The Fairfield news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1881-1900, July 13, 1898, Image 1
VOL. LII WINNSBORO, S. C, WEDNESDAY. JULY 13, 1898. NO. 49.
| HOW IT WAS DONE.
Admiral Cervera and His Gallant
W Attempt
1T0 ESCAPE FROM SANTIAGOAdditional
Details of the Destruction
of the Spanish Squadron by the American
Fleet. Great Work of the
>JLittle Gloucester.
Jjeixera'a fleet is done. Its destruction
was as complete as that which over
took that other Spanish squadron in
Manila Kay. Not a single vessel ??f the
magnificent Cape Verde squadron re
W mains afloat under I^pain s nag. i.ervera
t is a prisoner on board an American waru
ship, and ali his officers and men who
EL were not killed in the action or drowned
P in the sea are prisoners as well. Cervera
took the last desperate chance that remained
to him. To stay in Santiago
| meant that his vessels would be ponnded
f to pieces by the artillery the*Americans
k would have at their command when the
|jk city fell. Destruction was certain
ft there. Outside the harbor the deadly
W& crescent of' the American ships was
Hp waiting for him. To win a way he must
^ break this line. lie must risk this
I utorm of shot and shell and trust to
superior speed of his splendid ships to
carry at least some of them clear of his
enemies. He tried it and he 'ailed.
Before his twenty-knot cruiser were
anywhere near clear of the American
? ships they were on fire in a dozen places.
Hj^^^Their engines were shattered: their
Mfcy-^nning with blood. They could
through the waterfast enough
jfe^e. and by courting "destrucBB^^^H&surrender.
'clock Sunday morning
lie Cristobal Colon, the
[oat. poked her desperate
tiago harbor. Just ahead
0 torpedo boat destroyer,
and all steaming at
e the Vizcaya. Oquendo
,ria Teresa. Every one
rking every battery. At
afternoon the Colon.
1 to remain afloat, weakity
miles west of Santiaflag
and became a wreck.
f The other three cruisers, burned and
shattered, never got twenty miles from
Santiago. What is left of them hangs
on the coral rocks of the beach or grinds
in the white sands. The tori>cdo dck.
, stroyers arc at the bottom of the sea
^ within four miles of the harbor mouth.
There was more to Cervera's dash than
fc^^at present appears. For two nights
fcbeacon lights have been burning on the
^Hb^I at Santiago. After the action
mot ship flying Austrian colors,
^yjeared off Santiago. Seeing
H^hirva afirp nn flip hparrh slip
Bply around and put to sea.
Bof this is not clear to anyElwo
torpedo boats made
hH W^thfc Brooklyn. The little
Mi organ's old yacht, cut across
^^M^Brooklyn's help and fired the first
-^Scoftheenga?<toi?n? ---?
Ahe doomed prdcession cleared the
hayTor bluffs and turned sharply to the
J^st. They were^making wonderful
speed, and the whit5\?moke of their
guns stretched back frotn each one like
'* a veil blowing in the wind. Suddenly, j
8 with a crash louder thai\anv thing before !
heard off noise-racked Santiago, the five j
American battle ships opened at once.
The Colon actually reele.d under the impact
of tons and tons of metaT: For an
instant her speed slackened. bnHier engines
were not damaged by this" first
discharge, and she had regained her full
speed before the Yizcaya. that was close
^ - behind, had overtaken her. The five
American battle ships strung out in line
parallel with the Spanish naval proces|l
sion. The Spaniards were between the
Americans and the shore, and so both
p sides raced, and it was broadside to ]
broadside. The splendid Spanish
L_ /.viiidAK! Ji.nl anAixyl) olvAor/I 1iIa i
u> great damage and her men worked
them as fast and as hard us they knew
how; but. as in the battle Dewey fought,
the one thing the Spaniards lacked was
h- skill in gunnery. Their shells made
the water boil far beyond the American
line. Imt not a shell hitanyof our ships
in this part of the conflict.
^ The Americans, on the contrary, made
nearly every shot count. Their lire was
nv/ip f-wt- Wa selli7>s: pnmisrl) to
give the enemy leeway without wasting
ammunition. The end was never for a
F moment in doubt. To run the gantlet
Ik of the American ships in the position
gjf occupied was a naval impossibility.
but Cervera and his captains made a
ggfr gallant try at it. Cervera"s plungs was
jj&ij as magnificent as it was hopeless. The
|& Spanish Admiral had not even the satof
damairinsr his country's
enemies before his ships were destroyed.
The Gloucester was hit. but did not
lose a man. and a single American.
George II. Ellis chief veoman of the
Brooklyn, was killed, and that is the
Hk total of the loss sustained by the Amer^bpan
fleet. We have now on board our
j^fchips 1.300 of the officers and men of
Snanish srmadron. and probably TOO
Rt their lives in the action. When
SffiHffiSWSpanish ships came to ihcir end,
Hney were clumsy with dead men. and
Bn the wreckage that floated from the
shattered warships other dead were
tangled. /
L JVVhilc generally on guard against jj'.i
Bg affept by Cervcra to break from the
tr&p he steamed into six weeks ago. tne
Americans had not cxpccted a dash at
? this particular time. So little idea of
W it was there that Admiral Sampson on
W& the flagship New York was seven miles
y to the eastward when the Spanish ships
? started out of the harborand made their
wild rush. The destruction of the
^ Spanish fleet was accomplished without
I? the presence of the American naval
HL ehiV.t. The New York only came up in
p time to add a few more shells to the
storm of iron that was beating the last
breath of life out of the last of the
Spanish ships. Of course, the ships of
uie .imericttii uwi ivuu\ j.ui vuivera
when he did come. The black,
bold bow of the Colon was hardly in
k sight before the signals passed from
ship to ship, and the American line
closed up to wait for her. The Iowa.
