warped the judgment, so vitiated the taste of its readers, that in the
hurried scramble between headlines and the waste basket they failed to
discriminate between this announcement of clear, true official relations
on the part of a government, with a body which it held sufficiently
responsible to deal with officially, and the sensational guess of some
representative of the press.
It will seem a little singular to any one who should ever take the time
to coolly read this account (if such there be), that in response to this
announcement not one dollar or one pound ever came or was offered, and
the cry for "starving Cuba" still went on as if no door had been opened.
Had the nation gone mad, or what _had_ happened to it?
Societies of women were formed to raise money; among these the most
notable, influential and worthy ladies in American society. They
labored, instant in season and out of season, with small results;
perfectly unable to comprehend their want of success.
I think that dear Mrs. Thurston, one of their most ardent members, came
to comprehend it a little by the strong, prophetic words she spoke to me
as months later in Havana our carriages rattled and thundered over rocky
streets from one hospital of death to another. And this only
comparatively a few hours before the cruel, restless sea surged out of
that worn, frail body the soul that glowed with the flame of humanity,
justice and pity to the last.
This state of things continued through the year of 1897, but as the
present year of '98 opened the reports of suffering that came were not
to be borne quietly, and I decided to confer with our government and
learn if it had objections to the Red Cross taking steps of its own in
direct touch with the people of the country, and proposing their
co-operation in the work of relief. I beg pardon for the personality of
the statement which follows, but it is history I am asked to write:
Deciding to refer my inquiry to the Secretary of State, I called at his
department to see him, but learned that he was with the President. This
suiting my purpose, I followed to the Executive Mansion, was kindly
informed that the President and Secretary were engaged on a very
important matter and had given orders not to be interrupted. As I turned
to leave I was recalled with, "Wait a moment, Miss Barton, and let me
present your card." Returning immediately, I entered the President's
room to find these two men in a perplexed study over the very matter
which had called me. Distressed by the reports of the terrible condition
of things so near to us, they were seeking some remedy, and producing
their notes just taken revealed the fact that they had decided to call
me into conference.
The conference was then held. It was decided to form a committee in New
York, to ask money and material of the people at large to be shipped to
Cuba for the relief of the reconcentrados on that island. The call would
be made in the name of the President, and the committee naturally known
as the "President's Committee for Cuban Relief." I was courteously asked
if I would go to New York and assume the oversight of that committee. I
declined in favor of Mr. Stephen E. Barton, second vice-president of the
National Red Cross, who, on being immediately called, accepted; and with
Mr. Charles Schieren as treasurer and Mr. Louis Klopsch, of the
_Christian Herald_, as the third member, the committee was at once
established; since known as the Central Cuban Relief Committee.
[Illustration: WRECK OF THE BATTLESHIP "MAINE," HAVANA HARBOR.]
[Illustration: THE PRADO--PRINCIPAL STREET IN HAVANA.]
The committee was to solicit aid in money and material for the suffering
reconcentrados in Cuba, and forward the same to the Consul-General at
Havana for distribution. My consent was then asked by all parties to go
to Cuba and aid in the distribution of the shipments of food as they
should arrive. After all I had so long offered, I could not decline, and
hoping my going would not be misunderstood by our authorities there, who
would regard me simply as a willing assistant, I accepted. The
Consul-General had asked the New York Committee to send to him an
assistant to take charge of the warehouse and supplies in Havana. This
request was also referred to me, and recommending Mr. J.K. Elwell,
nephew of General J.J. Elwell, of Cleveland, Ohio, a gentleman who had
resided six years in Santiago in connection with its large shipping
interests, a fine business man and speaking Spanish, I decided to
accompany him, taking no member of my own staff, but going simply in the
capacity of an individual helper in a work already assigned.
On Saturday, February 6, we left Washington for Cuba via Jacksonville,
Tampa and Key West.
