The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-03-21
AS Well as to Parts of Cuba
and Jamaica by Cecil
B. Highland.
IBy Cecil b. Highland.l

the Telegram while in Havana,
Cuba, believe 1t win prove OF in
terest to its readers to give a short
description of the great caves Of
Bellamar, located at Mantanzas,
fifty-tiye miles from Havana. They
are indeed subterranean wonder
land. The open on the level surface
and the approaches are perpendicu-
lar to the distance of sixty feet, and
at that depth they become horizontal
and winding, lined with beautiful
crystal formation and Illuminated
by innumerable incandescent electric
lamps. The population of MAINTAIN
Eas is $4,000. The town people take
great pride in the caves, owing to
their beauty, as well as the fact that
they feature town life by drawing
thousands of visitors. The Bella
mar caves were accidentally discov-
cred in 1881, and the circumstances
attending their discovery unusual.
A workingman quarrying limestone
for nearby kiln drove his crowbar
into a crevice in order to dislodge a
large fragment of rock. The bar did
not stop when it came into contact
with the rock, but passed right
through, slipped out of the fellows
hands and DISAPPEARED. The super
stitious laborcr fed and reported the
loss OF the crowbar to his employer,
who Investigated his story and the
result, the discover of the caves.
another city of interest is Cam
aguay with a population Of 10000,
and, situated 1896 miles from Ha-
vana. The chief point of interest is
the Hotel camaguay. 1t is quaint
structure, built in circular form.
covering several acres OF ground and
having park as center court.
From Camaguay we went to
Santiago de Cuba, a distace OF I532
miles from Havana. 1t has $1,000
people and situated on the caribbean
sea. Here we visited San Juan hill,
where former President Roosevelt
with is Rough Riders distinguished
himself as a valiant soldier.
The extreme south eastern part of
Cuba is agrarian country largely,
there being large farming districts
and especially more cattle are
raised than in any other part of the
island.
Leaving Cuba our party sailed for
Jamaica 1slands which is owned and
controlled by the British govern
ment Its population is mostly col
ored. The principal products are
tropical fruits, grape fruit, ETC., and
the island ships from $4,000 to 1907
600 punches of bananas every month.
In the city of Kingston is located
a fine hotel known as Myrtle Bank,
and Port Antonio the Tichfield is the
leading hosiery. These hotels are
located on the ocean front and the,
finest on that part of the globe.
From Kingston we sailed to Co.
Ion, the seaport landing for the
canal zone. Thence we went by rail
about sixty miles to Panama City,
AS Telegram readers know, the
most interesting thing there is the
great Panama canal. The greatest
work OF the kind of the age or in
the worlds history. af
A brief historic sketch of the
gigantic project is of interest. Lii
mon Bay was discovered by Column
bus in 1897. De Lesseps formed
the French canal company in 1879,
and the Panama railroad was COM
pleted by the French in 1887. The
republic of Panama was proclaimed
in 1908, and the same year treaty
was signed with the United States.
Work was begun by the Uaited
States on the big ditch May 4, 1904.
1t is announced that the canal will
be officially opened January 1, 1915.
A short description of the canal
is not amiss. The width of the
channel through the canal varies
at the top from 500 to 1000 feet,
and at the bottom from 800 to $50.
The Gautum dam is 5000 feet long
and its extreme width is 2,10O feet.
Its height above normal lake level
is thirty feet. There are three
double sets OF Gautum locks of an
average lift OF thirty-two feet, The
length of the locks is 1000 feet
each and the width no feet each.
The culebra cut is nine miles
long and has a bottom width of
about 300 feet. The digging OF this
cut was attended with many big
land slides, one of which covers
about twcnty-eight acres. and more
than 100000 cubic yards of dirt
hos haa1 rap,oyad grar, this aljde