Indiana. Oregon. Massachusetts and
Texas were all there. As close as any
was the big cruiser Brooklyn and the
L little improvised torpedo boat destroyer
I Gloucester. The Americans did not
tire at once. Certain of their ability to
destroy the Spaniards, they waited for
I them to get outside of the protection of
the shore guns and iuto closer range.
|k While the Gloucester was lighting the
torpedo boat destroyers the Texas, Iowa
Oregon. Indiana and Brooklyn were in
a fierce pursuit of the others. The
Yizcavaand Maria Teresa were hit repeatedly,
hut kept going, tiring as they
went. Then the Almirante Oquendo
trot it. Her tire slackened, and the
men on our ships cheered as they saw
her headed for the beach. She kept up
her tire from her after guns for a few
minutes, but presently she was done.
They ran her ashore about eight miles
west of Santiago. The Maria Teresa
did not last much longer. Within a
quarter of a mile of where the Oquendo
was run aground they beached the Maria
Teresa, and the two wrecks were
burned. The Yizeaya ran on. and the
[ fleet concentrated its fire on her. The
terrific hammering she got cut down her
splendid sj>ecd. and in a very few minutes
the men on the American squadron
realized that this ship was also out of
the conflict. Two miles beyond where
the Maria Teresa lay a smoking wreck
they ran the Yizeaya ashore. As she
grounded there was a teriffic explosion.
This left only the Colon. She showed
no sign of injury, but rushed westward
with the whole American squadron, ex|
eept the Gloucester, in pursuit. How
! the squadon finally destroyed her sixty
; miles up the coast must be told later.
The (i lout-ester was left alone against !
j the torpedo boat destroyers. She had
engaged them first and was drilling
them with her six-pounder. They slapped
back at her as a pugilist in a prize
fight might slap at an annoying mosqui-.
to. but they had no time to tight pigmies
while the giants were in their path.
Seeing that they at least could never
get away, the Pluton and Furor turned
as if to go back to Santiago. Again
they had to-face the Gloucester's sixpounders.
Commander TVainwright.
though his armament was nothing near
equal to those of the Pluton and Furor
made no attempt to get out of the way
but pounded away with his six-pounders
as if they had been thirteen inch guns.
Even a six-pounder can work havoc on
an unarmored torpedo boat destroyer.
The two Spaniards made a desperate
attempt to sink the converted yacht.
The first was too much for them and
they Doth went down, ui tne sixty
men on the Pluton only twenty escaped
to the shore. These were taken prisoners.
Lieutenant "Wood, in a small boat
rescued six men from the sinking Furor
and got the colors. Then the Gloucester
proceeded to gather up the prisoners.
Three hundred prisoners were
captured 011 the beach, including Admiral
Cervera and his staff. The Spanish
admiral and his captains were taken on
board the Gloucester. Captain AVaiuwright
placed his private cabin at the
Spanish admiral's disposal.
Ccrvcra was slightly wounded, and
entirely broken down. Many of the
wounded prisoners were also taken on
the Gloucester, where their wounds
were dressed. The Spaniards all seemed
half starved, and were grateful for
the Yankee food which was offered
them. The slaughter on the torpedo
boats was something frightful. While
the Gloucester was engaged in this, the
New York came steaming up from the
' ? x.- A 1\. > /van a 4 a
ettSU ^xulitii?&i oauipsuu liau guug w
Siboney to confer with General Shafter,
but got back in time to join in the pursuit
of the Colon. Admiral Cervera
had surrendered 011 the shore i<? Lieutenant
Horton, and at his own request
was taken on board the Gloucester.
Commander Wainwright received 'the
beaten naval ehief at the gangway. He
took the gray-bearded Admiral's hand,
and said to him:
'"l congratulate you, sir. upon making
as gallant a tight as ever a man made on
the sea."
Poor old Cervera could barely express
his thanks for the compliment.
The first intimation that the Colon
had shared the fate of the others came
from Captain Evans, of the Iowa, lie
returned from the westward with 340
prisoners from the Yizcaya. lie shouted
through the megaphone, profane as
... i.
U.>11 ill .
"The Oregon has got the Cristobal
Colon and is giving her hell. She has
gone down with the others before now.
We will celebrate the Fourth of July in
Santiago to-morrow."
The Iowa took the Yizcaya's officers
and crew from the shore. The remainder
of the Spanish naval force is still on
the beach. A guard has been sent to
protect them from the Cuban soldiers,
who were swarming the on the hillsides.
The beach was strewn for miles
with half-burned life-boats, dead men
and debris of all kinds. The Spanish
ships are still burning, and every few '
minutes an explosion from one or the
other of them tills the air with fragments.
There is scarcely a man of the
crews of the Pluton and Furor unwounded.
The hospital boat Solace has been
ordered from Guantanamo to care for
our injured foemen. Our ships are all
returning from the westward. The
Colon fated just as did the other ships
of Cervera's fleet. When her officers
i A.i a. < : 11_ i 3
TOUiHi mai ine American mhjiis iiuu ?i>
injured licr that she could no longer
hope to (jtrtstearn them, they fired one
last shpi. from her after battery and
then headed for the shore She lies
ther?f now like others, rolling backward
and'forward with the swell of the sea.
grinding her bottom t<? pieces on the
pocks. while fire and smoke is belching
from every port and her exploding
magazines arc completing the wreck.
Firing on the Wounded.
One feature of the Spanish mode <>f
warfare that has arroused great indignation
among the American troops near
Santiago is the act of the Spanish in
having sharpshooters in the trees along
the line of march of the American
troops. Of course if the sharpshooters
had fired on armed men. they would
have done nothing more than might
have been expected, but one Spanish
marksman from his post tired on wounded
men and on those carrying the
wounded to the rear. Several members
of the ambulance corps were wouyded
in this manner and two wounded men
who were toiling along to the rear were
shot and killed.
A Colored Company.
Mr. X. K. Perry, of Columbia, some
time ago. received authority to raise a
colored company in South Carolina.
