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Show THE TKOCHALN CUBA An Interesting Reminder of Spanish Span-ish Rule ia the Island. . s infetlol of Department of Fmero Principe Includes a Trip on I Railroad A loan Line of I ,.- the Trocha.. Col. Whiteside, commanding the department de-partment of Santiago and Puerto Principe, Prin-cipe, has returned to Santiago from his first inspection of the southern portion of his department. He was accompanied accom-panied by his staff and a correspondent of the press. The trip occupied one i week and was made on the United j States transport Wright. I Jncaro, on the south coast of Puerto Principe province, was the last place visited. The town is the southern ter-roinal ter-roinal of the military railroad of Ju-earo Ju-earo and San Fernando, with headquarters head-quarters at Ciego, half way across the island, where two troops of the Eighth cavalry are stationed. A special train was waiting for the department com- I mander and his party, all of whom were greatly interested in the trocha cf which the railroad is a part. - The trocha was built originally in 18G8, and was renewed in 1S95. It was intended as an impassable barrier, to Jieep the unruly Cubans of the eastern half of the island from getting into the western provinces. The trocha consists of a wide diich with four strand barb wire fences on 1 each side, having an elaborate system of entanglements between the lences. At intervals of one kilometer are located lo-cated forts of solid masonry, two ftories high, with 40-foot .watch towers. tow-ers. Half way between these forts are ttrong block houses roofed with iron, ::nd between (nch fort and block house is a substantial earthwork' called an etcrieha. All are connected by trench-is. trench-is. affording protected communication, hnd a telegraph line has a station in rich fort. At intervals of about five miles are extensive barracks, capable cf accommodating one or two regiments. regi-ments. With a well wpilpped line of railroad tlrav, :! ep-tjre trocha,. 48 miles, from eoast 1o'eoasVtt- a garrison oi froth tight men to 2,000 about every 300 yards the Spaniards seemed well "equipped to stop any party of belligerent bellig-erent Cubans who might be migrating with hostile intent toward the rich western provinces. Nevertheless, the Cubans seemeil ::i!e to cross at will. Gen. Antonio Maceo, with 3,j00 men, crossed near ,-Le of the larger barracks, with a lo.-s of two men wounded, and Gen. Gomez, -rossed with a larger force near the important im-portant town of Moron, without any ioss whatever. This military railroad is being operated oper-ated by the government, under the ef ficient management of Capt. W. Scott, who has served in nearly all departments de-partments of the Pennsylvania railroad. rail-road. He is enthusiastic about his road, which is almost self-sustaining now, and can easily be made a source of much profit. . . ' j |