Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-24
AFTER SCLHEY'S VICTORY
Omaha Boy Describes the Condition Of
0ervera's Squadron.
GUY CRAMER WRITES OF THE WRECK
Terrible Havoc Wrought by che shells
from the Bie Guns-Lifc in tho
Navy Is Pleasant Enough
Now.

Terrtbte HAVOC NrouHnt Dy tne sucits
from the Big Guns-Life I'm the
Navy Is Pleasant enough
Now.
A most interesting letter has just been
received by J, Il. Buckingham, chief clerk
Of the passenger department OF the y. G. NJ,
from Guy II. Cramer, formerly connected
with that department, but now holding an
important position on Commodore Watson's
flagship Newark of the United states navy.
At the outbreak of the war Cramer gave UP
his position with the Burlington and went
TO Newport News, passed a successful exam
ination for entrance to the navy as a first
class seaman and was assigned to duty
aboard the Newark. He has been acting as
the official stenographer and secretary to
Commodore Watson and as the latter will
soon sail for Spain the Omaha boy is. apt
to participate In a remarkable expedition. |
He is a son OF ]. f. Cramer of the postoflce
department in this city. Following are a few
extracts from his interesting letter, which
was written off Santiago de Cuba, July s:
My station at general quarters, or in
other words In time of action, Is aft on
the quarter deck, in charge OF the four
after electric ammunition huiSts, Through
these four hoists the ammunition Is taken
UP for siX-inch guns, Nos. 4, o and +, port
and starboard sides, making a total Of six
six-inch guns that are supplied from these
four hoists. We also get up ammunition
for four six-pounders, two Hotchkiss 81
NM. guns and rifle and revolver ammuni-
ton for the marines and sailors stationed
as sharpshooters on the poop and in the
tops. l look after these HOSTS, see that
enough ammunition is UP ahead of each of
the guns, SO there will be no delay, also
to see that they don't pile any more up
than is needed. II a lot of shells or
-.- 49, IL ,r Hn dahl nn1 N GhnH
struck in their vicinity it would kill the
whole ships company. At any rate, such
Is my station.
Got There Too Late.
On the afternoon of July 8, about 3 o'clock
it was, we received a telegram that the
Spanish fleet was off Santiago and for us
to go there at once. We were having some
repairs made, necessitated by a collision
with the Dolphin on the morning OF June
%, the day following our departure from
Key West. Preparations were hurriedly
made to go to Santiago. At 8 o'clock, just
as we were ready to leave, the glorious
news OF the humiliation OF Cervera's fleet
reached us. While it was the best Of news
1t made us all sore to think that we were
t not there for the big show. They say that
3 old Cervera had his flag on the Vizcaya
S while he himself tried to get away on a
torpedo boat. Nevertheless only one Of
them got away, and that one simply got
, away far enough to get back into the har-
= Dor. All the rest of them were beached.
: The report that we got is: Three hundred
i Spaniards killed, 100 wounded and 1,6Oo
wounded. Wonderful. isn't it? Looks to
{ me as though Old Father Providence was
playing a strong hand in this little game:
! Then the same day the Brooklyn came in,
. bringing the body of the only man killed
. in the engagement. He was the admirals
. writer on the Brooklyn, the same position
e that l hold here for Commodore Watson.
. He was standing on the bridge at the
Ill., - .-. ltll~ GOD had inct HrtShA1 a
a remark in regard to a shot made by the
Oregon. He said: oh what q fine shot
that" when along came q shell and took
his head of. He was well known among
& every one gives him the highest praise. He
q had been married only a year. They buried
him at sunset on top of the hill at Guam
tanamo, the same place where the marines
A are buried. g.
u Weather down here is positively delight
e full; not nearly so warm as we all imagined
1t was going to be Fact is 1t is much
o cooler than it generally is in Omaha at
than silk myself and gaining in weight
every day. For me it is a trip that ought
to be very beneficial.
Gathering Up Relics.
l. ! was fortunate enough just now to be
one Of a party in a boat to go aboard the
=. wrecked Maria Teresa. We started for the
Oquendo first, but when alongside heI
some unseen fire evidently reached a couple
of shells, for they began going off. W.
did likewise, toward the other vessel. Here
we were more fortunate. Went aboard oil
"a her and found two boatloads of people from
the Massachusetts, like ourselves. looking
for relics and seeing what we could.
got an exploded six-pounder shell, an ex'
ploded one-pound shell, two drinking cups
q knife, two spoons, a piece of Spanish
silver money about equal in size and weigh
to our dollar, several locks, a key, a few
l. buttons cut off a dead Spaniard's coat, sov'
eral exploded shells for the Mauser rifles
- and, above all, a Mauser rifle itself. These
~ things ! will box up and send to you il
is you'll agree to exhibit them in your dis
IN play at the exposition. .
Is The sights l saw on the 1nfanta Marit
RS Teresa were enough to drive any one crazy
The sight was terrible, that Is all there II
to it. Bodies here, there and everywhere
:, The destruction was awful, and still the!
q say it was not 30 much there as 1t wa
ne on the Oquendo. The vessel was lying y
lg easy water, the water striking her nearl!
tie where it would were she afoat. Everything
wooden, of course, is burned completely
CIV out Of her. The big guns are in eXcellen
- condition, considering, breech plugs an
everything still in them. | was In erro
in telling you that the sailors threw th2I
-, away before she sank. 1t was on the Crls
WI tobal Colon that they did that Just Deior
70 she went down. By the way, that ID
~. trick Of this navy also. We have order
hhs to do the same thing in case Of capture o
- | 1iaaCtar zoe