Mr. Perry opened up a recruiting office
in Columbia. The recruits have been
coming in rapidly, and Mr. Perry stated
that he had the required number and
that he would take the company to
Augusta in a few days. Mr. Perry
I will be the captain it he succeeds 1111
passing the physical examination, but S
; all the other officers will be colored.
"TERRIBLE DISASTER.
A French Transatlantic Steamer
Sunk in a Collision.
APPALLING LOSS OF LIFE;
Over Five Hundred Men, Women and
Children Perish. Driven to Their
Death at the Point of Weapons. Terrible
Scenes of Horror and Cruelty.
A dispatch from Halifax, N. S.. under
date of July G, says the French
steamer La Kourgogne. of the Compangnie
(Jenerale Trans-Atlantique Line,
with 725 souls on board, was run down
by the iron sailing ship Cromartyshire,
sixty miles south oi' S:?hle Islands, during
the early morning of July 4 and
sunk within half an hour, carrying
with her over .">()() of her passengers and
'PIia liolin/.a \srlin u'ufA lint
drawn down by the: fearful suction,
struggled and fought for life until ItiH
were at length rescued from death by
the crew of the Cromartyshire, which
ship survived the collision. A thick
fog prevailed at the time of the disaster.
The story of the fearful accident
from the few officers and crew who were
saved is yet to be told, but if the words
of the passengers who were dragged
aboard the Cromartyshire and later
brought into this j>ort by the steamer
Grecian are to be believed, the last few
minutes on board the l>ourgogne witnessed
some of the most terrible scenes
of horror and cruelty that have blotted
the history of a civilized race. Instead
of the discipline which so often has
been the one bright feature of such
awful moments, the crew of the steamer
fought like demons for the few lifeboats
and rafts, battering the helpless
passengers away from their qnly means
of salvation, with the result' that the
stronger overcame the weak and the
list of one hundred and sixty-three
saved contained the name of but one
woman.
The Bourgognc had left 2s cw York,
bound for Havre, on Saturday, July 2,
while the Cromartyshire was on her
way over from Glasgow with a crew of
twenty-one men. Although the TransAtlantic
steamers all have a definite
course, the Bourgognc was to all acounts
forty miles or more to the north
nf f1ir>cr> linr>c Tlio fn<r was vnrv dense
and the big iron ship was sailing along
with rcduccd canvas and blowing the
foghorn. Suddenly, out of the fog
rushed a great steamer, and in a moment
there was a fearful crash, the iron
prow of the ship plunging into the port
side of the steamer just under the
bridge.
The shock was terrific and tore a treYvianrlrmc
Vin'o in sfpampr whilft thft
JLUUliUVU^ "V?v a " v?v www?w.j
entire bow of the ship was demolished.
The steamer plunged on into the fog
again, her whistle crying for help and
her rockets signalling her dire distress.
The Cromartyshire was rounded to, and
her master, Captain Henderson, was
considerably relieved in finding that she
was in no danger of sinking. Off to the
eastward could be heard the hoarse call
of the steamer, and as the fog began to
lift all the boats on the ships were
' l U-.U' ,.^i_
KlllUCllUU. null an 11 uui aitut v<<v W4
lision occurred the misty curtain went
up, giving a clear view for miles, and
then it was that those on the Cromartyshire
realized the fearful struggle for
life. On board the Hourgogne the collision
had come at such a time in the |
morning that few beside her crew were
.1 vw-l- V.nf > /rtf?*irlv
UU IJUb CliV OIIV/VA ivu^vu UVM* .J
every one and within a few minutes the
decks were crowded.
At first it seemed as if there was some
attempt at discipline. A few of the
boats were swung off and some of the
passengers allowed to get into them.
But as the steamer began to list and settle
to port, the officers lost control of
the crew, and what was probably a panic
ensued. Passengers and crew fought
for the boats and life rafts. The strong
batered down the weak, the women and
children being pushed far away from
any hope of rescue. Fists, oars and
even knives were used by some of the
demons to keep their places. The officers
seemed to have been powerless before
their own men. and ouly four were
syivnd.
As the ship sank the vortex of water
sucked down everything on the surface
within a certain radius. A couple of
minutes later, when the suction ceased,
those still alive saw about 200 bodies
come up out of the water with a rush,
as if the sea were giving up the dead
after having swallowed the ship. But
the struggle for life still continued after
the ship went down. Hundreds
floated about grasping for rafts, boats
and wreckage in frantic endeavor to
keep above water. Even then, many of
In if flip stftripi; tolfl
LUUOVs 1U VUV VVHVt7? *? v?*v vvv? *vv ?v*?*
are to be believed, showed their brutality
by beating oft' many of those who
attempted to climb aboard.
By this time the small boats of the
Cromartyshire liac. come up and-the
work of rescue began. ..The crew of the
ship worked heroically and saved every
one who had managed to keep above
water, hut even then scores fell away
from boats, rafts and wreckage, exhausted.
and were drowned. It was all over
in an hour, although for some time after
great pieces of wreckage came shooting
up from the bottom marking the
spot where the liner had gone down.
But little attempt was made to recover
the bodies of any of the ill-fated passengers
or crew, and the battered hulk at
the bottom of the ocean will probably,
be forever their tomb.
In the afternoon the steamer Grecian
was sighted, and in a few hours afterwards
she took Cromartyshire in tow
and arrived with aer at Halifax Wednesday
morning. Strangely enough Mr.
La Casse is the on iv man of the saloon
and cabin passengers who survives while
his wife is the only woman of 200, not
only of the first saloon cabin, but of
the whole ship who escaped. Mrs. La
Casse was roused from her berth by her
husband, who was on deck at the time
of the collision. He threw about her
the first articles of clothing she could
^ - - 1- . J ^.1? J ? 1. .f
secure ana sne reacnea uie uec*. ui uie
listing steamship, to find herself one of
many frantic and half dressed people
who congregated about the boats.
