Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-04-16
BLOCKADE RUNNING.
THE VOYAGE OF THE BERMUDA
How She Dodssd the Spanish Cruisers
and Landed Her ContrabAnd Cargo on
the Island of Cuba.

New York. April 10.-The Herald this
morning publishes the following CORE
spondence under date OF Puerto Cortez,
Honduras:
The steamship Bermuda. which was
detained In New York harbor on Febru-
ary "a, as she was preparing 10 leave for
Cuba with large and enthusiastic party
of patriots and an ample supply Of arms
and ammunition, has arrived here. The
history Of her voyage. ending In the safe
Decentralization of the filibusters and their
armament, bristles with dramatic Incl
dents.
The log was reeled of by one of the
officers Of the ship. who told his story In a
matter-of-fact way, which rather served
to intensity than dull Its interest.
'I'll tell you the story" he said, "begin-
ming with our departure from New York
harbor. You know that on Saturday.
March ii, We lay at anchor OF Bedloe's
island. We had some trouble In engag-
ing q crew owing to the previous diff
Guilty with the United States authorities.
But after we had got our agents at work
the thing went beautifully.
Sunday morning following, at o'clock
We weighed anchor and slipped through
the Narrows.
The next morning Spanish man-of-
war was passed unchallenged for the
funnel had been repainted during the
night.
'On Tuesday morning the Bermuda
cast anchor of Assateague island, Vir-
ginIa, and took quantity Of lumber,
eight boats and four seamen. The seamen
were badly needed. By o'clock In the
afternoon she was heading northward
again. Next day the Bermuda came to
anchor early in the morning on Atlantic
City. Here General Garcia came on
board with seventy-two Cubans, and
among them Senior Nunnez. In half an
hour she was heading southwark with her
band Of Cubans, who were in the very
best Of spirits.
"An went well until March 10, when a
stin southerly gale roughened the sea.
On the following day friday the gale
Increased. the waves rose still higher, the
ship labored considerably. and then a
marked change came over the landsmen-
they were dreadfully sea sick. On Satur-
day, however. the weather moderated,
but the engines broke down twice that
day, once in the morning and once In the
afternoon. This caused delay Of four
hours altogether. During the lull, the arms
and ammunition were brought on deck
and distributed to the Cubans.
"Fine weather and a smooth sea ush-
cred In the Sabbath, and the Cubans
busted themselves in making into small
packages the munitions Of war for greater
facility in landing. The Bermuda sight,
ed an island on the morning of the 23rd,
and on Tuesday, the 24th, hove to three
miles off shore, southeast Of Cuba. 1t was
an anxious time for the Cubans. A recon-
noltering party, consisting of volunteers
from the ships crew. including the New
York pilot and five Cubans, the whole
commanded by one of the ships officers,
went ashore.
"A signal had been arranged with the
ship. II the reconnoltering party found
nothing suspicious, the signal was to be
given for lowering the boats and effecting
a landing. Fortune favored the expedi-
ton. The discipline was excellent, and
In remarkably short time the cargo and
the men were safely ashore. 1t was ,
o'clock in the morning when the last boat
load left the vessel.
"It was well for lis that all our move
ments at this critical time were character
lied with the utmost caution. Not a
word was spoken as the men and arms
were landed. Seven miles away, in
Baracoa harbor, lay six Spanish cruisers,
and the slightest blunder would have i'm
perillcd all our lives"
The officer concluded his narrative by
stating that thirty minutes after the Gu
bans marched inland and the Bermuda
got under way again, Spanish man-os-
war came from the harbor and began
throwing her searchlight across the sea.
Again fortune favored the Bermuda and
she escaped unnotlced.
iST-ABYSSINIAN TREATY