Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 09.djvu/694

* HATJY. 636 HAVANA. Aflliction. This means lie first discovered in the printing of raised maps and letters. He fctarted schools for the purpose of giving manual, mathematical, and musical training to the blind, but his zeal outran his discretion, and others excelled him in the carrjing out of his ideas. During the ascendency of Xapoleon, he lived in .Saint Petersburg for more than ten years, working there for the blind. He was twice married, though a priest. His publications in- clude h'ciluciition lies areuyles (178G), and Mc- iiioirc historir/iie sur les telegraphes (1810). Consult: Strebitzky, Yalentin Hniiy a 8aint P6- tcrshoiir<i (Paris, 1884). HAtJYNITE, iiVe-nlt, or HAtfYNE, il'wen. A sodium, calcium, aluminum silicate and sul- phite that crystallizes in the isometric system, has a vitreous lustre, and is blue, green, red, and yellow in color. It is found chiefly in igneous rocks, usually in association with nephelite and Incite, occurring especially in volcanic regions, such as in the lavas of Vesuvius, on Mount Som- ma, and elsewhere in Italy; also in the Azores, Canary, and Cape Verde Islands, and in the United States it is found in ilontana. The mineral is named after the famous French miner- alogist Haiiy. HAVANA, ha-vii'na or ha-van'a (Sp. La Hahana). The capital of Cuba and the largest city in the West Indies, situated on the northern coast of the island, in latitude 23° 8' N., and longitude 82° 22' W. (Map: Cuba. C 3). It lies on a peninsula bounded by the Gulf of Mexico and the Bay of Havana. The latter is regarded as one of the safest harbors of the world, while its depth is sufficient for vessels of the greatest draught: its narrow entrance is protected by the Punta Castle on the west and Morro Castle and La Cabana on the east. Havana comprises an area of about nine square miles, and is sur- rounded by a sea wall on the west. The older portion of the city, which was formerly sur- rounded by a wall begun in 1633 and demolished in 1803-80, has all the .shortcomings of the old colonial town. Its streets are narrow and crooked, and up to the time of the American occupation were in a state of the utmost neglect. Beyond the limits of the old city, however, Havana is essentially modern. The well laid out and broad streets, the abundance of promenades, and picturesque plazas would do credit to any city on the Continent. The houses are generally low and built in the Spanish style, which, how- ever, is relieved by the bright coloring of the walls and roofs. The atmosphere, also, is gen- erally bright and clear, as there are very few days wholly clouded, the rain generally f'allinp; in the afternoon. The climate, though tropical, is tempered by alternating land and sea breezes. The mean temperature is 78° for the warmest, and 70° for the coolest month, the extremes being 50° and nO°. The humidity, however, is above 80 per cent, at all seasons. In the old city, and near the inner entrance to the harbor, is the Plaza de Armas, fronting which on the west stands the former Governor's palace, while the next block behind is occupied by the university. To the north of this plaza is La Fuerza, the oldest structure in the city, built as a defense in 1538 by Hernando de Soto. Be- ginning at the Castillo de la Punta at the outer harbor entrance, and running outside the old city wall, is the Prado, a wide and beautiful boulevard with a double row of shade-trees along the middle. It terminates in the Colon Park, or Campo Martc, the largest in the city, planted with trees and palms, and having a fountain in the centre. Running west from Colon Park is the Calle de La Keina, which is continued as the Paseo de Tacon, a splendid drive passing the Botanical Gardens and terminating at the citadel of El Principe outside of the city. At the east- ern entrance stands a fine statue by Canova of Charles III., and from its western end a road leads to the Colon Cemetery with a magnificent entrance of three granite arches, and containing numerous fine monuments, among w'hich the fire- men's monunu>nt. made entirely of marble, and erected to the memory of thirty firemen who ]5erished in the performance of their duty, is a magnificent piece of monumental sculpture. Other notable promenades are the Alameda de Paula and the Calzada de La Infanta, a fine boulevard skirting the city on the west. The public buildings of the capital are not far behind its natifral embellishments; the Gov- ernor's palace and the cathedral dating from 1724, which contained, luitil IStiS. the remains of Columbus, are among the most prominent. The educational institutions include the University of Havana with five faculties, founded by the Dominicans in lt)70; the .lesuit College de Belen, a museum and library, and a number of minor schools. The theatres are numerous, and one of them, the Teatro Tacon, is one of the largest playhouses in the world. There are numerous hotels and clubs in the city; and the news- papers and periodicals number over a hundred, the leading ones being: La Liicha, El Diario, La Discusidn, and El A'wero Pais. Barring the water-supply, which is excellent, the public works of Havana are utterly inadequate. At the end of the Spanish-American War the American au- thorities found the city in a woefully unsanitary condition. The streets were unswept, garbage was ]iiled in heaps, and the pavements were in a miserable condition, especially in the old city. The sewerage system was hardly more than a name. The existing sewers were in sonue places completely clogged, and all of them leaked, con- taminating the surrounding soil. In 1902, how- ever, the city was handed over to the new Repub- lic in a wonderfully improved condition. A well- regulated system of street-cleaning and garbage collection had been put in operation. Many of the streets had been repaved and various kinds of experimental pavements were laid. Contracts had been let for a new sewer system, and a com- plete survey of the city, with a view to adopting a system of street grades, had been made. Streets, hospitals, and other buildings had been so thoroughly disinfected that yellow fever, which during the recent war carried oft' many thou- sands of people, has now been almost, if not wholly, eradicated. The chief industrial establishments of Havana are its cigar and tobacco factories, which are the largest in the world. The exports consist chiefly of cigars, tobacco, and sugar, which mostly find their way to the Ignited States. Havana is the chief outlet for the products of the island, it is connected by steamers with the L'nited States, France. England, and Spain, and by rail with every important centre on the island. The im- ports consist chiefly of foodstuff's and cotton.