She saw the captain of the steamer
on the bridge and some of the officers
at other points, endeavoring to direct
the efforts of the crew to launch the
boats. There was little response to the
orders of the officers. The crew seemed
paralyzed.
Matters were quiet and there was no
panic at first. Golden moments were
slipping away ami the decks were becoming
more and more crowded with
frightened people emerging from cabins
and companion ways.
The steamer was listing and settling,
and then a wild fear seized 011 the
throng and the people lost their reason
and -really went mad.
Mrs. La Casse was separated from
her husband in the scramble and the
steamer listed so badly she slid down
the declivity of the deck and into the
water. She had taken, the precaution,
at her husband's direction, to put on a
lifebelt before leaving, her stateroom,
and shortly after being thrown into the
sea was seized by the arm and drawn
upon the life raft. Her savior was her
husband. A moment later the ill-falfd
steamer disappeared and a whirlpool
eucircled the sjKit wlu-re the noble craft j
had been. Everybody around the vortex
was drawn into it. The water rush- I
ed around, faster and faster, ami the j
unfortunates disappeared in twos and j
threes with despairing cries.
Some of th? scenes enacted on board
the La Bourgogne just after the collision
were terrible to witness. .Men
fought for position in the boats like
raving maniaes. Women were forced
back from the boats and trampled by
men who made self-preservation their
< - i ^ i ? i ? i... ?
nrsi oojeei. uii uuaru were ;i iuisic
number of lower class of Italians ami
other foreigners, who in their frenzy
stopped at nothing that promised safety
for themselves. In a boat was a
party of forty women, but so great was
the panic that no hand was raised to j
assist i?i its launching. The occupants,
so near saved, were drowned like rats
when the ship, with an awful hissing
1 .. I .] . 4.1.!.'
sound, weiuuowii. oo uesucraiu \> umuc j
situation that an Italian passenger j
drew* his knife and made direct at one i
who like himself, was endeavoring to
reach the boats. Immediately his action
was imitated in every direction.
Knives were flourished and used with
effect. Women and children were
driven back to inevitable death at the
point of weapons, the owners of which
were experts in their use. According
to stories of survivors, women were
stabbed nice so many sneep.
The scene on the water was even
worse. Many of the unfortunates who
were struggling in the water attempted
to drag themselves into the boats or on
rafts. These were pushed back into a
watery grave. Here. too. knives were
used freely. Not all of the . dead met
death by drowning. Christopher Branson
saw a sailor belonging to the La
Tinuvornrrn^ strike a mssnnccr over the
? t C-- a
head with a bar and kill him. The
body dropped into the water. The passenger
grabbed the boat in which the
sailorjwasand attempted togeton board.
The correspendent interviewed nearly
all the passengers who could speak
English. One passenger said the officers
and crew of La-Bourgogne neglected
the passengers entirely. - .The second
officer was the only man of the
crew who did anything to help the terrified
and helpless passengers, lie cut
loose all the boats he could, and in fact,.,
all the boats that were launched were
launched by the brave second officer.
He was last seen standing on the deck
with his hand 011 the rigging going
resignedly to death.
Christopher Bruuini. a passenger,
was thrown into the water and swam
t> ? 4? 1 l.?
lUrtWU J1UUI.> iic iuuuu a. i#vy^c.
lie clung to this as his last hope. After
some time, another man got hold of
the same boat, and together the}' managed
to right it. Under the seats they
found the dead bodies of four men and
tnree women, who had evidently been
drowned by the capsizing of the boat.
Uruniui said the crew were cruel in
their conduct toward the passengers.
He was unable to get in the steamer's
boats when he came on deck, being
shoved away by the sailors. He lost
everything but what he stood in. Mehelini
Secondo, an Italian steerage
passenger, is among the saved. He
I miiip :i hnnt which he tried to I
get into. He evidently succeeded, but
not Wore a desprate tight with her
crew. . He was battered with oars and
shoved away with boat hooks. He
managed to seize an oar, however, and
pulled himself to the boat and climbed
in. August Pourgi was eager to give
this correspondent an account of his experience.
He was in the water about
half an hour and attempted to get into
a boat. He was seized when he managed
to get half' in and thrown back
into the water. Again he tried to enter
the boat, but the inhuman savages
who manded it were determined to
i l-:? TJ? 1
Keep XI1 111 UUU 1.JLU muiiui^cu at uot tu
get ia and stay in. Clinging to the
life line of a boat not far away, he
saw his mother, and as if his triu' were
not enough, he was forced to watch a
man shove her deep into the ocean
with an oar. She was drowned. He said
the man was saved.
Other tales of horror were told by
survivors.
CERVERA'S REPORT.
His Account of the Destruction of the
Spanish Fleet. .
The war department has received the
report of Admiral Cervera to Gen.
Blanco on the disastrous naval fight to
the Spanish cause off Santiago. It is as
follows:
To the General-in-Chief, Habana:
In compliance with your orders. I
went out yesterday from Santiago de
Cuba with all the squadron and after
an unequalled combat against forces
more than triple mine, had all my
. squadron destroyed by fire. Teresa,
Oquecdo and Vizcaya beached and the
Colon fleeing. I accordingly informed
the Americans ana went asnore ana
gave myself up. The torpedo chasers
foundered. I do not know how many
people were lost, but it will surely reach
600 dead and many wounded. Although
not in such great numbers the living as
prisoners of the American*-. The conduct
of the crews rose^ttf a height that
won the most enthusiastic plaudits of
the enemy- The commander of the |
Vizcaya surrendered his vessel. ' His
crew are very grateful for the noble
generosity witlMvhich they are treated.
Among the deacl is Yillainil and I believe
Lasaga .-(spelling uncertain,) and
.imon<r the wounded Concas and Eulate.
We luive lost ;ili and are necessarily j
depressed. Ckrvkra.
