14 



THE CUBA REVIEW. 



GENERAL NOTES. 



Severe Storm at Havana. 



On January 12 a severe northeasterly gale 

 caused heavy seas to sweep over the suburb 

 of Havana on the gulf called the Vedado, 

 and much damage was done. The Almen- 

 dares River also overflowed its banks and 

 flooded adjacent sections, driving residents 

 from their homes. The peril was so great 

 that many were in danger of drowning and 

 were rescued by police and firemen, who 

 worked all night with ambulances and 

 wagons carrying men, Avomen and children 

 to safety. On some of the streets the water 

 was over three feet deep. Three firemen 

 and two children were killed in this heroic 

 work. The De Forest wireless station 

 was almost demolished. In Havana 

 proper the Hotel Miramar, which from its 

 position on the Malecon promenade, re- 

 ceives usually the full effects of any storm, 

 was flooded, and the promenade and prado 

 likewise inundated and injured. The light 

 on Morro Castle about 180 feet above the 

 sea level was at times rendered invisible 

 by an immense volume of spray. The 

 storm extended well into the interior of the 

 island and reports of injury to houses and 

 crops indicate enormous damage. Press 

 despatches say the storm equaled in se- 

 verity that of October, 1906. 



European Development of Electric Pow- 

 er by Windmills. 



According to United States Consul-Gen- 

 eral Richard Guenther, of Frankfort, Ger- 

 man papers state that in Denmark the use 

 of wind motors as power generators for 

 use in agricultural and industrial pursuits 

 has increased very greatly. 



Motors with four wings give the best re- 

 sults, experts say, as a smaller number of 

 wings does not fully utilize the wind power, 

 while a larger number acts detrimentally 

 upon the wind current between the wings. 



If a medium large wind motor is used 

 with a wing surface of about 48 square 

 meters (i square meter equals 10.764 square 

 feet), 8 horse-power is obtained at a wind 

 velocity of 6 meters per second (i meter 

 equals 3.28 feet). At a velocity of 8 meters 

 the horse-power is more than doubled. A 

 wind with a velocity of 8 meters per second 

 is no rarity. Since 1903 thirty wind motors 

 have been in operation through Denmark. 



WESTERN RAILWAY O? HAVANA. Ltd. 



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O n L F OF *»c. *• 



Cuba's Death Rate Normal. 



The death rate in the 

 The Country United States, says the New 

 at Large. York Sun, as a whole, is 

 about 16 or 17 a thousand; 

 in England and Wales from 18 to 19 a 

 thousand; in France about 22, in Germany 

 about 23, while in Italy and Spain the 

 rate is even higher than in the other lands 

 here nientioned. The Cuban rate for the 

 entire island during recent years, including 

 years of both American and Cuban control, 

 appears as follows : 



1900 18.05 I 1904 . .- 15.42 



1901 17.21 I 1905 15.79 



1902 15.65 I 1906 16.90 



1903 14.45 I 



The province of Havana may be taken as 

 a basis of comparison with cities of this 

 country. The province holds about one- 

 quarter of the population of the island, 

 and about three-fifths of its inhabitants 

 are residents of the city of Havana. The 

 rate for the province is given thus : 



1900 23.32 I 1904 20.20 



1901 22.58 I 1905 20.95 



1902 20.79 I 1806 20.84 



1903 19-54 I 



This is about the average of 

 The Health such American cities as 

 0/ the Washington, Boston, Fall 

 Cities. River, Jersey City, Newark, 



Providence, San Francisco, 

 Louisville, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Pitts- 

 burg. It is about the rate of New York 

 and Philadelphia, is above the rate of Wor- 

 cester, _ Detroit, Buffalo, Indianapolis, Min- 

 neapolis and Kansas City, and is far below 

 the rate of New Orleans or Memphis. The 

 average in Santiago province for the seven 

 years is 11. 14 a thousand, and for Santa 

 Clara province, which includes several cities 

 of considerable population, the average for 

 the sanie term is 15.48 a thousand. Cuba's 

 mortality report compares very favorably 

 with the reports of other nations, includ- 

 ing our own. 



Extension of the Western Railway. 



On December I'S the Western Rail- 

 ways_ entered Guane in Pinar del Rio 

 Province. There are many promising 

 American colonies along the line of this 

 roadi which traverses the rich tobacco 

 lands. The newest American land prop- 

 osition is located within two miles of 

 the City of Pinar del Rio, at La Pref- 

 erencia. There is a comfortable hotel at 

 Guane and the road will soon reach 

 Remates. The broken lines in the map 

 given above show the projected exten- 

 sion. 



