ROMANCE OF SANTIAGO

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 29, 4 February 1932, Page 11

ROMANCE OF SANTIAGO

AN EVENTFUL HISTORY

Santiago de Cuba/ the: city and seaport of Cuba, is situated on the southern coast at the eastern end of the island,- and is the capital of the province of Oriento and, next to Havana, the most important city of the Republic. In 1925 the population was 70,000 i and more than half of these were colour-1 cd. Santiago, situated about six miles inland on a magnificent land-locked, bay connected with the Caribbean Sea| by a long, narrow, winding channel; straggles over, ah amphitheatre of hills behind which the Sierra. Maestra furnishes a majestic background. In the cathedral is the tomb of Diego Velazquez,;conqueror of Cuba, The city was founded in 1514 by Velazquez, and the capital of the island was removed therel It: was from. Santiago in 1518 that'the historic expedition of Cortes set out, >and the city grew in power and importance, and was made a Spanish city of the second class, later being igranted the arms . and . title of ciudad, and the church being made the cathedral of the island.

But > before 1550 the drain of military expeditions to the- American Continent,'and internal quarrels, produced a fatal decadence, and in 1589 Havana became the capital, Santiago, was oc-1 cupied:and plundered by French corsairs in: 1553, and again by a British forces from Jamaica in■■-' 1662.■•■•.•'■ After! 1826,-Santiago was merely the capital of a: province. In 1741 a British squadron under Admiral Vernon and General Wentwortb ,■ operated ; unsuccessfully against Santiago in a four .months' campaign; The climate made great ravages amongst the British forces, 2000 out of a' possible 5000 men beinir lost. In 1675, 1679, 1766, and 1852 there were disastrous earthquakes. ■.-.■ .-. During the .Spanish-American War in 1898 Eear-Admiral Sampson, leading an American squadron, blockaded a Spanish force of four armoured cruisers and three : ..torpedo-boat destroyers. A naval constructor, Lieut. Richmond P Hobson, had charge of preparations* which culminated in the sinking of the jollier Merrimac, in an attempt.. to block the channel. The ship, however, drifted too far and sank in a broad part of the channel. Land operations took.place near the city, and in July the Spanish fleet came out of its safe position_ and a engaged the American ships. The Spanish fleet was totally destroyed, and Admiral Cervera was taken .prisoner. ■;.->: -~.. Seismologists regard it as purely a coincidence that the earthquake shonld have taken place exactly, almost to the time of day, a year after the Hawkes Bay disaster. ;Between the two no sort of connection can be postulated, they say At the,, Dominion Observatory, Kelburn, the shocks, were recorded, but only faintly owing to the great distance. ... • . ' ".V .-"■ -'• ■' ■ ;