The Spanish Loss.
The estimate on the Spanish loss in
the naval battle off Santiago is placed
at 1,200 killed and 1.500 captured,
against which stands an American loss
of one killed and two wounded.
[HOBSON AND HIS3IEN
Once More Safe Under the Stare
and Stripes.
EXCHANGED FOR SPANIARDS
Captured by the Americans. One
Lieutenant and Fourteen Enlisted
Men the Price Paid for the Surrender
of the Heroes of the Merrimac.
Assistant Naval Constructor Richard
P. Hobson, of the flagship New York,
and the seven seamen who. with him,
sailed the collier Merrimac into the
( ll:irilti-l lit' t In? litl I'lii il' lit' S:l III ill*
Culm on )uiie ;> last, and sunk her
there, were surrendeivd hy l lie Spanish
military authorities Thursday in exchange
for prisoners raptured hy the
American forces. The Spanish authorities
consented Thursday morning to
exchange liohson and his men. and a
flag of truce was established for that
purpose. The place selected for the
vidinnsrn \v:is liinho* :i thetu'een the
American and Spanish lines. t\v??-{Iiirds
of a uiile .beyond the entrenchments occupied
by Col. Wood's Hough Riders,
near General Wheeler's headquarters,
and in the centre of the American line.
The American prisoners left the
Reiiia Mercedes hospital, on the outskirts
of Santiago, where they had been
confined, at 2.-1.") Thursday afternoon,
in charge of Major Irles. a Spanish officer.
who speaks Knglish perfectly. The
prisoners were conducted to the meet- I
ing place on foot, hut were not blindfolded.
Coi. .John .Jacob Astor and
Lieut. Miloy, accompanied by Interpreter
Maestro, were in charge of the
Spanish prisoners. These consisted of
Lieuts. Amelio Vole/, and Aurelius. a
n 'P *
vjrci uicui uciun^iii^ tu uiu muni
regular infantry, who were captured at
El Caney and Lieut. Adolfo Aries. ??1*
Barcelona, one of tlu: most aristocratic
military organizations of the Spanish
army, and fourteen non-commissioned
officers and privates. Lieut. Aries and
a number of the men were wounded in
the tight at Kl Canev. The Spanish
prisoners were taken through the
American lines mounted and blindfolded.
The meeting between Col. Astor and
Major Irles was extremely courteous,
but very formal, and no attempt was
made by either of them to discuss anything
but the matter in hand. Major
Irles was given his choice of three
Spanish lieutenants in exchange for
Hobson. and was also informed that lie
could have all of the fourteen men in
exchange for the American sailors. The
Spanish officer selected Lieut. Aries.
and the other two Spanish officers
were conducted back to Juragua.
It was then not later than 4 o'clock,
and just as everything was finished and
the two parties were separating. Major
Irles turned and said, courteously
enough, butr in. a tone which indicated
defiance, and gave his hearers the impression
t hat he desired hostilities to be
renewed at once:
"Our understanding is, gentlemen,
that this truce comes to an end at 5
o'clock.'"
Col. Astor looked at his watch, bowed
to the Spanish officer, without makin/y
.) ori/1 tKan VkoaL' cIaw.
iu^ u . aixu ^uit i<i/U wav a o?u *1
ly to the American lines, with Hobson
and his companions following. The
meeting of the two parties and the exchange
of prisoners had taken place in
full view of both the American and
Spanish solders, who were entrenched
near the meeting place, andthe keenest
interest was taken in the episode. The
men whose return to their comrades
has been secured by the negotiations
detailed above are:
Richard 1*. Hobson. lieutenant, U.
S. X.
Osborne Deignan; coxswain.
(r?u>rvo P. Philliiis machinist.
John Kelly, water tender.
George Charette. a gunner's mate.
Daniel Montague, seaman.
.J. (!. Murphy, coxswain.
Randolph Clausen, coxswain.
As Hobson and ill:: men of the Mel';
rimac approached the tirsl line of entrenchments
occupied 1>V the Hough
Kiders, low murmurs ran l'rom one end
of the line of cowboys and eastern athletes
to the other, and by the time the
returning party reached them every man
was on his feet, refusing to be restrainV
* 1 1 . ! . 1 IV
eU liy the aumonition <?r me omcers.
cheering wildly and rushing over every
obstacle that chanced to he in their
way. in their efforts to reach Hobson
and his party ;ind grasp them by the
hand. The released prisoners were soon
surrounded and compelled to stop to
| receive the greetings, congratulations
ami vigorous, ncarttelt hanusnaKing or
men they had never seen bcfdVe. Sunburned
cavalrymen, who had spent their
lives in the saddle on the plains of
Arizona. New Mexico or other western
States or Territories, and who did not
know the difference between a ship's
maintop, bilge or keel.threw their arms
around the sailor boys and Utterly
dragged them over the entrenchments,
all the time sending out yells that under
.1 : * .... I.l i
Oiner circuuisuuiccs wuuiu wti: -uuviv
terror to hearts even as gallant as those
of the Merrimac heroes. Xo mountain
fastness of the west ever resounded with
shouts from an Indian war dance that
equalled the wild outbreak of American
spirit that occurred at this meeting of
the sailors who did their duty, with
every Spanish gun in the harbor trained
upon them, and the hardy men. who.
from the day of their arrival on the island
of Cuba, have fought their way
I over the bodies of their own dead and
wounded to the very gates of the city
that fhey will gladly storm when ordered
to do so.
The Seventy-first Xew York volunteers.
near the Hough Kiders. was the
nest regiment to fall upon llobson and
his men. and almost immediately the
Ninth and Tenth cavalry both colored
regiments, joined in the general enthusiasm.
and cheer after cheer arose as
Hobson and his companions forced
their way through the lines of white
and colored soldiers. Hobson. so fatas
possible, grasped each hand extended
toward him. and neither he nor his men
made any protest against the most uncomfortable
crowding and jostling
which they had to nndergo.
