Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-03-16
THE TOURISTS PARADISE.
FEW OF THE MANY ATTRACT.
IONS IN HAVANA
Places And Points of Historic Interest +
Fort cabanas of Appalling Repute
Old MORO Castle The
Palace. Ancient
CathedralS.
IT'S PARKS AND NARROW SHOP
PING STREETS.

Special Correspondent to Evening Capital.
Havana, Cuba. March 5.--Aside from
the battleship Maine, whose grim
wreck protrudes from the waters Of
Havana harbor-an ever gruesome re-
minder, beneath which repose the
bones of the American seamen who
were rocked to an everlasting sleep by
the swish of foreign waters-the next
greatest object of interest to the Amer
lean tourist is MORO Castle and with
II Fort Cabanas, across the bay.
MoRRo AND cABANAs.
Moro and Cabanas are rich in ira
dition and ever fruitful objects Of his
toric interest. These, in themselves,
together with their pictureqsueness,
have attracted worldwide attention.
The work of constructing "an imper-
ial fortress, Capable of making the
harbor impregnable,' was begun in
1887, slaves and convicts being en-
ployed for the purpose. Moro is
the Spanish word for "headland. =
There are several MORO Castles, not
ably one each at Santiago, Puerto
Rico and San Juan. The one at la
vana was completed in 1897. 1t is
Moorish in design and construction
and is about 1870 feet above the level
of tine sea. 1t is surrounded by moats
about 20 feet deep, so feet of which
are hewn out of solid rock. II stands
on a bold promontory jutting out into
the Gulf, and is surrmounted by a
tower, the flash light from which is
said to be visible eighteen miles at
sea.
Constant attrition wears away rocks,
and in the three hundred years and
more since it was built the ceaseless
waves dashing upon and breaking over
the rocks at the base of the castle and
fortress have worn great crevices and
eaten large holes into which the water
rushes, COMPRISING the air under GER
tain conditions, and, ii is said, caus-
ing weird and uncanny noises when
the air is forced out.
MORO Castle is partly built on solid
rock and partly hewn out of rock.
Practically three hours are consumed
by the tourist in doing" Morro
and Cabanas, as there is much to see.
The tour is made usually with a
guide or interpreter, who is a neces-
sary exponent of all tourist parties
here. The trip from Havana across
the harbor is made in the character.
istic boats of the natives, not unlike
gondola, but protected from the sun
by queer circular canopy. Arriving
at the fort the ascent is made by way
of an inclined road to the entrance of
the fort. The road is paved with large
pebbles, worn smooth by the tramp
of feet and the elements. The walk
is shaded with laurels and hedged
with cactus, above which tower the
walls of formidable height, moss
grown and covered with vines and
parasistic plants.
A GRUEsoME REMINDER.
The place is by no means cheerful,
but reeKs with wierdness and is
throughout gruesome reminder OF
the barbaric punishment and cruel
death suffered by prisoners within its
grim, ghostly walls. The moat is
crossed by a draw bridge. which can
| be raised by means of iron chains.
Prison-like rooms, dungeons, dark re-
/ cesses, where the prisoners were en-
| tombed alive, magazines and store
rooms are everywhere and one of the
| most uncanny sights is what the guide
is pleased to call a shoot-the- chute. .
This leads into the sea and through
it bodies OF the Cuban prisoners were
dispatched as food for the sharks.
THE DEAD LINE
The principal entrance TO Cabanas is
simialr to that at MORO, over a draw
bridge that crosses n moat. The en-
trance is rather imposing and above
it is carved the escutcheon showing
the castle and dragons of the arms OF
| Spain. with crown and necklace OF
the Golden Fleece. The legend above
the entrance indicates that the work
OF building Cabanas was begun in
1863 and completed in 1774, in the reign
of Carlos III. The visitor passes
through the Laurel Ditch, famous for
the execution of political prisoners
and insurgents during the Cuban rev.