Show IMO AMONG G CUBAS CUBA'S MYSTERIOUS AND WONDERFUL CA CAVES VES' VES t r I ie e Were V Veritable lame L Houses fore for l eylers eyler's e err errs s Persecutions Perse Perse- Persecutions Persel c u ions e f far Car r underground with Its Us floor noor loo with the tho skulls and skeletons o of d tle victims of at fiendish t through whoso whose chambers bats bat s ind nd wheel eol In to ghostlike gyrations sous serpents drag dras their lengths over tho slimy lImY stones h of or food lood Is 13 not a n. pleasant plc- plc yet Jet to visit sIt such a cave cavo and t tI to he I- I of 01 a charnal then that the keen n used for lor man many years calS as serf tho of ot the victims of or Spanish Span t t wco the oe ox cx experience rl nce of or an Am Amerl- Amerl rl- rl soA In this dt city a who was an officer office OPa Cubs tho the troops troop In Cuba ivas u as during the p period that the lean can trop troops s wore woo In command of or tuition t In Cuba wh when n tho the unable un- un able ble horrors of or tho sho bloody reign lutcher utcher Weyler r had aroused this this ry to Intervention on behalf of or the h 6 and nd tho American troops had to tho the G n Gc jn of or tho the Antilles it a s a stop ate to the tho horrible p t that this this officer dl discovered ored co the referred referred to and explored it It Ho He I therein evidences that the had come from Cuba Cuha cre mere mero in 11 rl rhymes rh as compared were with Uh h hof mere the i of at the fiendish and merciless moth moth- by 11 In subjugating S lain sin said lAid the tho former officer In to decimato the native of Cuba and to mako make her tyran tyran- wy war absolute In the beautiful Is- Is U committed atrocities that have o haven n ven riven ven been faintly pictured pictured nM laid that Americans 1 living U ing In tn n Cuba atthe Intervention had declared to that the true truo history of ot Spain's to do n Cuba can never be told Tho The never bo be known More hu- hu NOD sony moro more suffering moro more grief be bo compre compressed led Into Into the few years than R eyler eyler crowded it s a during his bis regime It Is on ono one t and most atrocious pages Nid history I IIi Ii Is II Honeycombed I ten cot the United States intervened on fief the tho Cubans I was was detailed for fortl tl d work In Cuba he h said and pd InnY Interesting things concern concern- M Wand island Ono One of these these- facts v was as as the Island is almost wholly honey honey- with i-with caves eL Many of ot those these caves flared Ted important parts part in tho the his his- C the he Island bland is ads and folklore of or the nathe na- na If the a island aro are Interwoven in- in with these theae ca caves s. s They play Important part put In tn history as aa a tales hero the that are whis- whis t kt the humble huts hut of ot the natives rin hi m their interest about tho the men these them caves their homes homell of the caves that has bu been vis- vis but few white men and nd whose torte Irre never DeTer passed by tho the super super- opens from tho the top of or oron i on the top of at the Jaruco This mesa mes Is probably two eres aeres in extent at tho the top and ond floor The steep and prem pre- pre m make ke it Almost impossible e top unless unIes tho the carefully ills arc are thoroughly known Criminals iI was used as DS a garrison b by Ct t of ot negro criminals gath gath- among imong the low lowest t and most Criminals in to tho the penal colony The Tho officers were native nathe Spans Span- Span se s e white whits officers officer were themen tho the thomen men mCD who ever went to the Until otter alter tho American inter- inter was employed to do ty work for an aA the other resl- resl What was too vile and Inhuman i average Spanish regiment to do doIt do do- tat It would indeed have to bo be tor- tor was left for this regiment of 01 ils als to perform i regiment It Is said uld was wasef eta ef r Weyler's Weyler pet regiment nt and dried out all allot of oL