If the young officer, whose home is
in Alabama, has any race prejudice, he
certainly forgot all about it as he passed
through the lines of soldiers 011 his
way to General Wheeler a headquarters. |
He saw it was the uniform of the United
States army, and he eared not for the |
X. :
color of its wearers, grasping the hands
ul' the ebonv-hued troopers of the Ninth
and Tenth cavalry and expressing his
thanks for their patriotic welcome with
as ranch heartiness as he displayed toward
men of his own rrce. He and all
hie m..ri triiwrMm# hi* tViA
tion accorded them, and tears rolled
down their cheeks us the soldiers crowded
around them.
As Hobson and his party approached
('apt. (jlrimes s buttery, the men cried
out on every side t? have a salute tired
in their honor. Hobson protrested
against this and shouted to the artilleryman,
who had also caught the infection.
not to tire their guns. Souie of
the most enthusiastic of the men appealed
to (.'<>1. .John .Jacob Astor. and
the latter entered into the spirit of the
occasion and told the meii_thev need
not obey Hobson s orders, as lie was
only a lieutenant. Hut the officers of
the battery prevented the uien from
tiring the guns, as the Spaniards might
have mistaken the reports for the
opening nf an attack, and if the latter
had responded our soldiers were in no
position (in their state of order and enthusiasm)
for an engagement.
Naval Constructor Hobson finally
reached CI en. Wheeler's headquarters,
where the veteran cavalryman and other
officers gave him a warm welcome. By
tins timet'apt. UliaawicK or the ->ew
York and the naval escort from the
flagship had readied Hobson and his
men. and they wciv the first persons.
with whom the rescued prisoners had
anyj>rcvious acquaintance, whom they I
had met since they entered Santiago
on their perilous mission. Capt. Chadwick
and all others took each man by
tlu: hand and extended tin; heartiest
greeting.
The escort had brought a change of'
clothing, including new uniforms, for
Hobson and his men. and the latter
were given a short respite while -they
changed their apparel. Hobson was |
also given a horse to ride over the trail
to Jaruga. and his uien were placed in
an army ambulance. Before leaving for
the seacoast Ilobson was taken to General
Shafter's headquarters and warmly
greeted by the commanding general.
WHAT HOBSON SAYS
About His Experience While a Prisoner
of War.
In speaking of his experience as a
prisoner of war Hobson says:
"During the first four days we were
prisoners of war we were confined in
Morro Castle, and 1 can assure you
those were extremely uncomfortable
and disagreeable days. The Spaniards
did not exactly ill-treat us, but it took
them some time to recover from the
slmftk caused bv what most of them
considered our Yankee impudence in
trying to block their harbor. As a rule,
the officers and men who eame into
contact with us were gruff in speech
and sullen in manner. . There were
many threatening glances shot in our
direction. For Admiral Cervera 1 have
nothing but the highest admiration.
,;His act in informing Admiral
Sampson of our safety 1 regard as that
of a kind-hearted, generous man and
chivalrous officer. 1 expressed to him
my sincere thanks and the thanks of
my men for taking this means of re
* ? ' O .1 a. !
lievmg tlie anxiety 01 our smpmaies
and our friends at home. He repeatedly
spoke to me of his admiration of
what he called one of the most daring
acts in naval history, though I am sure
we were not entitled to the commendation
we received, for there were hundreds
of other men on our ships who
would have been glad to undertake to
do the same thing.
While we were in Morro Castle we
were naval prisoners, hut at the end of
four days we were transferred to the
jurisdiction of the army and were removed
to the lu-ina Mercedes hospital,
on the outskirts of Santiago, where we
remained until today. We knew hut
little what was going on in the city,
though of course, we could always tell
where our fleet was bombarding the
shore batteries, and we could easily
U ISl lllJilllMl l ltv IClliuv C4|Miroiuu,i
ed by the Yesuvious throwing dynamite
shells. Several times at night we
were also fully aware t hat the land batteries
were lighting outside the city.
Last Friday and Saturday it would be
difficult to explain how anxious we were
for news of the success of our side during
the engagement. The little information
the Spaniards would give us
could not be relied upon.
"One tiling that I found out in the
hospital was that a largo number of
Spanish officers wese wounded in last
Friday's light, for many were brought
to the hospital to be treated. Numbers
of badly aimed bullets came into the
hospital windows on Friday, but I do
not believe anyone was injured by
-4.1 A . 4- 1? /\MA VAVT*
llieui. v/ur tJUiliCVl."} muiu ?vt;
clean and comfortable. and the food
was fairly good. In fact, I have no
reason to complain of our treatment as
prisoners of war. The prejudice which
the Spaniards showed against us during
the first few days soon wore away. We
conducted ourselves properly and simply
forced tiieni to treat us well. We
knew nothing about the destruction of
Admiral Cervera's fleet until told by
our peop-c today. Of course our confinement
became very irksome, and I
cannot teH you how great was the relief
we felt to be free again. I cannot express
my gratitude to our soldiers who
gave us such a welcome when we came
into the lines. All of us are in excellent
health and glad to go back to our
posts again and sec the war through to
the end."
Another Capture,,
Admiral Dewey lias captured the
Spanish gunboat Leyte in the Bay of
Manila. Among those on board the
gunboat was the governor Pampangas.
with ISO officers and men. lianrassed.
by the rebels and believing that starvation
was at liand. tliey evacuated Panipangas
and were trying to cross to
Manila harbor when they were captured.
What Cervera Says.
The lirst and only statement concerning
the recent naval battle made by the
Spanish commander, Admiral Cervera,
was to a correspondent of the Associated
Press on board the battleship Iowa.
It was as fullows: "I would rather
l-:- i;i? ~
lose my snip ai sea. jinc u. muw, mau
in a harbor. It was the only thing left
for me to do."
