Evening star., 1898-07-16
His Experience Narrated in the Con-
gressional Record.
4 STORY OF CAPTAIN EULATE
Scenes Of Suffering Among the
Reconcentrados.
AN USING INCID ENT

to Cuba with a party of congressman. The
narrative occupies several pages OF the
Record, and includes some interesting fea-
lures. Of which the following are extracts:
The Commander of the VfHcayn.
"a story fully as romantic and interest
ing is told of Captain Euate, the COM
mander of the cruiser Vizcaya, the late
visitor to the harbor of New York The
incident occurred in La Guayra, on the
Spanish main, in 1891. The American con-
sui there was Mr.. Hanna, relative of
Mr.. Jerry Rusk of Wisconsin. The city
was raided by one of Dictator Mendoza s
generals. He imprisoned all of the foreign
merchants and seventeen consuls, repre-
senting different nations, demanding a
large ransom for their release. Hanna was
out Of town when the raid began. On his
return he sensed the situation and took
immediate steps for the rescue of his coll
leagues.
The only war vessel in the harbor was
the Jorge Juan, a little Spanish ship with
three small guns. detailed for const-guard
DUTY. Her commanding officer was Eu!ate,
then a sublieutenant in the Spanish navy
Hanna tried to communicate by cable with
the United States government, but failed
He next tried to. reach the American min
lister at Caracas, and was again shut off.
Finally, as last resort. he took a boat
and boarded the Jorge Juan. Lieutenant
Eulate received him with marked courtesy
and listened graciously to his story.
Hanna detailed the startling events that
had occurred, and asked the aid of the
Spanish gunboat in rescuing the imprisoned
consuls- Eulate listened with much in
terest. He replied that Spain was one of
the first nations to recognize the fndepend-
ence of the American colonies when they
were struggling with Great Britain for
their freedom. and she would not decline
to assist the United States at time like
thu present. He said his ship was at Mr.
Hanna's disposal, and asked him what he
intended to do. 1 propose to demand the
release of the imprisoned censuls.' was
the reply.
Lieut.. Eulate then placed thirty Spanish
marines ct he disposal of Consul Hanna.
He ordered his crew tc prepare for action.
The marines were embarked in the launch
which displaYed the American flag. Consul
Hanna landed them and demanded the re-
lease of the imprisoned consuls within
twenty minutes, saying that if this was not
done the gunboat would open fire upon the
city A single shot was fired at the Span
ISL vessel from the shore. 1t struck her in
the how, and Lieut.. FLlate responded with
a blank broadsi1e. The consuIs were re
leased under Hanna's ultinatum. He tnen
demanded the release of the imprisoned
foreign merchants. Gen. Pepper, represent
senting the dictator, Mendoza. promptly
complied with the demand, and his troops
evacuated the city. The American flag was
then hauled down from the Jorge Juan and
the Spanish ensign appeared at her stern.
Z he marines Were returned to the ship, AMI
Capt. Hanna and the released consals
warmly Thanked Lieut.. Eulate for tfs serv
ices.
This however, was not the end of the
after. The Spanish government was in
dignant at the action Of its lieutenant. He
was ordered back to Havana. deprived of
bis command and sent to Morro Castle. A
court-martiaI was orGered the lieutenant
ts charged with Ilratical a La
Guayra. Before verdict was rendered
the Spanish government had officially re-
ceived tae thanks of nineteen foreign gov
errmentS. ranging from the gigantic en-
pire Of Russia to the Queen of Hawaii.
This opened the eyes of Spain. She reCog
niZed the injustice done to Eulate. He was
released from custody, was awarded one
OF the highest naval decorations and placed
on waiting riders. Within short time he
vas made captain in the Spanish navy
and appointed chief of the arsenal in Ha
vGna.
when it was determined TO send the
VlZcaya to New York, Capt. Euate was
placed in command. 1t was believed thai
his action at La GUGyra would especially
commend him to the American people.
Spain thought it could not offer greater
act of courtesy. Unfortunately, the action
OF Eulate at La Guayra had never attract
ed the attention of the American newspa-
pers. The public were m Ignorance of the
facts. They remembered only hat Eulate
had presided over the court that sentenced
the Competitor prisoners 10 dean. When
the court-martial was held Up by orders
from Madrid, Capt. Eulate resented The
action. He indignantly asked for leave CT
absence and went into retirement at Porto
Rico.
Starving Not Allowed TO Fish.
There were very few negroes among the
reconcentrados. Indeed, but black in
the tnroes Of death from starvation was
seen. This was at Matanzas. The party
was returning to the city from visit to a
hospital in its outskirts. While crossing Il
stone bridge over the river, something like
an overturned iron statue lay below, on the
sward of the bank. 1t was the skin and
bone of gigantic negro, entirely nude. He
was in the last agonies of starvation. He
lay partly upon his side in the hot sum-
with knees crooked and he ad upon his left
arm. When we leaned over the parapet and
addressed him, he made no reply and show
ed no signs of life. A moment afterwards a
buzzard swooped over him, tanning his
shrunken shank with its wings. And stil
no sign of life was shown. Again We shout
ed from the parapet, but the figure re-
mained motionless. Suddenly the head was
raised and the long, bony right arm moved
in a feeble effort to scratch the naked
thigh.
Gazing steadily at the water, in which
young mullet were swarming and jumping
ne family moaned and again assumed a re-
for he seemed to be utterly unaware of our
presence. Nor did he evince any interest
when pcseta was thrown within his reach.
Not far away an immense net, with thou
sands of meshes and hundreds of corks,
was stretched upon the grass to dry. 1t
had evidently been recently used, for sill
very scales were still glistening in its
meshes. When the civil guard, who pilot
ed the party, was asked why the recon-
centrados did not sustain life by catching
fish, he shrugged his shoulders and replied:
They are not allowed to do So
"'Why not? was the next inquiry.
because they have no license. Ii costs
money to get license, and they have no
money
1T was afterward learned that the gi-
gantic negro died as the sun went down
died of starvation, while the jumping null
let within ten feet of him were sprinkling
his wasted frame with water.
The Suffering in Havana.
similar agonizing scenes turned UP un-
expectedly and in out-of-the-way places
There was a pitiful spectacle In the ca
thedral where the bones of Columbus are
said to repose. The base of a statue was
being built in one of the naves of the
church, under which the remains are to be
buried anew. A starving woman with an
emaciated infant came through the door