9415-Harbor from Spanish Blockhouse, reverse

Date: 1909

Description: Santiago - Harbor from Spanish Blockhouse, reverse. Text reads: 9415 - Santiago and the Harbor from the Spanish Block House, Cuba Santiago is the second city of Cuba and was formerly the capital. The harbor is a first-class one, very deep and entirely land-locked. It is bottle shaped, the enclosed part being five miles long with an average width of one and one-half miles, and a long narrow neck connects it with the sea. It is guarded by two forts, Morro and Socaba, more picturesque than formidable. It was here that Admiral Schley found Admiral Cervera with his fleet of Spanish vessels. When the capture of El Caney and San Juan made the surrender of Santiago only a matter of time, Admiral Cervera's fleet dashed out from the harbor and attempted to break through the blockade established by the Americans. A running sea fight followed in which the Spanish vessels were all destroyed. The bay and city are encloded by mountains which shut off the sea breezes and make the climate hot and unhealthful. The city, built on a sloping amphitheater of hills, has generally crooked streets with one story houses, plastered on the outside and roofed with tiling. While under Spanish control, Santiago suffered from yellow fever almost every year. Copyright 1909, by Keystone View Company

Source: Peter Bleed Personal Collection