SANTIAGO BOMBARDED.
Gen. Shafter Declines Gen. Linares'
Terms of Surrender.
The surrender of Santiago was formally
offered by the Spanish commander.
VJCLI. J.uiai, oaiuiua>, uui tuc iuuuitions
attached caused a prompt refusal
of the offer -by Gen. Shafter. The
negotiations. however, resulted in the
extension of the armistice until noon
Sunday. Gen. Toral's proposal con-'
teinplated the immediate surrender of
the city, but he insisted that his army
be permitted to march away under arms !
i . 1 il. - . . 1 J J ! - _ J 1. _ a. I
anu wim living colors auuueciareu uisii
he would light to the last ditch unless
the conditions were accepted.
Gen. Shafter replied that nothing
but unconditional surrender would he
considered by him. hut he consented to
cable the Spanish oli'er to Washington,
in the meantime extending the armis-1
tice. It was shortly before noon Saturday
when a little group of Spanish officers.
under a Hag of truce, came out
from under the yellow wall of the beiM.xr.wl
/.itv >>!<! uIaU'Iv IivkIp itc W'lV tn
ward the American line. A detail was
sent to meet them and they were escorted
to comfortable quarters, while
the letter from Gen. Toral was carried to
Gen. Shafter's tent, two miles from the
front. This letter was couched in the
icily courteous terms, characteristic of
such communications and was as brief
possible. It bore the signature of
Gen. Toral. who commands at Santiago
since Gen. Linares was wounded, and
stated that he was prepared to surrender
the city provided his army would
be permitted to capitulate "with Honor."
This, he explained, meant that
the Spanish forces should be unmolested
and go in any direction they wished
with arms and flying their colors.
The letter concluded with the bold
statement that surrender under any
other terms was an impossibility and j
would not be considered. Gen. Shaftcr j
immediately cabled the facts to Washington
and sent to Gen. Toral a refusal
of his proposal, but added that he
would communicate with his government
?nd would extend the informal
armistice until Sunday at nooon. It is
>- - --1 L-ll. il.i A.
ueemea in'ODatue mav me truce uwj |
extend even bej'ond the time designated,
as the offer of Gen. Toral to surrender
on any terms is regarded as an
indication that the Spanish commander
has decided upon surrender upon the
best terms obtainable.
SANTIAGO BOMBARDED.
"The bombardment of Santiago has
begun.
That was the verbal information obtained
Sunday evening shortly before 9
o'clock at the war department.
Almost immediately three bulletins
were posted, the most important of
I ? i*_? n.? ciin,;*
which was liiuu vxcn. uuauci* |
dispatch announced that Gen. Toral.
who succeeded Gen. Linares in. command
of the Spanish forces in Santiago
when the latter was wounded, had declined
to surrender unconditionally and
and that the bombardment of the town
would'be begun by the army and navy
about 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon.
Anxiety had been expressed by the
war department officials as to whether
Gen. Shafter had a sufficient force to
prevent the evacuation of Santiago by
the enemy. This anxiety was allayed
about half past 12 Sunday night by the
receipt of the foilowing dispatch from
Gen. Shafter, which contained confirmation.
too, of the earlier reports of the
bombardment:
Headquarters Fifth Army Corps, July
A TO _ T\ 1 T T 1A
iu via, .riaya uei x^ste, ?juiy iu.
To the Adjutant General, Washington:
Enemy opened fire a few minutes past
4 with light guns which were soon
silenced by ours; very little musketry
tiring and the enemy kept entirely in
th*eir intrenchments. Three men slightly
wounded. Will have considerable
forces tomorrow; enough to completely
block all the roads on the Northwest.
1 am quite well.
(Jen. Ciarcia reworts that enemy evac
uated little town called Doscanioos.
about three miles from Santiago and
near the bay.
The Spaniards Blue.
Information rceived from the most
reliable sources is to the effect that the
darkest pessimism pervades Madrid officialdom.
The hopelessness of the
war is linally recognized and the peace
idea now seems to predominate in the
cabinet and negotiations are considered
urgent. The cabinet is likeiy to cohere
untiljpeace is secured. It is now recognized
that Santiago de Cuba is completely
belcagured and certainly cannot
hold out owing to the lack of
provisions and munitions of war. It is
considered certain that the Americans
will blockade Cuban and Porto Rican
por^> cutting off their supplies, while
the authorities are convinced that an
American fleet is coming to the peninsula.
There is no confidence felt that
the powers will interfere even if defenseless
seaports are bombarded, ana.
therefore, what measures of defense are
possible are being adopted.
Arrival of Spanish Prisoners.
The auxiliary cruiser St. Louis, with
74C Spanish prisoners, including 54
officers, arrived in Portsmoutn harbor
at 8:30 o'clock Sunday morning, and a
few minutes later dropped auchor just
above Fishing Island. The big liner
left Guantanamo at G o'clock Tuesday
afternoon, July 5 .and did not make a
stop until she reached Portsmouth harbor.
Including the prisoners there
1 Innniilo nn hnarf] hnat.
i . V W 2'VV|/?v v?? ?? ,..v
and out of this number 91 arc sick.
Admiral Cervera is confined to bis
cabin, having been quite ill for the past
three days, although he was able to be
dressed this morning. Capt. Eulate,
who was commander of the Vizcaya,
and is amoug the prisoners, is also
quite ill, having been wounded in the
head during the battle.
A True Lover.
J. K. Ten Eyck, of Jersey City, and
Miss Klenora Payers, of Richmond Hill,
Long Island, are now man and wife after
a touching and unusual romance.
Mr. Ten Eyck, when looking over the
album of a friend, found a picture of
Miss Payers, which was so attractive
that he wrote to her, and the result of
the ensuing correspondence, which lasted
nearly a year, was an engagement.
When the couple were to meet for the
first time Miss Payers, in taking a train
to go from her home to New York, was
run over and lost both legs, and Mr.
