The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-04-06

|
Was executed in an incredibly shur, time, aud
We were handed into the boat with the me aul.
liant courtesy which had characterized our treat
ment from the beginning. l invited Nies To 20
along and lunch with u, but he had duties On
| board aud 80 We had to go without him. Sui
II VS. only discipline or .er system that com pell.
ed HIM to remain on beard, and not any actual
service TO be performed.
| We pulled away to the Kansas to ply our re.
spects to Capt. Hatfield. tie commander of that
ship who had called for me at our hotel the day
| We were absent 10 M.tanz4s, and whose card We
! found on our return. Unfortunately, he too was
absent on shore, but we were received 6y the OF.
hCers On board by the same cordially and polite
ness which had characterized our reception, Oh
board the Terror. But it was nos getting late,
and We made but Il limited inspection and short
stay The same order, system and cleanliness
| were observable here in the Terror, but the
quarters of both officers and men were light and
airy and much more comfortable thar in the 9TH
er ship When we were ready to go ashore the
| boatswain whistle WAS again heard, and in aloud
voice which could be heard by all, the order was
given to man the boat and we were soon skim
ming over the waters towards the shore.
At the time of the brutal murder of the eight
students, for that Is the true name for that COW.
ardly crime,j in obedience to an order which
| they demanded and dictated, we had 10 naval
force in Cuban waters. The excitement WAS so
intense, and the danger to all foreigners, and
especially Americans, so great, that our consul
applied to our government for naval force to
protect his eountrymen in Havana. AT that
time the Terror was lying at Key West Or
ders were sent her by telegraph to repair to
Havana as soon possible. When this order
was received, her decks were numbered with the
great cook range and all the other conveniences
for living on desk, to which the summer heat
had forced them. The range was taken apart.
lowered below and again set up, the decks com.
pletely cleared of every remembrance, and ths
| ship got ready for sea in the incredibly short
| time OF fcrty.eight hours. She did not even
wait for the tender which had reen sent 30 ac.
company her, but hired Florida steamer which
epportuuely arrived, in comm md of which Mr..
Niles Was placed, wien she dashed out into the
gulf stream and pressed all steam for her des,i-
nation. Even IL comparatively smooth sea
The decks OF tae mohitOr must te constantly
washed, and IA rough weather she must be con.
stautiy Submerged, that it is never entirely
safe to trust her without a teAder The weather
vas propitlous, however, and she passed the
| ninety miles which separate the southern ex.
tremlty OF FLORIDA from Cuba and entered the
narb0r OF Havana next morning, where she oc.
cosioned as great snrprlse if comet had
| struck the Island, for Der coming seems to have
| been entirely unexpected by the people and,
probably, by the authorities, Tor the consul did
not offer to telegraph tor the fleet from Havana,
but sent bis message 10 Key West. where, by
tie use o! ground wile, all telegr pliers well
undei stand, al communication could be cut off
from the cable sJuth of it, aud the government
censor, who lnspeCtS every message lett at The !
1ihce and foybids or allows 1t TO pass "a he |
p.eases, must rem. lin III tlissful lguora.ce of
what might be expected. Some Of the popul.ce
under vo!unfee: influence complained of her AN. |
pearuuce as L mehace and ins ult to Spanish dig.
nity but the complaint soon subslded. and ali |
hAvana rushed 10 satisfy their curiosity bv an !
inspection OF the nondescrlpt monster which had !
80 suddenly dropped III among them. The rush |
OF visitors Tor seyera. days was so great that |
they appeared like swarm of bees. both below
and Oh 0ecA, and demanded the constant and |
vieilent attention Of al on board to take proper
care ot them. OF courSe there was no d.ngor
from them, for they came unarmed and in pro.
1 ,,,i.