his bis vilest and orders plies were taken to these fiends uh ach h week meek he ho continued another ct I carrying carting the necessary water quor and other supplies to the top mountain and then returning to iu y below s Jaruco mountains in which this It t. situated were Infested d with telo men moo who rebelled against It b misrule and did all they could means at their com com- to hamper and harass tho the Spanish 7 I forces ings of ot Pat PacifiCO who were captured by bya rg ria a columns that swept tho the island bland roams Creams of fire lIre were concen concentrated encamps ea en camp s. s These men and women selling babes were called cawed recon recon In these thes camps they were d dj inhuman barbarity and I Mrs slowly slowly starved to death I those who refused to I IVie ue Vie order to concentrate In tho the risen prison camps and who wert cap cap- 1 by the columns were turned over i 1 regiment of ot negro o fiends Th Thea Thesa n ai es had haA endeavored to escape theOf the I of tho the prison camps by living yd men women en and women in the den dense In m the he mountain fastnesses orter or ter they could find 1 a hId hiding In place ii Bir persecuted bands They lived lI lI is t and berries on tho wild fruits forests and on such R small WU game gamo r 7 could coup could kill kUl with their primitive i horrors honors that were enacted on that dui ean never Dever bo told Women and rote Ire outraged outraced by the negro brutes era rere tortured by all aJl th the methods ie is e diabolical Ingenuity of ot the sol sol- euld Invent I r 1 the women had been so hor- hor bused that their sufferings 8 could be described after tho the men had to tho the limits of human ace nee they were murdered Thea The Tho tt a or heavy cutlass with which era wore ware armed was used with effect After being slain theof tho the of these unfortunate victims were i H ato into this cave cavo and there thero left to t poison Olson the atmosphere totes pUs Horrible Rumors Burners ild d d heard various tales of the tho le leg IN th that t had been committed by re regiment and desired to Inte in- in rte te the matter and learn Icam for my my- e 8 degree of truth troUt contained in tortes lories I looked upon many of ofu F a u 1 mere superstitious horror- horror I to frighten the tho timid lade many efforts to secure curc a guide MIld undertake to pilot mo me to this t without success I finally told ro slave elave whose confidence I slued In a degree th that I was a r t t. t an and that I de desired oro HI thU his cavo cave with a a. view of or soIs ICIa so- so e- e Is Ia quantity of bat guano with tot w experiment as a n. fertilizer for 6 at t tobacco fields Ho lie consented ma k-ma W mo to tho the opening of or tho the cave cavo tap wp of or tho the mesa mosa R yh two or three men I went to tho the IS In- In J over a ragged and to en-to otto trail and was wan shown tho the en- en w the cave Tho The former slave mo no further TheUs The Tho Apparently divIded Into two alJ al al- q J Us M parts part by tats 11 a a. crevasse that at ata into ranges from ten ton to fifty a Width Thin This Is 18 bridged at al onet ono one a. a Point near the bridge I dothe dothe do- do t atol the bottom cf cC the crevasse nr ne tho top of or tho m mesa sa a few creve carte widens until a a. largo y I cave e Is B formed iliof at of Victims treat of or thIs cave ca I round found 1 UTi aR t rasa 8 human skulls These fed Worn women en and children With machete marks mark 1 I t I n In a beautiful Bilk silk und other bodies sly n that had Integrated n tho the heads of oC long erd never f d with the tho lon long now flow k as 81 jet that charActer charActer- r I et r t I et zY 4 k a 4 4 a i 1 r d a w I iL k y J at t t Yf x- x rp 6 F f 4 j c y I P f. f t Ry se f r j ra r I f Ord 1 cs' cs P rat I 4 I k L 3 S c M 4 1 w 1 s sir r f Rf 1 tU w J r Ir 1 t i I Lj L l f 1 ti a aa Y V a ry M s a fe 1 4 1 r t c II I I n M I M i lr l A. A t tr tri i t r 1 a 4 7 ri t w r C t P r rt A t r