The record-union., 1898-05-15

boats. 1t was followed by others and
the Spanish infantry opened fire then
with their rifles Then, like flash,
the Marblehead sent shell inland. and
followed it with perfect shower of
shot The Nashville was quick to fol-
low suit, and the little Window cut
loose with her four-pounders.
In the meanwhile Spanish bullets fell
in every direction around the small
boats. Though the attack had come
suddenly and fiercely, the blue jack
cts were not dismayed, and, protect
ed by the terrific return fire of the
warships, work was continued and the
cable cut.
When the boats returned to the ships
Regan, who was in the Marblehead'
boat, of which there We're two, was
found to have been killed. Six men
were badly wounded.
The Spaniards had by this time suf-
fered severe loss. Their shots from
the lighthouse struck the warships sew
eral times, and although they did not
do much damage, the fire aroused the
determination of the American officers
to exterminate the fortification There
after for the moment the fire of the
lighthouse. and the improvised forti-
fication was blown to pieces. AS there
were great numbers of Spaniards in
and behind the fort at the time, there
is no doubt that many of them were
killed
The Marblehead and the Nashville
used their heaviest guns, as well as
their small rapid-fire guns, and hun
dreds of shots were thrown into the
Spanish troops. On board the ships
number of men were slightly wounded.
Commander Washburn Maynard of the
Nashville was slightly wounded by a
spent bullet.
When the commanders of the Marble
head and the Nashville called for vol
unteers to man the boats and cut the
cable the men responded with jump.
Lieutenant Winslow of the Nashville
took command of the Nashville's boats.
The forts guarding the entrance of the
harbor were first shelled and the boats
proceeded in. The cable was discov-
cred in the channel One of the re-
lays of the cable had been cut when
the Spaniards opened fire.
! The marines in the boats replied at
once and a machine gun sent in a
stream of bullets, while heavy shells
from the warships drove the Spaniards
from the rifle pit at the shore, many of
them seeking refuge in the lighthouse
fort, which was afterward torn to
pieces by shell from the Window
With desperate courage the American
sailors stuck to their posts, and sue
ceeded in dragging up the second re-
lay of the cable and severing it.
Seven men badly wounded were the
count, and one of them, Regan, died
while on the way back to the ship.
Lieutenant Winslow was shot in the
hand, and number of others were
more or less injured.
On the Nashville Captain Maynard
was standing forward with an En-
sign, when a Spanish bullet passed
through the Ensign's shoulder and
struck Maynard on the chest, wound
ing him only slightly The Marble
head was struck scores of times by bull
let's from machine guns and the Nash
willie suffered to about the same extent.
The Window also had many marks of
the fray. Her shell. blowing up the
lighthouse and scattering the Spaniards,
ended the battle
others of the wounded are at the naval
hospital here, are expected to die. The
remains of Regan were buried at sea.
The cable, which was cut at Cienfue-
gos, extended from that city to Santi-
ago de Cuba. 1t does not sever commu-
nication with Cuba, as there is another
line in operation between Santiago de
Cuba and Kingston, jamaica The sew
~ C,,11 C,,I,
marine Company The one operating
to Kingston is owned by the West In
es-Panama Company. The latter is
the only line not in control of the United
States Government The cable from
Havana to Key West is controlled by
United States officials.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT
NEW YORK, May 14-The Evening
Posts" Key West special says:
In attempting to cut the cable at
Cienfuegos, on the south side of Cuba,
last Wednesday morning, the men from
the cruiser Marblehead and the gunboat
Nashville were attacked in the boats by
Spanish regiment of infantry hidden
in rifle pits on the shore. Although our
men were exposed to the fire of rifles
and machine guns, only one man was
killed and seven wounded. Among the
wounded is Commander Washburn
Maynard of the Nashville.
Lieutenant Edwin A. Anderson, who
went out on the Marblehead, and was
in command of the Nashville's two
boats. was wounded in the hand, and an
Ensign from the Nashville was slightly
hurt.
A shot from the four-inch gun of the
Window knocked over the lighthouse.
In command of that gun division were
Lieutenants Crisp and Cooper and the
gunner who fired the shot.
In taking on board the wounded from
thes small boats the Window found
that a marine named Regan had died
Immediately One who was dying was
sent to his ship, and then she brought
away the wounded. 1t is probable that
Boltz and Santzeniel, two Of the wound
ed, will die
Commander Maynard of the Nash
vile was hit over the heart by spent
bullet.
ION Wednesday morning." said Cap
tain Mcguire of the Window who
brought the wounded men to the hospi-
tai to-day. 1--WE arrived off Cienfuegos.
The Marblehead and Nashville had been
ordered to cut the cable, and had sent
out the men to a shallow place near
the shore at Colorado. Point. Suddenly
Spanish infantry in rife pits fired upon
them. using a machine gun. Our ships
began shellng the pits, and drove the
emmy behind lighthouse Then the
Window joined in the shelling. We fired
about eighty shots. The Marblehead
and Nashville must have fired twice
that number and when it was over the
lighthouse had been destroyed. Did we