Thus, with that simple beginning, with no thought on the part of any
person but to do unobtrusively the little that could be done for the
lessening of the woes of a small island of people, whom adverse
circumstances, racial differences, the inevitable results of a struggle
for freedom, the fate of war, and the terrible features of a system of
subjugation of a people, which, if true, is too dark to name, was
commenced the relief movement of 1898 which has spread not alone over
the entire United States of America from Maine to California, from
Vancouver to the Gulf of Mexico, but from the Indias on the west, to the
Indias on the east, and uniting in its free-will offerings the gifts of
one-third of the best nations in the world.
HAVANA.
"We reached Havana February 9, five weeks ago, and in all the newness of
a strange country, with oriental customs, commenced our work."
The above entry I find in my diary. In speaking of conditions as found,
let me pray that no word shall be taken as a criticism upon any person
or people. Dreadful as these conditions were, and rife as hunger,
starvation and death were on every hand, we were constantly amazed at
the continued charities as manifested in the cities, and small, poor
villages of a people so over-run with numbers, want and woe for months,
running into years; with all business, all remuneration, all income
stopped, killed as dead as the poor, stark forms around them, it was
wonderful that they still kept up their organizations, municipal and
religious, and gave not of their abundance, but of their penury; that
still a little ration of food went out to the dens of woe. That the
wardrobe was again and again parceled out; that the famishing mother
divided her little morsel with another mother's hungry child; that two
men sat down to one crust, and that the Spanish soldier shared, as often
seen, the loaf--his own half ration--with the eager-eyed skeleton
reconcentrado, watching him as he ate. In another instance the
recognition might have been less kind it is true, for war is war, and
all humanity are not humane.
The work was commenced in earnest. I still turn the pages of the diary,
which says: "We were called on deck to look at Morro Castle, which, grim
and dark in the bright morning sunlight, skirts the bay like a frowning
ogre."
We were met at the dock and driven to Hotel Inglaterra, where letters of
welcome awaited us. After paying our official respects, our first
business was to meet the committees appointed for the distribution of
food. We found them pleasant gentlemen. We were notified of the arrival
of the steamship "Vigilancia," with fifty tons of supplies, sent by the
New York Committee; took carriage and drove to the dock. It was a glad
sight to see her anchors dropping down into the soil of that starved
spot of the earth. We boarded her, met the gentlemanly officers, and saw
the goods being put on the lighters. This was the largest quantity of
supplies that had yet arrived by any one steamship. In returning to
land, we threaded our way through the transports and yachts--among the
latter the "New York Journal," that had just taken Julian Hawthorne
across from Key West--and grandest of all, the polished, shining
battleship "Maine." She towered above them like a monarch, or rather
like an elegant visitor whom all the household felt bound to respect. On
landing, we resumed our carriage and drove to Los Fosos, a large, long
building filled with reconcentrados,--over four hundred women and
children in the most pitiable condition possible for human beings to be
in, and live; and they did not live, for the death record counted them
out a dozen or more every twenty-four hours, and the grim, terrible pile
of rude black coffins that confronted one at the very doorway, told to
each famishing applicant on her entrance what her exit was likely to be.
We went from room to room, each filled to repletion--not a dozen _beds_
in all. Some of the inmates could walk, as many could not,--lying on the
floors in their filth--some mere skeletons; others swollen out of all
human shape. Death-pallid mothers, lying with glazing eyes, and a
famishing babe clutching at a milkless breast. Let me attempt no further
description. The massacres of Armenia seemed merciful in comparison.
We went our rounds, and sought the open air; drove to another building
of like character, but in a little better condition--one hundred and
fifty-six inmates. These persons had been recommended by someone, who
paid a little for each, and thus kept them from daily starvation. From
here to the third building (the Casino), of about an equal number, still
a little better off.
From here to the fourth building (La Yocabo)--two hundred and fifty
persons, the best of the reconcentrados. The sisters of charity had
recently taken hold of these, and cleanliness and order commenced to
appear. The children had books, were being taught, and rooms were fitted
out for some kind of industrial training. This place seemed like heaven
in comparison.
