The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-03-23


century have wrought great changes
in Havana. 1t used to be known as
one of the dirtiest cities in the word.
As a consequence, in spite of the
innumerable flock of vultures that
numbered the streets, yellow fever
was almost ever present.
The authorities now take great pre-
cautions The vultures are seen no
more, as there is nothing for them
to do and consequently no living for
them.
The bay once infested by moJQui-
toes now knows this pest no more.
We slept with stateroom windows
all open and never heard a hum nor
felt a bite But a company of doc
tors came on cur ship and made
special diagnosis of all who intended
TO go ashore to see that no case of
infection got to land. But all the
features of the old regime have not
been removed.
We might have gone ashore inme-
diately after breakfast, which would
not have been early, as the ships
time for this repast was o'clock,
and the meal was not over before 9.
But the Cuban doctors were not yet
on board, nor did they get there until
10 or later. 1t was IL before the in.
spection was over.
There is no mole at Havana to
which a large ship can come. 1t is
only lately that such a convenience
has been in Vera Cruz.
The trouble of going ashore and
getting back in a small boat is quite
enough to make one wonder why the
Cubans, or the people of Havana,
rather, do not construct a mole to
which large vessels may come.
Must Lighter Freight.
Not only this, but all the freight
must be lightered out Our ship took
on there 1400 tons of coal, and all had
to be put into scows, then hauled
alongside and then the coal rehandled.
This is what delayed us. There re
half dozen ships waiting to be coal
ed and there appeared to be accom-
modations to supply only one at a
time.
And the cost of this coal. / was
told it cost 81 per ton in the ships
hold 1t was really coal dust almost
as fine as flour, with less than fifty
pounds of lump to the ton. The price
of this, assuming that it was correctly
reported to me, was one of the great
est surprises / have encountered 1t
came down from Philadelphia. The
ship burned about 100 tons a day, so
the cost of fuel was $500 a day.
Twenty years ago Los Angeles could
get coal from Australia by the cargo
at no higher price, and it was coal,
not dust. The ships officer said the
dust was as good as coal if properly
handled, but cost little more in the
way of labor to feed the fires.
The thought was natural that these
ships should be converted into oil
burners.
The oil from Mexico at Tampico or
Vera Cruz should cost much less, and
as oil fires are automatically fed the
cost of shoveling coal would be saved.
Finally shore was reached and the
view of the city made ones heart re-
joice as he realized that our country
men had done so much for this natur-
ally beautiful city President Taft,
General Wood and the other Amer
leans who were here from time to
time accomplished a wonderful work
indeed.
No city in America, not San Fran
cisco nor Los Angeles, nor Portland,
can show better-kept streets than
these. In the tropics it is easy to tell
from the harbor if a city be clean
or the opposite, The horrid iocks OF
vultures in the air and on the house
tops are the unerring signs of filth,
their absence the index of cleanliness
There are none at Havana.
Uncle Sans Wards.
Our assertion of the Monroe Doc
tine in so emphatic manner makes
e4t incumbent on America to see thai
! fair play prevails in these small, tur
bulent states. The better classes Of
people there and all foreigners looh
to the United States to maintain or
der. They think we are not emphatic
or energetic enough in dealing witt
unrest and riot in that part of the
world
l pointed out to those who express
ed such opinion the danger of arous