The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-05-19

followed slowly behind the Winslow.
The former, being deep-draught boats,
stopped near the mouth of the harbor.
The shallow Hudson went some dis
tance farther in.
Like a Gladiator
Those on the three boats saw the
Winslow walk into Cardenas Harbor
as a gladitor would enter an arena.
The Stars and Stripes were flying at
her stern. The sun glistened to her
brasses. The air above her tunnels
f1uttered with the breath of her fur
mace. Her commander, Lieutenant
Bernadou, stood on the forward port
of the boat with his glasses to his eyes
nearby stood Ensign Bagley and two
sailors. In the centre of wide harbor
like globe of blood, swan red buoy,
Bernadou figured upon it as an an
chorage from which to send out his
deadly Whiteheads. 1t was a fatal
mistade, For days the Spanish had
used this buoy as target. They had
it ranged perfectly. Right up to the
target went the unsuspecting Wins
low; she had harted and unslung a
torpedo at the Spanish gunboat, when
up from the southeast shore rose a
billow of smoke above four masked
batteries, and moment later the air
about the Winslow was shrieking with
shells and shrapnel. One of these
fOur-inch shells burst six feet above
the little crowd on the forward part
of the vessel. Ensign Bagley fell with
his head and upper part of his body
dreadfully shattered, the two sailors,
John Meeks and John Daniels. were
killed so quickly that they never
knew what struck them. Lieutenant
Bernadou still stood unscathed view
ing the flying torpedo through his
glasses. 1t reached its mark and ut
terry destroyed one OF the gunboats.
The Shot That Hit Home.
AT that moment another four-inch
shell flew into the Winslow's engine
room and exploded, mortally wound
ing John Earvares, Josiah Tunnel
and a sailor named Paterson. Then
began the utter riddling of the Win
slow. Shells passed through her from
right to left and from left to right.
Her engines were crippled and her
steering gear was broken. She lay
helpless on the water AT this juno
ture CAPTAIN Tood, on the Whining
ton, signalled to the little Hudson to
go in and tow the striken vessel out.
In drove CAPTAIN Newcomb, of the
Hudson at full speed. She halted
near the Winslow, firing her guns all
the time, and made preparations to
take her in tow. 1t took them half
an hour to get rope over to the tor
pedo- boat. In the meantime Lieu
tenant BernadO had been wounded.
The Hudson was struck by several
fragments of shells, which cut up her
tunnels and ventilators to some ex-
tent before she began to haul the
Winslow out. AT $50 pm, ,theHudson
brought her charge safely back to the
Wilmington. The wounded were
transferred to the Machias. Two of
them, Tunnel aud Varvares, died
soon afterward. The American boats
went out to Piedros Keys, and at 9.15
O'Clock Wednesday the Hudson came
slowly into port with ten human feet
sticking out from beneath the folds
of an American flag lying across her
after-deck.
Sailors Buried Thursday.
The funeral of the four sailors took
place at $50 o'clock Thursday after
noon. The four cof1ins were covered
with floral gifts from the ship mates
of the dead men, and the funeral cor
tege was composed of delegates from
every naval vessel in the harbor.
After simple prayer at the cemetery
the collins were placed side by side in
the grave.
Ensign Bagley Noted as Football Player.
Ensign Worth Bagley, the executive
officer of the Winslow, was a native
of North Carolina and about twenty
five years old. His mother, Mrs w.
G. Bagley, resides at 1875 South street,
Raleigh, N. C. He was appointed to
the Naval Academy in September,
1891, from the fourth district of North
Carolina.