From here to the fifth building, a distributing house, where American
rations were given out on Sundays to great crowds of people who thronged
the streets.
This finished, we drove to our warehouse, the San Jose, where our
supplies were stored. Here was what remained of the several shipments
which had preceeded us, the result of the tireless and well directed
efforts of the New York Committee, only so recently established, and so
new in its work. Possibly three hundred tons of flour, meal, rice,
potatoes, canned meat, fruit, bacon, lard, condensed and malted milk,
quinine, some of which had come by the first shipment, showing how
difficult the distribution had been found to be; and it was not strange
that a "warehouse man" had been asked for by the Consul General. Surely
Mr. Elwell had not a sinecure.
Somehow the report got abroad that we had brought money for
distribution, and a thousand people thronged the hotel.
We found among our supplies large quantities of flour, and the people
had no way of cooking it. There are no ovens in these oriental countries
except those of the baker. Consequently only he could make bread of
flour. We found a baker with whom we arranged to take our flour and
return bread in its place at a fair percentage.
"The Consul General has named a desire to have an orphanage created, and
asked of me to find a building, and establish such an institution. I
commence a search among the apparently suitable buildings of the town,
but regretting always that I have not his knowledge of the city and its
belongings. Up to this time the search, although vigilant, has been
fruitless. Still there are only three days of it all since our arrival,
and to-morrow will be Sunday."
This hopeful entry ended the first half week of life in Cuban relief. Up
to this moment no American food had ever entered Los Fosos, as the
institution was under Spanish military and municipal direction. How to
get our distributors into proper and peaceful aid there, if not into
control, was a politic question.
The diary continues: "That Sunday morning, fine, clear and warm, brought
three matters of interest to our attention:
"First. An interview with a householder concerning the
orphanage--unsuccessful.
"Second. The visiting of all the various points, some nine in number,
where American food would be distributed for the coming week to the
waiting thousands and--
"Third. A bull fight."
One would feel something of the same dread in attempting to describe
these gathering moving masses of starving humanity as in picturing the
"still life" of Los Fosos. The children of three and four years old
often could not walk and the mother was too weak to carry the burden,
and they fell in a heap among the crowd.
The food was distributed by tickets, suited to the family and put up in
paper bags, for few had any vessel to get it in.
At the first place of distribution there were 1000 fed; at the second,
1300; at the third, 2200, and so on--some larger, some less. At one of
the larger distributions, when about half served, it was announced that
there was no more food and the people were directed to disperse. We
inquired the cause and were told there were no more American supplies in
Havana--that they had been so informed. We could not persuade them that
they had been misinformed, that there was plenty of food in the
warehouse, but we did succeed in having the disappointed, hungry
hundreds called back and told to come again next day and get their food.
We never knew how the mistake occurred, but were more than ever
convinced that some systematic work must be instituted among the
constantly arriving supplies at the warehouse. The task had all along
been too great. The next morning took us with proper assistants to San
Jose, when a systematic inventory of stock as per each shipment was
instituted. At 3.30 p.m. our work was interrupted. A cordial invitation
from Captain Sigsbee to visit the "Maine" that afternoon had been
received. His launch courteously came for us; his officers received us;
his crew, strong, ruddy and bright, went through their drill for our
entertainment, and the lunch at those polished tables, off glittering
china and cut glass, with the social guests around, will remain ever in
my memory as a vision of the "Last Supper."
The next day took us again to the warehouse. I cannot refrain from
taking the liberty of mentioning my most distinguished volunteer
assistant, General Ross, a general in our Civil War and the uncle of
Commissioner Ross, of Washington, D.C. Being in Havana on a passing
tour, and perceiving the need, he volunteered freely to do the work
which he had once commanded his under officers to direct their private
soldiers to do. It was most intelligent help.