Ten Eyck saw his bride for the first
time in the hospital. When she was
11 1 - ' I. -\awifrtl
IaDie to leave me uuspnai mcj nut
married.
! JIMSON^-Smr?- "M
! Of the Sinking of the Steamer
Merrimac.
HIS THRILLING EXPERIENCES.
| Splendid Discipline of His Men. His ? 31
Marvelous Escape and Surrender to
Cervera. Imprisonment in Morro
Castle.
A dispatch says the return of Assistant
Naval Constructor Richmond P.
Hobson. of Merrimae fame, to his ship,
the flagship New York, Friday night.
I off Santiago harbor, was marked by wild
enthusiasm. It was dark when a shout
was passed along the ship that Hobson
was coming. On the superstrueture
clambered the crew, ten deep, and ob
the quarterdeck the officers clustered
around the sea ladder, and a hundred
hands were stretched out to grasp Hobson's.
It was not until he was sate ' .r'%
once more on deck that the crew of the
New York cheered, and then they
broke out into a wild yell, which was
repeated over and over again until the
men were hoarse. .Numbers of the men
rushed on the quarterdeck and a great
group of men struggled around the tall
figure of the man who had dared so
much.
Behind Hobson came Colonel John
Jacob Astor. and the first thing Hobson
tried to do was to introduce him to
the officers, but Col. Astor got lost ia the
crowd, which surged around, insisting
upon shaking Hobson's hand. The
transports blew their whistles. Hobson
sat once more among his messmates and
toid the story of his experience, his
j marvelous escape and his imprisonment
! in Afrtrrn Pact-lo \vuinor shftlls
explode outside his cell.
hobson's story.
"I did not miss the entrance to the
harbor/' he . said, "as Ensign Powell,
in the launch supposed. I headed east
until I got my bearings and then made
for it, straight in. Then came the firing.
It was grand, fashing out first Vjtf
from one side of the harbor and then
the other from those big guns on the
hills?the Vizcaya, lying inside the
harbor, joining in.
"Troops from Santiago had rushed
j down when the news of the Merrij
mac's"- coming was telegraphed vind
i soldiers lined the foot of the cliffs, nr^^
ing" wildly across and killing each v-v^
other with the cross-fire. The Merri- *
mac's steering gear broke as she got
to Estrella Point. Only three of the
torpedoes on her side exploded when'
I touched the button. A huge sub- .|||
marine mine caught her full amidships,
hurling the water high in the air
and tearing a great rent in the, Merrimac's
side.
"Her stern ran upon Estrella Point. - \ -J||
Chiefly owing to the work done by the
mufe, she began to sink slowly. At
that time she was across the channel,
but before she settled the tide drifted . M
her around. We were all aft, lying on /
the deck. Shells and bullets whistled
around us.. Six-inch shells from the
Yizcaya came tearing into the Merriniac,
crashing into wood and iron and
passing clear through, while the plung- ^
ing snots irom tue iuri- urun-c iiuuugu
her decks.
''Not a man must move/' I said,
"and it was only owing to the splendid
discipline of the men that we were not
all killed as the shells rained over us
and minutes became hours of suspense.
The men's mouths grew parch-.
ed, but we must lie there till daylight,
I told them. Now aud again one or the
other of the men, lying with his face
glued to the deck and wondering wheth- .
er the next shell would not come our
way, would say: "Hadn't we better
drop off now. sir?" but I said "wait till
daylight."'
>If liivn imvmssible to
get the catamaran anywhere but to the
shore where the soldiers stood shooting-,
and I hoped that by daylight we
might be recognized and saved. The
grand old Merrimac kept sinking. I
wanted to go forward and see the damage
done there, where nearly all the
fire was directed. br.t one man said if I
rose it would draw all the fire on the
rest. So I lay motionless. It was
splendid the way these men behaved.
The fire of the soldiers, the batteries
J WllAn fllA
UUU C11U V tl Yf ikS (tniuii IT UVU VUV -4..
water came up 011 the Merrimac's decks. '-111
the catamaran floated amid the wreckage.
but was still made fast to the
boom, and we caught hold of the edge
and clung on. nur heads being above *"
water.
"One man thought we were safei
right there; it was quite light, the firing
-had ceased except that directed at the
New York launch, and I feared Ensign
Powell and his men had been killed. A
n ' 1 i > 1 .Li-. it :
Opanisn launcn came towaru me xueni- >>
mac. We agreed to capture her and
run. Just as she came close the Spanirds
saw us. and half a dozen marines
jumped up and pointed theirrlfles at our
heads. #
"Is there an}* officcr in that boat to
receive a surrender or prisoners of war?"
I shouted. An old man leaned out
under the awning and waved his hand.
It was Admiral Cervcra. The marines
lowered their rifles, and wc were helped
into the launch. Then wc were put in 3
cells in Morro Castle.
**It was a grand sight a few days later
to see the bombardment, the shell,?
striking and bursting around El Morro.
men we .were tasen uuu cnuuagu. a
had the courtmartial room in the barracks.
3Iy men were kept prisoners in
the hospital. From my window I could
see the army moving, and it was terrible
to see those poor lads across the
open and being shot down by the Spaniards
in the rifle pits in front of me. "M
Thursday the Spaniards became as polite
as could be. I knew something
was coming, and then I was exchanged.'-!
^
Mr. Snelgrove Declines. |
The newly appointed quartermaster
of the Second regiment. Mr. \V. P.
Snelgrove, has declined the position
tendered him by Governor Ellerbe. Mr.
Snelgrove is the i>resent supervisor of
Anderson county, and is a candidate |
for re-election. He thinks he will have lis
no trouble in being elected again, and
prefers a civivil to a military office.
i The auartermastership of a regiment is
| considered a sinecure, and since Mr.
j Snelgrove's declination became known
j many candidates have already sent in
i their applications for the place.
..... ? vrr,