Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-08-11
j. W. DREAMER, OF TIE TORPEDO
BOAT PORTER, RELATES TIE
FACTS TO HIS NIECE.
Significant Expression Regarding the
Future Government Of Cuba-Pa-
thetic Scene on the Porter-A
Newsy Letter.

NIT STATES DOAI Ion
TER, NAVY YARD, NEW YORK, July
.5.-Ethel: The reason 1 did nottell you
more about the Santiago battle l was
working too hard to write. Just think
a torpedo boat crew standing
double time watches for three months,
hen you may be able to realize how
tired we were. And now there lie very
use of me writing anything, as
the papers have published everything
there Is to be said.
We had been doing patrol duty In
front of Santiago harbor for i've
weeks, day and night, waiting for a
Spanish ship to come out OF b har-
Dor that we might have a chance to
test our torpedo boats and torpedoes.
But they were afraid of the American
fleet, and the Spanish Admiral said he
knew it was suicide to attempt 1t. But
as he had received three orders from
his home government to go out, the
fourth was final, and he had to go or be
shot for cowardice; SO he took Sunday
morning, July 8, to come out and do
battle with the "yankees," and a good
morning did he choose, for which the
Americans give him credit.
The American feet was holding
divine services and the enemy could
see that we had the church flags above
the stars and stripes. The fires were
low and the hand on the steam gauge
showed the boiler pressure was one
hundred pounds below what it should
be. All the sailors were at prayer
when the man on the lookout cried
out: "The enemy is coming out" 1t
was one of those times that only come
once in a Iifetime-there was no use
to sing, rejoice or pray, but a time
to fight. Even the minister of the
gospel had to close his Bible and go to
the guns for the enemy was coming
and coming quickly. 1t must be
crushed at any cost OF America might
be lost forever. And, / tell you, it is a
day and date that the American peo-
pie should never forget.
I did not see the fight myself. Az
luck would have it the Porter left the
fleet at 4 O'Clock that morning with
orders to the auxiliary feet, something
like go miles to the eastward of Santi-
ago, but I was told by those that saw
it that the S~panIards did very poor
shooting. They were so badly scarce
that they commenced jumping over
board at the beginning of the battle
One of the sailors on the Texas hit 9
torpedo boat destroyer at $500 yards
with a six inch shell. If you just thinf
for a moment, that was a wonderful
shot. 1t is 31s miles. The boat was 2oa
feet long and 8 feet high. He had ont
of those telescope sights fixed on thu
side of his gun and in front of the sigtl
little squares are formed by crossing
very fine wires at right angles to eacl
other. Before the gun can be fired tn
object must appearin one of these littl'
squares, and then, as I said before
| the boat was struck at that wonderful
| distance.
1 heard sone of the boys say 1t wa
more like a prize fight than a nava
battle. 1t was fought so quick that on
could hardly realize that he had beel
in a battle. 1t lasted something lik
80 minutes, but during that time six o
the best Spanish ships their none,
could produce were sunk, besides 60
Spanish lives lost and LOO taken pris
oners. The American loss was on
killed and two wounded with not a
American ship disabled. So I a onl
say that the Americans have wo'
every contest, just like the war wit
Mexico, and it ID safe to cay the Ameri
can eagle will eat up the Spanish bull
Yes, I saw only three of the Spanish
American battles. The Porter cap
tured two Spanish vessels in sight @
the guns of Havana. They were sol
in New York for s27 900, but 1 canno
tell you what the crew will get out G
it. 1t you had seen the Spaniard
when we took them prisoners 20
could not have kept from crying. A
it was I had to turn my face and loo
another way. One of them begged tn
captain to let him go, az he was oni
making the voyage to get a few cent
to buy something to eat for his wife an
two children that were starving j
Spain. When a spaniard is living We
he is starving and when he is starvin
he is living on nothing. I know til
Spaniards are most all bad people, bt
after the United States gets throug
with them they may be very goo
, children.
Yes, I wish the war was over;
, does every other good American cit
zen. Because we are winning ever,
thing I do not wish to lei it last an
! longer. I am glad to hear that n
friends ask about me. Tell them Il
American navy will do it's best to ket
Spanish ships from entering an Amer
can port.
Well, Ethel, to know Cuba you mu
see her. 1t is all right to say Cui
must be free, but she has got so mut
I Spanish blood in her veins that 81
, will never be able to govern hersel
t The United States must rule Cuba
/. abe will be like the rest of those lit
South American republics, there W
be q revolution every "a hours. I don
! doubt for o moment but what oil
. army will have q clash with the Cubs
? soldiers. When the Spaniards SD
: rendered to Gen. Shafter the Cubal
I wanted TO loot Santiago and kill Q
the spaniards that had laid down the
{ arms, but that didn't suit the Amer
p can general, for any Spaniard that Ia,
L down his arms to MS will receive u
same protection ~ any citizen Of Il
United States. Yours, ETC.,
]. w. DREAMER.
The Governor Stays ut Home.
:. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, Aug. s.-Go'
ernor Stephens win not attend d
Springfield convention. He decid'
to-day that he would remain ct woI
-