The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-01-15
stories Of yirsinIus survivors.


santiegO---What They Say of the
Capture---Their Treatment by the
spaniards.
Many of the circumstances of the
capture of the Virginius and the i'm
prisonment of those taken on board
which the prisoners brought by the
Juniata have related to the New York
Tribune reporters are of considerable
interest. Samuel Gray, carpenter, of
Harrisburg, Penn, is one of the most
intelligent of the prisoners. He barely
escaped the fate of his more unfortu-
nate friends. He was sent to the
"chapel" twice, each time being told
that he was to be shot, but was after
wards remanded to the place of i'm
prisonment, much to his own surprise
and to the amazement of all the prison
ers, who had twice hidden him what
they supposed to be last farewell
AT Santiago he was in the hospital for a
considerable time. before the departure
of the Juniata, when he was taken on
board. The treatment of himself and
the other prisoners in the hospital
seems to have been more considerate
than would be expected from people
who had shown themselves so bitter
and cruel.
They received proper medical attend
ance, good nursing, such nutriment as
their condition required, together with
comfortable quarters. 1t is doubtful if
the Spaniards themselves in the hos
pitfalls receive better attention. 1t is
said that Grays real name is Gratz, but
during his connection with Cuban af-
fairs he has uniformly been known by
| tba form, mama opJ ;e oo11aJ nrox-
the list of prisoners. Mr.. Gray him
self attributes his safety to the good
will of an Englishman who is an officer
in the Spanish army while it is thought
by certain persons familiar with all the
circumstances that his Masonic rela-
tions served him at the last moment
when every expedient had been tried.
Mr.. Gray acknowledges that some
things were thrown overheard from the
| Virginius during the chase by the Tor
nado, but claims to have no personal
knowledge of what kind of property or
, what amount of it was disposed of in
} that way.
Another instance of good fortune is
the case of fireman named King, who
is an Englishman by birth. He could
not speak q word of Spanish, and was
,
: to the Spanish authorities. When the
,, 81 who were shot together were taken
out for execution, King was also taken,
but when the names of the condemned
were called, his was not among them,
and he was returned to the boat over
come with delight at his narrow escape.
a and had himself expected immediate
Inotb trha,, fho ;nrf,,1 rrorl
that he should live. One of the cases
| the officers of the Juniata, is that of
years of age. His home is in Salem, n.
| j., and his father is superintendent of
=. the gas works in that place. Some
I country boys, became tired of the dull
life at home, and excited by the Won
. derful stories of the outside world, came
a to New York without the knowledgeNot
a his parents. He was accompanied by
2 several young friends, and made up his
, mind to go to sea.
q The Atlas was about to sail from New
, York, and he was given chance to &c
$ as lamp-trimmer upon the vessel, which
q was bound to Costa Rica. This oppor-
a | tuullJ Blduly dCtGDleu. Ou
he fell sick and was left at Jamaica, but
D after week or so recovered, and wen!
on the Virginius at Kingston, without
e knowing or thinking anything about
! the character of the vessel. When
! taken prisoner with the rest by the
o Tornado, he was among the few who
3 were placed upon the small gunboats
\ OF the five who were with him upon one
of these vessels, three were taken tc
e make up the wretched thirty-seven who
I were shot together. His was remaka
e BILE good fortune in escaping death
n since many of those who made up the
\ doomed band were taken indiscrimi
Y nately from the whole number. Some
v of the officers of the Juniata being
. pleased with his appearance ant
e interested in his story, took hin
8 into the cabin on the passage from San
e tiago, and he is now in good spirits anG
Q rejoiced to return to his friends aftel
a SO severe an experience. The foregoing
e is his story very much as he has giver
d it to several of the officers of the Ju
4 niota.
n Philip Metzler, native of Charles
# ton, S. c., and cigar-maker by trade
). gives a somewhat confused account o
8 the boarding of the Virginius by the
O Tornado. He was evidently mucl
frightened, as were many of the pas
sengers and crew, and the result proved
that they had good cause to be. Capt
Il Fry handed the papers of the Virginiul
l., to the Spanish officer, who took then
: with expressions of the utmost con
}, tempt, crushing them in his hand ant
y declaring that he cared nothing for the
Y papers since the vessel was in his pow
e er which he had been searching aftel
Q for weeks. The American flag was i'm
It mediately hauled down and all on boart
n ordered to the other vessel. The state
d ment of Mr.. Metzler as well as Others
a of the passengers indicates that the
e Virginius would have been able to es
a cape from the Tornado but for hel
k wretched condition at the time, as sh,
s had bad leak and eight feet of watel
G in her hold in the forward ccmpart
S ment. Ordinarily she could make l.
knots per hour, and at that rate coult
have left the Tornado out of sight in
short time. 1t is also said that whel
Ii the Tornado finally overhauled the Vir
!, ginius, after full eight hours chase
II flames were rolling up from the smoke
Q stack of the former, and had nearl,
:, burnt it out. The vessel could hardl,
u have borne much longer chase unde
. such strain.
% The statements of nearly all the pris
I oners agree in disowning any knowledg