The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-25

" DFE1 rom het west. r "a. says. Inc
Lone Star flag OF Cuba has met the red
ard yellow banner Of Castle upon the
seas. The saTapasi. shell and rife voi.eys
OF brave ii buster nave made answer 20
the rear Of spanish fwelve-ponndsrs. and
have gained for Cuba g.nre the first VIC
tory on tsie ocean.
The slkbnstergnx steamer Three Friends
sailed from Fernandsna. Fla. Sunday
night. December Is carrying a valuable
cargo Of munat.onz OF war fer the Cuban
insurgents. After eiud.ng the vigilance OF
the United States warships and revenue
cutters and lodging every sail upon the
ocean, tns little steamer. with about hfty
Hoss, was within hasllng distance Of Cuba
en sae sixth night our, when she vac sur
prlsed. trapped and fired upon. S8e ahrew
shoi into spanish coaster. frightened OF
a Dsg ganbost and escaped from swift
cruiser BY steering out 70 sea.
The Three Friends put IN aga.n 80 the
coast and safely landed her cargo on the
border OF the great Zapata swamp. Not
before In Cu5a's struggle for liberty has
the flag Of Spain been fired upon at sea.
No other ahouster. after having been at
tackled by the enemy. has stood by her
guns and fulfilled her perlioas MISSION.
The account OF this ory-mak.Bg TRIP ~
as follows:
Ordered to the San Jann.
last Saturday. a two-pouBd shell huzzed
and tore through our rigging, and five
minutes later the naval battle was in pro-
gress.
Early on the morning OF Friday. the
18th inst. Cape San Antonio at the west
err extremity Of Cuba. WAS rounded. A
sti1 breeze was Blowing OF the land, and
the ship was headed southwark,
1T was known that the baitlesnip Reana
Mercedes, une cruiser Alfonso XIII. and
the coaster Dos De Aaio were patroiling
the PinaF del Rio south coast
.The sealed orders from the New York
tunta were opened an hour after the cape
had been passed. They gave no directions
as 20 the course the vessel should take,
rs destination alone being mentioned.
The orders OF the janta read:
Sail TO the mouth OF the San Juan
river and there await pariy Of lnsur-
gents. whc viii take charge Of the cargo.
DO not attempt 10 land men or munitions
Al any other point
The orders caused a sensation. A con-
suiiatlon was held Immediately tn the
cabin attended by Capt. John o'Brien.
Navigator Capt. Lewis. MAJ. Perez Mo-
ra,es. commander OF the land expedition.
and Lieut.. Col. Caiyo. sea commander.
MAJ. Arnes vas also called IN.
Nearly every officer aboard had warned
the iuuta that he would not attempt 10
land an expedition near the san Juan
river The steamer Bermuda had tried 10.
and been fred upon and driven away by
a Spanish coaster. while the cargo Of the
pauntiess, after having been put ashore.
WAS captured.
"But what was 10 b. done? The steamer
had stolen away from the United States,
and had already covered three-quarters
| of the distance 10 her ordered destination.
| She had weather heavy storms and was
s,aubeh. Her crew was a picked one, and
the soldiers aboard were brave and de-
teTmined.
wen land at the san Juan II We have
20 s8ll through hell 20 do a.. said Capt.
| Lewis.
Keep a good head on but don't waste
any coal was the word sent down 20
/ chief Engineer Dunn.
When asty miles south OF the cape the
! course was changed 20 north BY north
east. against a dead wind. When night
fell we we're thirty miles from land. fol-
iowlng an eastern line Saturday morn
| ing sss clear and beautiful. The vessel
was placed under a small head Of steam m
and went easily ia a calm sea.
About the decks an vas asAr Boxes
| Of arms, cartridges and dynarlt 6. o-ed
| Ia the holds we're carried on deck. and
| put IN convenient positions for landing.
| Each man who was % Aand with she party
| had hts personal effects bundled together
and ready 70 be cast into the first boat.
f The Three Friends was several hours in
/ making her way 10 Tie puopcv place 20
sffeei = landing When All was In readt-
/ ness the coast seemed catireiy clear On
| the lower deck smidsBips the first boats
/ crew. armed with machetcs aud revoiv-
l era. stood ready 90 arm the large SURF
I boat wtsch already swung over the side.
The crew consisted of Lleuts Carisoune
ana Guiteras. Sharnshaafsr John G1rnaa
Q
+ DO Ma Perez MoFales ard Or. Rontar-
/ Sine. who Wss also 20 80 ashore in the
hrst boat stood az the gamEway
Behind the frst boats party stood 4
dozen men armed with machetes aad
/ Eemsngtons Along the N1s, 10 sepel board
ers None OF the others WIRE srnea ex-
I cppt w4th revalvers. which they carried
I In their belts, the yi3cs and mscAetes
/ had been returned % thesr boxes for trans
Ter ashore.
ION the prov nlKht glasses In hand.
stood CAPT Lewis. MAJ. Aruas and Eu-
/ Fineer Pariochi Ths remainder of the
expedition had gathered sionE The rails
I on the port side. as she vessel strained
aluloss IN the shadow of the TacAx cliffs.
Coaster blocks the WAY.
when tNe n,lbussev vas within SO
yards q shore lae engineer discovered a
moving oAlsc; iB the darkness uasler the
lee and informed Capt Lewis that De saw
A coaster. without further ado the sil-
buster turned swiftly TO staTaoara and
pointed far the anen sea. Few persons
aboard had seen ths SQ@nlava- Capt.
O.Rrsen. after allowing his ship 20 scam
PEI three or four hundred yarfs hove 20.
then hacked toward tae san Juan In a
moment more tAe black shape os yhe
easter vas seen &krtaE 9ui Ia tbe direc-
tteu ~ tha TnFee Friends Axay steamed
tae 5Ueastcr and behind. emerging from
ne shadow along IRE saorN came the
Coastsr.
..For q gew minutes shs exciting race
-sntInuea ana thea came q hasA % Riga,
frosa tire SnaH4aTa second later cana
the crack ~ A tive poUndeT. and then
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