14 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



Rapid strides are being made on the new National Museum located on Carlos III Avenue, 

 as it is desired to have same ready for opening on Oct. 10th, the anniversary of the "Grito de 

 Yara." The work is also progressing on the new building of the Royal Bank of Canada pre- 

 viously referred to in our reports. The National Bank of Cuba has purchased additional prop- 

 erty on Obispo Street and will shortly erect a five-story building thereon, thereby doubling the 

 size of their present edifice. There is still a great deal of building of different classes going on, 

 notwithstanding the high cost of all kinds of building material. 



The SS. "Montpelier," the first steamer to visit this port flying the flag of the United 

 States Shipping Board, arrived here on Sept. 23, and was formerly the German steamer 

 *'Bochum." She brought a general cargo of Pacific Coast products loaded at San Francisco 

 via the Panama Canal. 



There is under consideration at the present time a plan to form a federal district to in- 

 clude Havana and suburbs to be administrated similarly to the District of Columbia in the 

 United States and the Federal District in Mexico. This question is expected to be taken up 

 at the next meeting of Congress in November. 



Treasury Department agents have been unusually active lately in enforcing the law pro- 

 hibiting the exportation of gold from Cuba, and have discovered and confiscated large quan- 

 tities from passengers boarding the Spanish steamers which the latter had endeavored to con- 

 ceal in many ingenious ways. 



The first cyclone of the season passed over the Isle of Pines and Pinar del Rio Province on 

 Sept. 25th, doing a great deal of damage to builcUngs and crops, although with practically no 

 loss of life. The Isle of Pines was particularly hard hit. The storm, which was the worst 

 known, lasted only about three hours during the afternoon, but had it continued longer as cus- 

 tomary, it is reported there would have been hardly a building left standing on the entire 

 Island. Citrus fruit groves were greatly damaged, many trees being completely raised, while it 

 is reported almost the entire crop is on the ground and will probably be lost, except such fruit 

 as can be picked up and sold for domestic consumption. A great many of these groves were 

 rapidly coming into full bearing, and all indications pointed to a very heavy yield of this crop. 

 This is especially true as regards grapefruit, as the Isle of Pines is noted for its product, which 

 brings high market prices. The Cuban Government will extend aid, both financial and other- 

 wise, to the devastated districts. 



Santiago Har))or 



