left Miami we have had no
rain to amount to much, and it has been
pleasant all the time.
About day light this morning we came
in sight of the light house, slowed
down and took on the pilot, wound our
way up the harbor till the wharf was
reached, went ashore and had our bag
gage examined n 1 Don found my
self comfortably Quartered at the Hotel
Grand Continental. on santa Isabel
street.
The entrance to tnis harbor, the coun-
try and situation of the city is different
somewhat from Santiago and Guantan-
amo. The city is situated some dis
lance back from the sea in a harbor
which winds and twists between hills.
Near the mouth of the harbor the land
is low. The city is built on almost
level ground, the streets wider than
usual in Cuban towns and generally in
good condition. 1t has some 80. 900 peo-
pie, l am told, with more ~SpaniardS
than almost any city on the sland. 1t
has electric lights, but no street cars,
one and two horse vehicles for convey
ance, a beautiful plaza where the peo-
pie assemble and promenade at night.
and fine music is made by the band.
Some of the finest looking people 1 have
seen in Cuba SO far are here, and L am
made to feel more at home here in one
respect than zinc 1 left Miami, and
that is on account of the noise of the
railroad trains. While there were only
a few miles of railroad at guantanamo
and Santiago, here are trains leaving
for various points on the island and all
the way through to Havana.
1 find Americans here, but not SO
man as at Santiago.
At the p~ostofice found Mr.. Lloyd A.
Brown who, like Mr.. Anderson, at San
tiago, gave me more Information about
the city and surrounding country than
any one else.
C~ienfuegos is the principle city in
Santa Clara province and Is surround
ed by a fine EARNING country-one of
the finest cane growing sections of the
island, it is said.
Trouble With the Bill of Fare.
When 1 sat down for dinner to-day l
had handed me a bill of fare with not
a word written or printed on it hat
could read, and no one in the dining
room who could tell me. So | had tn
motion to the waiter to bring on what
he had. shaking my head at the same
time to let him know 1 could not under
stand him or what was printed on the
bin. The man who was employed at
the hotel who'could speak a little brok-
'en English had gone away to meet some
incoming boat.
Cienfuegos will go down in history as
the place where one of the first battles
OIL Cuban soil was fought during the
war between the United States and
Spain. 1t was here that the Marble
head, Nashville and Winsolw were Or
dered to cut the cables. and cut them
they did, but it was an awful Job and
esulted in the loss of two of our sol
diers and h wounding OF man, The
light house, which stood where the new
one now stands. was knocked to pieces
and it is said that nearly 400 Spaniards
were killed during h fighting here.
The Havana Post. a newspaper print
ed in English at Havana, came in to-
night. 1t is today's paper and has tbs
Associated Press news. 1t contains tn.
first news 1 have had from the States
since leaving Nassau, as I could moi
read the papers at Santiago. h prln-
.cipal paper printed there is La Inde'
pendencia.' but il has no English de
partment. 1 sent you some of the pa
pers printed in these towns.
One of tie Finest Harbor in the
World.
Cienfuegos is famous among geogra
pliers as possessing one OF the finest
harbor in the world, and the plaza men
TONED above, which is called the "Plaza
de Armas," is said to be one of the mos
beautiful squares on the island. Sur
rounding il are the government build.
ings. the cathedral etc. 1t is said tina
"Cienfuegos is probably the locality
which can boast of the most rapid pro
gress Of all the young cities Of the is
land Of Cuba. Seventy-three years ago
the site upon which Cienfuegos now
stands was merely a beautiful grove Of
tropical trees washed by the waters ot
a magnificent natural safe harbor. int
which Columns anchored in 1894.
Origin of C~ienfueEeS.
Columbus was so much pleased with
the grandeur of the panorama and witt
the natural advantages of the bay tina
he constructed a fort to protect Its en-
trance, and named it, Nuestra Senoradt
los Angeles de Jagua. However, unit
1919 Cienfuegos remained a mere harbol
OF safety for b coastwise and trans
Atlantic trading. During that year &
French colonel, M. de Clouet de Petite
undertook with the help Of Genera
Cienfuegos. who was at the time gov
ernor Of the Island Of Cuba, the coloni
zation OF this rich province On tn
18th OF April. 1913. forty-six sturd,