Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-02-25

one by one and half miles of ter
ritory and has held 10000 prisoners
at one time. There are 300 soldiers
CHARTERED there now. Moro covers more
thon one cavalier of land, which Is
thtrty-three acres with us. These are
connected by an under ground brick
and stone passage one mile long. With
candles we went part way only, as
the ladies baked on the mile course
as too long tramp. Our guide show
ed us the cell in which he was a
prisoner for six months for showing
sympathy with Cuba's revolutionists
In their trouble with Spain. We saw
where prisoners were led out and shot
Six Spanish soldiers firing, three at
the victims head and three at his
heart, and from the appearance of the
old plastered walls where they stood
they must have killed a million
judging from the bullet holes in the
| walls.
We next visited Colon cemetery, the
finest | ever saw. This is where the
victims of the Maine explosion were
temporarily buried until removed to
Annapolis. On this spot the Cuban
government has built a memorial
chapel out of respect to the fallen
heroes. The chapel is an octagon in
marble. One other monument is re-
markable work called the firemen's
monument. Thirty fremen lost their
lives in an explosion and it was erected
at a cost of seventy thousand dol
lars. 1t is of marble and stands fifty
feet in height. We witnessed two buri-
ais between 3 and p, M, the
only time when burials are permitted
and no women are then allowed to en-
| ter the grounds when burial takes
| place. The collins are carried on the
shoulders of four persons, opened by
the sexton to view the body, then
blessed by the priest and it is finished.
The poor and rich are buried here.
The collins of the poor are only hired
and Of course they are buried without
any. If stipulated sum is not paid for
five years the bodies are then burned
with quick lime All graves are marked
without exception and they are truly
magnificent, covered with metallic
everlasting flower wreaths and photo
graphs Of many children set in the
stone and covered with glass. 1t costs
a rich man one thousand dollars to
have eight horses to the hearse. 1t
! is quite a saving to live and more
pleasant, isn't it?
We passed the Leper hospital in
the center of the city and our guide
offered to escort us inside, saying
there was no danger if we did not
come in contact with them" We
took no long chances SO did not enter.
He said they were allowed to go out
and beg on certain days. We also
saw the Sisters founding home where
they have shelf arranged SO that in
case person did not want to be rec
ognized they might place the charge
on the shelf and it then turned inside
of the building. We saw many chill
dren at play in the park in front of
the home.
1 Next day we took a car out to the
deserted Camp Columbia" where our
soldier boys quartered four years ago
1t is an ideal high plaza alongside of
the ocean, covering one half mile
square of frame quarters, but now
deserted, not even the old flag left to
mark the spot This is also the
American Suburb, many elegant up.
| to-date residences, all American, our
| Minister Squires house among the
/ rest
| There is so much to write about the
! Island of Pines and other places seen,
| that l will not tire you longer. Maybe
if don't get too lazy in this tropical
cline will write you again 1T is just
like summer here now, 80 degrees in
the shade. We are well.
]. o. Hunnell, Sr.