Y P lie Ize tho native Cuban women Thus were cre I the tales talea of or horror confirmed My Iy guide was Sotero Rodriguez a professional revolutionist re and former slave C IIo had participated In man many I revolutions and a B price had been on hi his i head for tor years before belore the tho American In In- In I Campaign of Extermination campaign of or extermination I was well wen planned Had ho he remained In tho the island six nix months mouths longer lons-er 75 76 per cent of th the native e population now living 11 that had lived nt at that time would have o been killed It was n hl his hla plan to kill e cr every cry native in tho Island bland The American Intervention stopped this The Tho Cuban people owe u a L debt o of gratitude that can never bo be repaid but hut do you e belle that the they the arc aro grateful I have hoyo met but two native natho Cubans who were willing to give gUo the tho cr credit to Amer mer ica that was as due There were but two t natives of oC those with whom I talked who admitted that Cuba owes her freedom freedom free free- dom to America Many lany of or tho the folk talk stories that arc are told of or the tho many caves cs of tho island Inland am of peculiar Interest to the student of folklore and of or human nature The native nath Cubans are arC simple In a way and aro arc thoroughly thorough superstitious The Tho story of ot Ihn th Cave Ca of oC the tho Village Priest la CUQ a del Padre Guru Cure In Ila- Ila xana vana province near the town o of I is an example This cave i got sot Its lis name from tho the story of ot Sri art aped aged priest whose C power to sway the people was diminish diminish- I ing lIe IIo promised them a The fhe miracle was wall that ho lio would go to this cS cave without a light and would go o through II and come back Ho lie tried It The result was 38 that he lie went In in n nil all right but hut was never nex-er more moro heard of ot or seen Been That was WUK n fifty years ears ago Cave Full of ot Pitfalls I went through this cave cavo and find x cx- ex explored pl It thoroughly It Is full tull of oC pitfalls pitfalls pit pit- falls deep holes holclI and unexpected dangers We Ve went down Into tho lie earth eartha a full half mile from the surface at a sharp descent where wo we found that an underground river rl flows Tho The river rl IK is supposed to connect with tho the lakes lake of or Tapaste which are B as I 1 Ju judged about tho the same level Je Wo We were first Jut thoroughly to explore thin cave ca Then thoro Is III tho cave CIL of ot tho rho wildman wild wildman wildman man Oa la CUc a del deloa los log of oC which tho the Cubans stand In superstitious awo awe Thero Thera Is a much credited superstition that at the bottom of oC this cave CIl Is Isa a huge hugo pot of gold The Tho superstition In is that three men must search for it awl and they thoy will wilt find It but that only two will wilt return to the hc surface to shore sharp lie tho fortune the tiie third bird m meeting an nn unspeakable fate de deep p In n the earth Threw Three of ot us tie went tt to the bottom u of f this c cave HC WP Re all c camo Jno out olive alive t 1 that Is la 1 prohn probably l ul v o dl mild did not fin nn l th the gold old Wo 0 did find rind ho a curious url curl ous sort fiort of underground snake nal which th th n CU Cubans ns call an a main ma pronounced uin tun with the on till the In lit JI They y I 1 Cavo I-Cavo Cavo near San Ear E 1 Jo Joo o do la h Ins Lajas Havana avan province need Deed aa as a refuge for c d slaves and 2 vo C Cavo C vo of the Iho Priest t. t near tho town of n Havana province Cuba Caba 3 Cava 2 Cavo In province of Pinar Del Rio used us PS ts a Co hospital and nd as ns o Go hiding place lace for arms anns smuggled led by tho the 1 1 Cae ot tho the Damned r cd ns rs a 1 charnel charnel char- char nel hots boeso by the tho soldiery wh who committed atrocities upon tho the and hurled their bodies Into this cavern B Tho Tho Cave Cava of