Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1896-06-04
M NEARLY CAUGHT
FiIibuster Returns to New York
With a Thrilling Story

With a Thrilling Story
Philadelphia, May 81. All
conjecture regarding the wher4
abouts of the now famous fiji
clustering steamer Bermuda was
set at rest to day when she
steamed UP the Delaware river
and made fast TO her pier.
She came from Puerto Corr, q,
Honduras. and instead of arms
and ammunition, her cargo cons
sisted of 8,400 punches of ba-
nanas and 5000 silver dollars.
The silver was taken out to buy
fruit, but a strike among the
fruit cutters, coupled with the
belief that tie vessel was not
bound Oh a legitimate voyage
made it Impossible to secure a
full cargo.
Tne attempt to land her OUT
ward cargo and passengers on
Cuban soil was a fiat failure, and
the escape of the vessel from de-
structlon by Spanish shells was
little short Of providential.
The Bermuda sailed from Phil
adelphia on April 90, in COM
mand OF Capt. O'Brien for Jack
sonville. She sailed from the
latter portion April 26. in COM
mand of Capt. Riley, who sues
ceeded o Brien.
The expedition was made up OF
ninety-six men from Key West,
Tampa and Philadelphia. in com
mand Of General Liedal Vidal, ID
soldier of the former revolution.
and a native OF Sandiago de
Cuba.
HER CUBAN CARGO.
The cargo consisted Of two
Calling guns, 1000 rifles, a half
a million rounds of ammunition,
ard 1000 pounds of dynamite.
An attempt was made under
General Vldal's orders to land op
the night OF May 4. at a point on
che crest Of Cuba, ten miles cas-,
of Cardenas. A Spanish gun
ooat was seen early in the even>
ing. but it was thought she did
not notice the Bermuda and eight
boats with forty-nine men, we're
IN the water, about one and a
half miles from the coast, when
d search light from an approach
ing cruiser was Il .shed over the
entire party.
All hands were instantly in a
state OF hopeless demoraliz Atlon.
and a desperate attempt to get
back to the steamer was mad {.
Only d few. however, reached
The Bermuda, which started al
once at full speed.
Sh" had only run about eight
miles when a second gun boat
started i'll pursuit. which was
Kept up until daylight, There
we're repeated Fl ashes aud roar
from the guns on the Spanish
warship. Solid snot and burst
ing shell fell fast, until the dis
lance between the vessels in
creased, the Bermuda being
forced to her utmost speed, AND
when day dawned the guEboat
could not be seen.
FIVE WE'RE DROWNED.
Two days later the steamer ar
rived at Truxillo, Honduras, the
balance of the war material hav-
l-g been thrown overheard dur
'ng the race.
Five Of the party were
drowned in attempting to make
the landing. among them being
NicOlo Cardenas, a brother of
Col. Cardenas. an insurgen1
chief. The fate OF the others is
not known, but it is believed that
the greater number were caught
IN the coast and probably shot
~ the Spaniards. At least
thirty two of the party are miss
ing.
The other passengers were
ianded on the coast of Honduras,
between T'ruxillo and Puerto
Cortez, and afterwards reached
Mobile, Ala, on the steamers
Clear water, Hayden West, OF
Camden and Adrain Eldridge. OF
his city. returned on the Ber>
nuda.
The fate of DIR. Emilio Cabatia
IS unknown, but be is believed
TO have been among those lost.
1t is SAID there is now little
doubt but that the intended land
ing place of the Bermuda was
known to the Spanish officials in
New York before she left jack
sonvile.
When the Vice Presidency is
,,~.oeto1 70 Poo6 N far-orou