The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-01
An Incident of the War That Proved
the Bravery of Yankee Sailors and
Marksmanship of Our Gunners.
LIEUT.. WlNST0N'S ACCOUNT
OF A PERILOUs UNDERTAKING AND
HOW 1T WAS ACCOMPLISHED.
Deadly Fusi1lades from the Sraninrds
ON Shore and Showers of Sbrieking
Shells from the War Ships.
COPYRIGHT. 1898. hx I the Asso

Copyright, 1885, by the Associated Press)
KEY WEST. Fla, May N.-Some days
after the epoch of eagerness of latest news
Of the war has passed somebody will tell
the true story Of the cutting of the cable at
Cienfuegos, and when that story is told peo-
pie will understand more clearly than they
understand to-day what sort of stuff Uncle
Sans navy is made of. It was a theme for
Victor Hugo or a picture for Meissonier
those three hours of heroism, determine
ton and death in the bay Of Cienfuegos that
bright May morning. The men knew that
death awaited them. They knew when the
small boats were lowered from the ships
and they pulled toward the shore that, while
they worked, a thousand Spaniards were
concealed in the tall grass and underbrush
on the shore waiting to shower bullets
upon them. The lookouts from the masts
knew this. The officers knew it. The men
knew it, but the order to cut the cable had
been given and the command was obeyed.
Small sections of the cable which these
brave seamen cut that morning are much
sought for souvenirs at the Key West Ho-
tel since the war ships brought back the
dead and wounded after the work was done.
There is something amusing and at the same
time inspiring in the picture one often looks
the wounded men happens to stroll in. He
sees the valued little souvenirs passed about
from hand to- hand. He hears the story
told over and over again. and he smiles in
silence and limps away. He alone knows
the story. But he is the last one to tell it.
Ask him about it and he tells you the cable
was cut, two men We're killed and six badly
wounded. That is about all.
~ L
who was in command of the expedition,
came into the hotel last evening and was
soon surrounded by a group of friends
eager to hear his story of the affair in which
he was the principal figure. He had been
wounded in the left hand and his arm was
yet in a sling He was not eager to talk of
the matter, but little by little the details
were drawn out, and this is the story about
as he told it:
WINSLOW'S STORY.
The Marblehead, Nashville and Window
were detailed to do the perilious work. The
town of Cienfuegos is situated some dis
lance back from the sea, in a harbor which
winds and twists about between high hills,
completely obscuring it from ships stand
ing out at esa. Near the mouth of the har
Dor the land is low for some distance back
from the coast, and then there is a sudden
rise-a sharp bluff. towering UP, covered
with trees. The lowland is covered with
tall grass and underbrush. The cable house,
which the Americans desired to destroy,
was located very close-within few feet
of the water. Not far from this on one
side was a lighthouse and on the other side
an old blockhouse or lookout. such as the
Spanish in former years established all
along the coast. They were built for the
purpose Of intercepting flibustering expe-
ditions.
1t was the plan of the Americans to send
out the small boats from the ships. and,
proceeding close TO the shore, pick up the
cables with graphing irons and cut out a
section of sufficient length to prevent the
possibility of mending them by reuniting
the severed ends. When daylight came the
three war ships were in position short dis
lance out from the shore. With the first
rays Of light the lookouts began to scan the
shore, and 1t was soon discovered that the
Spaniards were expecting and evidently
knew the mission of the ships. Rifle pits
were plainly distinguished at the very
waters edge. and commanding the point
where the cable was supposed TO be, and
where the Americans would have to go in
their small boats. Rapid fire guns and
steel and brass of the guns gllStened in the
sunlight. Squads of infantry Swarmed like
insects on the shore. Groups pups OF edaV airy
stantly racing up and down a dusty white
path that led from the shore to the side of
the bluff and the hill top. All this the men
saw, but as if the shore were q desert, the
boats were lowered, the implements were
put in and the perilous voyage was begun.
work consisted of two small launches, two
steam launches andshalf a dozen ordinary
row boats. The launches were loaded with
machine guns and were designed 10 protect
the men in their work and tow them back
to the ships in case the men should be so
disabled as to be unable to row back with
steady nerve and strong arm the sailors
pulled directly in shore toward the cable
house. On they went until they could see
the faces of the Spanish soldiers peering out
from behind the buildings and out OF the
rifle pits. They knew it was only matter
Of minutes when fire would be opened on
them. But the regular swing OF the oars
did not falter.
At last point within one hundred feet of
the cable house was reached This was
within two hundred feet of the rifle pit
where the Spaniards were lying ready to
open fire upon the boats. Lieutenant Wins
low stood up in the boat and gave the COM
mand to throw out the anchor and begin
graphing for the cable. The water was
clear as glass. The bright morning sun
light penetrated it. and every object upon
the bottom was, clearly seen. Calmly, as if
trolling Tor fish, the men pent over the, the
hooks. All this time the men on the Nash
vile, Marblehead and Window stood at
their guns ready to rain shot and she'll upon
the shore the moment the first pun or
smoke was seen to come from the rifle pits.
RAIN OF DEADLY MISSILES.
The men in the boats worked on steadily
and In silence Lieutenant Winslow urged
them to work steadily, telling them that at
any moment a volley might come. They
made no reply, but bent to their work. At
last one Of the graphing hooks caught
something few inches below the soft
white sand, and the arms of two strong
sailors soon brought the cable into view.
Then came the first shot. 1t was just
flash, a sharp snap, a singing over the
heads of the sailors and splash IN the
water below. There was no white puff from
the shot. The Spaniards were using smoke
less powder 1T was the signal for the open
ing of a deadly fire upon the men IN the
boats. 1t was promptly answered by the
guns on the ships out in the bay A hurri-
cane of shells shrieked and Kissed above the
heads of the men in the boats and tore 70
fragments the earth where the Spaniards
were crouchih5 and hiding.
Again and again the guns roared from the
ships. Again and again the great clouds OF
dust and debris flew skyward on the shore
Another mighty crash from the Nashville
and the cablehouse flew into the, air. torn