The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-05-19

behead, Nashville and Window fought |
desperate battle against fearful odds |
Wednesday. They were victorious and |
now the southern Cuban seaport is |
writhing in ruin and the dead and dy- |
ing fill its streets.
1t was determined some time ago to |
cut the Spanish cable out of Cienfue-
gos and thus prevent movements of |
| American ships on that side being |
made known to Madrid. The task was |!
assigned to the three cruisers. They |
drew in close to shore.
They made out new fortification at
the entrance to Cienfuegos bay, and
the Window. under Capt Mcclure,
chance its batteries. At 1000 yards
the fort opened fire. The Window re-
piled with her big forward rifle, and
in few minutes left the fortification
a mass of ruins.
The Nashville and Marblehead in the
meantime had sailed in close and made
every effort to draw fire from what
masked batteries the Spanish might
have. One battery was visi ble at the
apex of the bay, and in to this shot and
shell were poured.
Under cover of the cannonade the
Nashville and Marblehead launched
boats and their crews pulled into
where the cable took off. By dint of
rare courage they cut the cable and
started back. Half way across the
bay, masked batteries on either side
of the harbor opened merciless fusil-
lade, firing shrapnel at the two boat
loads. The boats were riddled and
their occupants were soon struggling
l al,x al.
ly atoned for. From the guns of the
Nashville and Marblehead belched
forth a rain of shot and shell. Every
shot went true.
Earthworks, guns and Spaniards
were seen flying in the air as each
shell burst. In the meantime Capt.
Mcclure lowered his boats and res
cued the wounded. The bodies OF
the four dead were also recovered.
They were placed aboard the Window.
I'VE avenged them" said Capt. Nc
Guire.
The Window arrived here Saturday
morning with the wounded, all of
whom are doing nicely. Capt May
nard, of the Nashville, was struck on
the head by solid shot, but the mis-
sile glanced and only inflicted slight
injury. Lieut. Winslow lost three
fingers of his left hand.
The following gunners were wound.
ed: Robert Boltz John Davis. John
Doran. Ernest SUM mich. Herman w.
Kochmaister ana /. Hendrickson.
Two of the killed were seamen on
the Marblehead.
Private Egan, of the Nashville, was
one of the slain. The other names are
not known. Hendrickson is shot
through the liver, and DR.. j. c. Travis,
of the Window, says he can not live.
Nor can Boltz, who has three bullets
through his chest and one through his
head. Hendrickson suffers greatly,
but he repeats: Il would do it again if
l had to-"
J. The other wounded are doing we'll.
a The Nashville and Marblehead will
g take Cienfuegos, if it has not already
t been accomplished. The Spaniards
S used powerful guns of small caliber
i- and smokeless powder. Their masked
batteries are hard to locate.
g The cutting of the cable at Cienfue.
d gos is considered by the naval experts
v the greatest accomplishment outside
of Manila, as it renders Blanco impo.
tent He is virtually shut out from
the world now, and can only wire
Madrid from Santiago de Cuba, over
- the English cable. This Gomez has
planned to prevent. The Mangrove
tried to cut this cable three weeks ago
but failed.
WASHINGTON, May 16.-The following
y telegram came to the navy department
y Saturday afternoon from Commodore
i' Remey, at Key West:
KEY WEST Fla, May 16.-Secretary
Navy: The Window arrived Saturday
% morning with the following men deat
and wounded: Patrick Regan, privat,
., marine, dead; Herman w. Kuchneis
II ter, private marine. shot through tn,
n jaw, probably fatal; Harry Henrickson
70 seaman, shot through the liver, proba
u bly, fatal; Ernest Suntenich, first class
~ fracture of right leg; John ]. Doran
10 boatswain's mate second class, gunsho
"a wound in right buttock; John Davis
gunner's mate third class, wounded il
right leg; VIM. Levery, apprentice
first class, wound left leg, very slight
- Robert Volz, seaman on Nashville
h. severely wounded; Lieut.. Cameron
9, Winslow, slight wound in hands
,r Casualties occurred in cutting tn
n. cable at Cienfuegos Commander Nc
IT Calais report, summary: Lieut.. Wins
n low placed in command of steam an
Is sailing launches of Nashville; Lieu,
es Anderson second in command. boat
~ were to drag for and cut cables untle
As the protection OF the guns of Marble
q. head and Nashville. Succeeded in cut
ting cables leading south ana west Du
J, not third cable inshore, under the fir
r. of infantry on shore with Maxim guns
In Lighthouse destroyed when enem
- took shelter there. The officers an
men performed their work with tn
eE utmost GOODNESS and intrepidity unde
Ne trying circumstances. McCalla's II
50 port mailed.
[Signed] REMEY.