The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-15
CHAMPION FIllBUSTERS.
The Florida and Fanita Land the Last
Cuban Expedition.

The Florida and Fanita Land the Last
Cuban Expedition.
Key West. July 14.-Those champion
fIibusters, the Florida and Fanita, I'M
der convoy of the little gunboat Peoria.
have landed the largest and probably
the last expedition sent to the aid "t
the insurgents. 1t was a task beset
with peril and difficulty, costing one
man his life and wounds to half a doz-
en- others. Captain Jose Manuel Nu-
neg. brother of Emilio Nunez, was
killed. winthrop Chanler of New YORK.
was shot through the right elbow and
five Cubans suffered trihing injuries.
How many Spaniards answered for
this will never be known. but there
were enough to more han balance the
score. The debarkation was effected on
July 3 at Palo Alto, on the southern
coast of Cuba. To the Peoria, one of
the newest acquisitions to the mosqul-
to fleet. goes the full glory of the
achievement. The Peoria was until
lately a pilot boat at Philadelphia.
The Florida and Fanita left Key West
on Sunday, June %, under the convoy
of the Peoria, commanded by Lieut.. T..
w. Ryan. ON board the steamer were
80 Cubans under General Nunez, 30
troopers of the list United States cavalry
under Lieutenant S. Johnson and %
rough riders under Winthrop Chanler.
The cargoes included the horses of the
cavalrymen. with forage: two dyna-
mite guns, with $50 30-pound projectiles;
two full batteries of light field pieces;
10 three-inch rifles, with 1900 cartridges
for the same: 1000 Springfield rifles,
with 954, 900 cartridges; 200 Mausers,
with 200, 900 cartridges; 200 Colts revolt
vers and p, 900 cartridges, 1.415 saddles,
$50 brides, 663 infantry uniforms, in
Guiding $3.50 pairs of shoes and blank
-. glirtx hats and hamnonckG. over
200, 900 pounds of provisions. including
bacon, cornmeal. coffee, sugar. beef,
beans, hard tack and canned corn.
The expedition sailed to Las Tunas,
where they arrived on the following aft
ernoon. Four miles west of the town
stood a large fort. The Peoria ran
boldly in and fired several shots, but
brought no response. A scouting party
under Winthrop Chanle and Captain
NuneZ were sent ashore. At almost the
very moment they set foot on the sands
he forts and entertainments burst into
flame and shot and shell screamed about
the little band of invaders.
Captain NuneZ was stepping from
his boat when a shot struck him clean
etwee the eyes and he went down
dead. Chanler fell with a broken arm.
The others safely gained the thickat
and eplie with a sharp fire directed
at the entertainments. Meanwhile. the
Peoria set all her guns al work and
rained shells upon the forts until the
enemy's fire ceased. a retreat was or
dered and the party rushed for the
boats, but volley after volley came from
the shore and they were compelled to
throw themselves into the water and
paddle along beside the boats with only
their heads exposed until the hip
were reached. i've Cubans Were
wounded. When the small boats reach
ed the ship it was dark. The discovery
was made that besides Captain Nunez
whose body was LEFT on the beach
there were missing Chanier, Drs. Lunt
and Abbott, Lieutenant Agramonte and
two Cubans.
1t was reported that Chanler had
been mortally wounded and was KEEP
afloat i'm the bushes along the shore oA
/, the two doctors. No less than -four
rescue parties were sent ashore during
the night. Toward morning Lieuten
ant Ahern. in charge of one of these
{ found Chanler and his companions
Chambers wound proved to be in tn
right elbow. After sunrise Agran
> monte and his Cubans were discovered
and brought off. The next day tn
! gunboat Helena arrived and on Fri
day morning she and the Peori;
q steamed i'm toward Las Tunas, whicl
: the Spanish had been vigorously forti
. flying. Tunas is connected by rail Wit
A Sanctl SplrltuS, a town or cOnslueidpi
= size. and achievements and artiller'
j had been rapidly coming in. Rang
n, buoys had been placed i'm the bay, bu
avoiding these. the ships drew int
!" close range and opened fire.
The fire of our ships was most accu
rate and destructive. The SPANS
gunners fired by Is or 20 shots befoI
. their gun were flying in the air. III
earthworks a mass of bloodstaine
a dust and their gunners running Il
e their lives. That afternoon Dol
ships turned their attention to the Tor
and the entertainments at the mouth {
. the T~allaboacoa river, and for half a
q hour poured a wicked fire upon them.
~ 1t was determined to proceed durin
the night with the landing expedition
. Palo Alto, so miles to the III
X Helena remaining at Las Tunas 10 col
n firm the Spaniards in the belief that a
is attempt was to be made to land thef
NJ At 10 o'clock Sunday, July 2. while IL
IS Helena lay off shore making lively pla
is with her searchlights toward shore, u
OF Peoria. the Florida and the Fanita, q
with lights out, slipped away. Inc
10 was not a Spaniard to be seen VINE
80 they reached Palo Alto at daybreak al
X the men and cargo were put asho
lit without a single obstacle.