While passing quickly among the rows of barrels, with dress pinned back,
a letter of introduction from the Consul-General was handed to me by a
manly, polished-mannered gentleman, on whose playful features there
mingled a look of amused surprise, with a tinge of well-covered
roguishness and complacency, that bespoke the cultured man of the world.
The note, addressed to my hotel, said that the Consul took pleasure in
introducing to me Mr. William Willard Howard, of New York. Although
never having met we were by no means strangers. He had worked on the
Eastern fields of Armenia in the hard province of Van, while I was in
Constantinople, and our expeditions in the great centre districts of
Harpoot and Diarbeker. He evidently felt that the surroundings were a
little rough and unexpected for a first meeting, but collecting
himself, at once rallied me with the grand opportunity I was affording
him for a sensational letter to the States, with a cartoon of the
president of the American National Red Cross in a Cuban warehouse, with
dress pinned back, "opening boxes." He admitted that the latter stroke
of the picture was a little stretch of imagination, but he hoped it
might realize, as he really wanted it for his cartoon. After a few
moments of pleasant badinage he left, under pretext of not hindering me
in my favorite occupation of "opening boxes."
The next day I was detained at home by an accumulation of clerical work
and heavy mails to be gotten off (I had as yet no clerk), but on the
return of the men at night they reported a marvelous day's work. That
Mr. Howard had come early in the morning, thrown off his coat, and,
calling for a box opener, had opened boxes all day. They had never seen
a better day's work. A messenger was immediately dispatched to his
hotel, inviting Mr. Howard to come and dine with us. From that time on,
during his stay, he continued to dine with us. We compared methods of
relief work with the experiences we had gained, and when we separated it
was with the feeling on my part that any work of relief would be a
gainer that could enlist men of such views, experience and capacity as
Mr. Howard in its ranks.
The heavy clerical work of that fifteenth day of February held not only
myself but Mr. Elwell as well, busy at our writing tables until late at
night. The house had grown still; the noises on the streets were dying
away, when suddenly the table shook from under our hands, the great
glass door opening onto the veranda, facing the sea, flew open;
everything in the room was in motion or out of place--the deafening roar
of such a burst of thunder as perhaps one never heard before, and off to
the right, out over the bay, the air was filled with a blaze of light,
and this in turn filled with black specks like huge spectres flying in
all directions. Then it faded away. The bells rang; the whistles blew,
and voices in the street were heard for a moment; then all was quiet
again. I supposed it to be the bursting of some mammoth mortar, or
explosion of some magazine. A few hours later came the terrible news of
the "Maine."
Mr. Elwell was early among the wreckage, and returned to give me news.
The diary goes on. "She is destroyed. There is no room for comment, only
who is lost, who has escaped, and what can be done for them? They tell
us that most of the officers were dining out, and thus saved; that
Captain Sigsbee is saved. It is thought that 250 men are lost, that one
hundred are wounded, but still living, some in hospital, some on small
boats as picked up. The Chief Engineer, a quiet, resolute man, and the
second officer met me as I passed out of the hotel for the hospital. The
latter stopped me saying, 'Miss Barton, do you remember you told me on
board the "Maine" that the Red Cross was at our service; for whenever
anything took place with that ship, either in naval action or otherwise,
_someone_ would be hurt; that she was not of a structure to take
misfortune lightly?' I recalled the conversation and the impression
which led to it,--such strength would never go out easily.
"We proceeded to the Spanish hospital San Ambrosia, to find thirty to
forty wounded--bruised, cut, burned; they had been crushed by timbers,
cut by iron, scorched by fire, and blown sometimes high in the air,
sometimes driven down through the red hot furnace room and out into the
water, senseless, to be picked up by some boat and gotten ashore. Their
wounds are all over them--heads and faces terribly cut, internal wounds,
arms, legs, feet and hands burned to the live flesh. The hair and beards
are singed, showing that the burns were from fire and not steam; besides
further evidence shows that the burns are where the parts were
uncovered. If burned by steam, the clothing would have held the steam
and burned all the deeper. As it is, it protected from the heat and the
fire and saved their limbs, whilst the faces, hands, and arms are
terribly burned. Both men and officers are very reticent in regard to
the cause, but all declare it could not have been the result of an
internal explosion. That the boilers were at the two ends of the ship,
and these were the places from which all escaped, who did escape. The
trouble was evidently from the center of the ship, where no explosive
machinery was located.