tho the used by brigands cs u a r retreat where they imprisoned captives taken cn for ransom C Blind C Blind killed kUld In the tee Cave Cavo of the tho Wild Man Ian oat al-oat which r strange Cuban folk it lk stories live near the Ilio mouth of or the tho rave cave and lie IIo In th tits UIA or of the rock rocks they fh y Ih live on ora the tho bats that Ihl In the Iho cave 11 A 1 bat CAn cnn n fly HS ns OK OM nn any other creature with wings I Tit The darting dartin In nn anti l fro tro makes s It but bill a Rut But nut the snakes with swiftness dart nt at them thim slid and pick k them liens out nut of or the lie air nir like a toad flies me it in III inn n K r Thorn Thoro IK is n a glimmer and ami ou on hat bat hest 1 fM Is flying th the air These snakes ln kes lire slightly poisonous and Rh give ff rr a peculiar odor thAt white hll men n can I hut but that o nut I von of nr th the island Inland cannot iv-innot detect ct I could smell them lu ni nt H x of or tw t fr t tx It It lt In Is a r to the odor Mon or buts skin In In process proc pro- pro I c cess of ot tanning t t In Insurgents In Cave I In th the province pro of f Pinar del dol llie I is h. a I C near tine Hi It Il Is not far tar from rein n a port that will ill JO sailing nailing vessels This Thill ra rave r wn Was wn u W d dby l ll l Iw by v the ns is II a hiding place for nun and ammunition It was nl also o used UK as fa nn n Insurgent hospital This Thill cave cuve IP Ic o extensive lx and has n num r of openings lp s which make It mo most mott i forthe for forthe the for which It wan n-as at used used d Theca many In o op ings made It for t. t tic 11 turn nun In tho the CI cave CIto to o Mca cano when ono one of or in tut op openings was discovered d and gu gushed rde i. i and Jt gave C them a s to r remove rno J th their lr Arm and ammunition when u lh th mops of ot th the l Spanish government gox found their tiding hiding pI place C Pome of or th these fI fe caves ans arn no so large that thit n whole could be bt marched arth d In inand and a d IOn rh fv coul l march for tor miles underground round without commit to in an op opening Other Otho Interesting The l Island land Is hon honeycombed om J with will p. p rn caves The of or Camp Columbia for exam example Ie whom where tho the American t r s first camped five or six nix miles tulles from Crom Havana lIn Is partly undermined d b by ono onu of lr than caves 8 An n enemy could place n 11 charge of ot Q plo plo- under this tIda camp camp nn and blow blown n R part of at It If Ito ire chose choto to do so HO HO and was w All n not discovered r Till This cave e was wan u lined aced as a. a refuse refuge for escaped pj Il slaves and anil I escaped prisoners rt hn eluded their Ir keepers kroner in and ond near 1111 nJ Th Thor Then IP Is nn on Int Interesting story toM told o of the Ihl 1 of nr Ilea thi Lady In lIt rU n d do la In near Havana It I. I In thAt tho the wife of ot n a wealthy planter was 0 tur eaf captured h bj h. h anti taken n to 10 the th errs ivo whore where sho wale WU held for ransom A A. child was Wl horn honi to hot her In thin tho cave ta The bandits t tb they could coult crt ant rt ItU arty iy ransom they 1 i d demand for her and Anti they captured n phy whom they to attend h her r. r The Tho womans woman's hu paid raid a triple ranK ran- ran om nm K m. m It 11 IH is not toM told whether the tho physician Ph 1 put In a bill for his services service As Place of or Worship In tho the cave cn of ot tho the Indian la Ill cueva cuo del cl Indio are aro rudo ruda altars altar's that Inn may hs have been h formed naturally or mM may hero o b been n carved caned d from stone alone Tho The story tory told of this Is 18 that this Ihla cave en was occupied d h by the ibis Indians Indian who were cr at one time supposed to have ho been cayo cavo dwellers nc and nd t ti ii they y nerd IIII d It as H n place of or worship This rave 11 In is near thin the mouth month o of tin tho I river In Havana Homna |