South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-03-26
M ADOO FAVORS
ACCEPTANCE OF
BRITISH ISLAND
Former Cabinet Member Sug-
gests Taking Barbados as
Part Payment Of War Debt.


WASHINGTON, d. O.. March 25.-|
barbados is one Of the most inter
estiBs and less weII-known Of the
possessions, which William O.. Nc
Adoo would have Great Britain Of
fer IN part payment Of her debt TO
the United States" says "A bulletin
from the National Geographic So
Ciety.
"Pear-shaped. solitary, farthest
.@ast OF the West Indies, Barbados
generally IS accounted the most
healthful Of the group, even though
IL Is the most populous country in
tho world, per square mile, except
China, and George Washington car
cied TO his grave the marks OF the
smallpox contracted on a visit there.
only One island.
The island-there Is but one
despite the misleading plural name
is but an eighth the size OF our
Rhode Island. but has twice as
many inhabitants per square mile
as our smallest and most densely
populated state.
Seldom does a volcano become
an asset. Volcanic eruptions have
contributed largely 20 the fertility
or Barbados When the sun was
obscured throughout one day in
May. 1912, the Barbadans were
panic stricken. but when the gentle
rain OF black dust subsidized. the de-
post was found 10 be ashes from
an eruption OF st. Vincent Soufriere,
nearly 100 miles TO the west, which
enriched the soil.
Leads I'm Production.
Long before that time, though,
Barbados was productive. Oldest
OF British colonial possessions except
newfoundland, II also was the first
place in the British Empire where
sugar cane was planted. It's aver
age crop Of this now high-priced
comm odity IS 10000 tons. 1t also
has 1000 acres planted in sea-island
or long staple cotton; raises 10000
punches yearly Of the Chinese bana-
ma, and exports mOlasses.
There are no volcanoes on Bar
badOs; nor are there any streams OF
appreciable size. Water sweeps
through the porous soil and reaches
the sea by underground channels.
Bathers at FreshWater Bay are apt
49, experience a rocking sensation
on the surf sands. like that at some
of the trick amusement devices of
COney Island or Luna Park. The
undulations underfOot mark the out
lets. below sea level. OF these sub
terranean streams.
Fantastic Story Told.
lone phenomenon of Barbados
has not been accounted for. For
years the sO-caIled Barbados Coffin
Story furnishes a mystery which
would interest present day psychic
investigators. In the yard Of
church near Oistin's Town is
churchyard burial vault hewn from
rock and arched with cemented
stone. 4 woman was buried there
in lead coffin. according TO Bar
badan custom. Several years later
when the vault was opened again
TO receive another body, the coffin
had been removed from its original
position Upon the second occasion
special precautions were taken TO
seal the vault. Several times there
after though seals were unbrOken.
and there seemed no other mode OF
entering the solid rock and mason
~. the collins were displaced. FL
nally the mouth OF the vault was
Fmented. and when IL was time to
receive another body. officials of the
island ind an immense crowd
gathered for the ceremony. Once
more all the leaden caskets were
found 10 have been disturbed and
the family had their dead removed
u another burytng ground. No
satisfactory solution OF these strange
occurrences has been offered.
Beautiful Cathedral.
Bridgetown, the island capital.
is a hot, dusty city of about 10000
people II is especially busy on Fri
days when planters flock 10 town
for business and buying. IT'S
cathedral was built principally by
funds obtained from a lottery au-
thorized by the legislature, after the
original building had been blown
down BY a hurricane in 1880.
"A natural curiosity of Barbados
is the Animal Flower Cave the So
called flowers being sea worms.
Not so agreeable are the Nauchineei,
or poison trees. alonE the shores.
whose leaves blister the skin and
contaminate the water.
Labor IS so plentiful that men
compete with beasts Of burden But
this condition was greatly improved
by the use OF considerable Barbados
labor in building the Panama