"I thought to take the names as I passed among them, and drawing near to
the first in the long line, I asked his name. He gave it with his
address; then peering out from among the bandages and cotton about his
breast and face, he looked earnestly at me and asked: 'Isn't this Miss
Barton?' 'Yes.' 'I thought it must be. I knew you were here, and thought
you would come to us. I am so thankful for us all.'
"I asked if he wanted anything. 'Yes. There is a lady to whom I was to
be married. The time is up. She will be frantic if she hears of this
accident and nothing more. Could you telegraph her?' 'Certainly!' The
dispatch went at once: 'Wounded, but saved.' Alas, it was only for a
little; two days later, and it was all over.
"I passed on from one to another, till twelve had been spoken to and the
names taken. There were only two of the number who did not recognize me.
Their expressions of grateful thanks, spoken under such conditions, were
too much. I passed the pencil to another hand and stepped aside."
I am glad to say that every kindness was extended to them. Miss Mary
Wilberforce had been at once installed as nurse, and faithful work she
performed. The Spanish hospital attendants were tireless in their
attentions. Still, there was boundless room for luxuries and comforts,
delicate foods, grapes, oranges, wines, cordials, anything that could
soothe or interest; and no opportunity was lost, nor cost nor pains
spared, and when two days later the streets filled with hearses bearing
reverently the bodies of martyred heroes; and the crape and the flowers
mingled in their tributes of tenderness and beauty, and the muffled
drums and tolling bells spoke all that inanimate substance could speak
of sorrow and respect; and the silent, marching tread of armies fell
upon the listening ear,--the heart grew sick in the midst of all this
pageant, and the thoughts turned away to the far land, smitten with
horror, and the homes wailing in bitter grief for these, so lone, so
lost; and one saw only the:
Nodding plumes over their bier to wave,
And God's own hand in that lonely land
To lay them in their grave.
We were still in hotel--excellent of course--but a home should be made
for the body of assistants it was by this time proposed to send for. I
remembered the visit of a lady--one among the hundreds who called the
day before--and who impressed me as being no ordinary person. She had
the air of genuine nobility and high birth. I had retained her card:
Senora J.S. Jorrin,
528 del Cerro.
It would be certain I thought that this lady knew something of suitable
homes; and we drove to her residence next day, to find one of the
loveliest villas in the city, surrounded by gardens, fountains,
flowers, baths, a little river rushing through the garden, palms,
bananas, cocoanuts, all growing luxuriantly. This was the home of Senora
Jorrin, given her as a wedding gift many years before by her husband, a
man of great power in the island, and who had three times represented
Cuba in the Senate of Madrid. Three months before he had died on a visit
to New York. La Senora was alone with her retinue of servants, and
waiting to make some suitable disposition of her mansion, in order to
join her only daughter residing in America.
The desired disposition was quickly made, and in the next day or two we
were safely installed in our new home, with Senora as honorary hostess,
to the delight and advantage of all. This pleasant arrangement has never
been interrupted, and is the origin of the charming Red Cross
headquarters at Cerro, that all our friends and visitors recall with
such admiration. I might be pardoned for adding that Senora Jorrin, who
was early called to Washington by the sudden death of her beautiful and
only daughter, has remained with her grandchildren, and we have
continued such loving care as we were able to extend over her palatial
home from that time to the present.
The diary now makes the following notes, which I remember to have once
copied in a letter to some periodical which perhaps published it. I
never knew; but will venture to reproduce it here, as the description of
the first visit made to any point of the country outside of Havana.
We were overborne by requests to visit towns and villages filled with
suffering and death. The notes run:
JARUCO.