Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-04-11


the following correspondents under
date OF Puerto Cortz- Honduras;
The steamer Bermuda which was de-
tanned In New York harbor on February
a. as she was preparing TO leave for
Cuba with = large and enthusiastic
party Of patriots aud an ample supply
OF arms and ammunition. arrived here
The story OF her voyage ending In the
safe Decentralization % the ahbusterers
and their armament, trlstlcs with
dramatic Incident. The log was read
by one OF the officers Of the ship. who
told his story in = matter OF fact way
which rather served 10 Intensity than
duii It's interest
TN tell you the story" she he, be
ginning with our departure from New
York harbor- You know that on Satur-
day Mnrcf II We Lag at anchor off Bed
loe's island We had some trouble In
engaging crew. owing to the previous
difficulty with the United States au-
tborities. But after we got our agents
at work the going went beautifully.
sunday morning foQowing. we weigh
ed anchor and slipped through the mar
nows. During the night Monday
March is. we went up and down the
coast a. half speed and when day
dawned the Bermuda WINS changed
ship. Men had been net to work In the
night 10 change her red funnel 10 black
This was necessary 10 avoid immediate
Identification In case we should fall In
with any Spanish men-of-war and the
event proved that the caution was well
taken.
'"rhe sun rose brilliantly. as II in Ia
| vor OF our enterprise. and as the sea
was Frightening under his first rays.
our hearts sank like lead at the sight
I presented few miles to seward There
/ In the half light, was a big Spanish
man-of-wnr. She seemed not over two
miles away, and do not yet know how
J hn La frT no hal Ian rt1n
I We did nothing but watch her appre-
hensirely until she sank out OF our
view on the edge Of the horizon. Tues
l day morning the Bermuda cast anchor
/ on Asrateague Island va, and took
on quantity OF lumber, eight boats
/ badly needed In the afternoon she
/ was heading nUrthwRrd again. Next
day the Berinuda came TO an anchor
| early in the morning of Atlantic City
! Here Gen. Garcia came on beard with
/ seventy-two CubanE, and among them
was Senior Nunez In half an hour she
was heading southwark with her band
I OF Cubans. who were In good spirits.
| All went well until March 10. when a
sun southeriy gale freshened the sea.
Z The following day the gale increased
the waves still higher, the ship labored
| considerably. and then marked
I change came over the landsmen-they
We're dreadfuily seaslck. on Saturday
the weather moderated. but the engine
broke down twice that day. once In
/ the morning and once in the afternoon.
This CAUSED delay of four hours. Dur
ing the lull the arms aud ammunition
were brought on deck and distributed
TO the Cuhans, Fine weather and
smooth sea ushered In the Sabbath,
/ and the Cubans busied themselves in
making into small packages the muni-
I lions OF war for greater facility In
landing. The Bermuda passed Turks
island on March % and on Tuesday the
18th hove to three miles on shore about
seven miles west OF Baracoa. In the
southeastern end Of Cuba. II was an
anxious time for the Cubans. A re-
connoltering party. composed OF volun-
teers 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 accommodating party found nothing
suspicious the signal WIS to be given
for lowering the boats and in effecting
landing. Fortune favored the cxpe-
dition The discipline was excellent
and in a reasonably short time the
cargo and the men were safely ashore.
II Yves 2 o'clock In the morning when
the last boatioad left the vessel
up in the deep blue sky the moon
was shining brightly and the stars
ehone gloriousiy. The hearts of those
on shore beat gladly when they saw
ealh boat come silently and swiftly
from the ship. when the boat unload
ed there was a disposition to cheer.
but this disposition was checked by
the officers. who could not afford to
let the enthusiasm Of their comrades
load them into danger, which II was
not necessary To face Just then. 1t was
well for US that all our movements at
this critical time were characterized
by the utmost Whence. No word was
spoken as the men and arms were land
cd. Seven miles away in Baracoa har-
Dor. six Spanish cruisers we're lying.
! and the aiishtost blupder would have
imreriled all our lives"
The officer concluded his narrative by
stating that thirty minutes after the
cubans marched inland aud the Ber-
muda got under way again a Spanish
man-of-war came out In the harbor
and began swinging her search-llght
across the sea. Again fortune favored
! the Bermuda. and she escaped unnotic-
ed.