The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-05-28

ty of the boiler tubes. At first it stun
ned me. When the shell burst in the
boiler it threw both the furnace doors
open and the fuse in the shell struck
my feet. Pieces of the she'll came out
of the door and am taking them home
with me as souvenirs of the war. It
was terrible crash and report alto
gether, and the boiler room was filed
with dust and steam. For several Sec
onds / was partially stunned and my
ears rang so l could hear nothing. I
went upon the deck to report TO Cap.
tain Bernadou.
Captain Jumped About.
"What did you say to him?"
81 saw him near the forecastle jump
ing about with towel bound about
his left leg. He was shouting and the
noise of all the guns was like continu-
Gus thunder.
e" Captain | shouted, the forward
boiler is disabled. A shell has gone
through her."
"'Get out the hose he said. and
turned to the gun again. l went back
into the boiler room, and in few
minutes went up on the deck again
and the fighting had grown hotter than
ever. Several of the men were missing
and looked around. Lying all in
heap on the after deck on the star
board quarter near the after coming
tower, l saw five of our force had
wilted down after the shell had struck
them. In other places lay men groan-
ing or dragging themselves about COW
cred with blood. The deck had blood
on it and was strewI with Fragments
and splinters. | went over where the
five men were lying in heap and saw
that they were not all dead. John
Meek could speak and move on his
hands slightly. went up to him and
l put my face down close to his. Can
do anything for you, John? / asked,
and he replied, NO, Jack, I'm dying:
good bye and he asked me to grasp
his hand. GO help there he whisper
ed, gazing with fixed eyes where Can
tain Bernadou was still firing the for
ward gun. The next minute he was
dead. He was my friend, dead"-and
there was pause in O'Hearns story.
"Ensign Bagley,"he continued, after
alittle, "was lying at the bottom, badly
torn to pieces, and the bodies of the
other three were on top of his. The
colored cook was lying little apart
from the others, badly mangled and in
a cramped position. We supposed he
was dead and covered him up the same
as the others. Nearly half an hour
after that we heard him calling and
making slight movement under the
cloth. We went to him and he said:
,, " 'Oh boys, for Gods sake, move me.
l am lying over the boiler and burning
= up
Almost Roasted.
"At that time the deck was very hot
and his flesh had been almost roasted.
lie also complained that his neck was
cramped, but he did not seem to feel
! his terrible wounds. We moved him
into an easier position and gave him
some water. Thank you SIR he said
and in few seconds was dead"
, Then O'Hearn told of the brave con.
duct of the gunboat Hudson's crew in
getting the Winslow out of her perilous
situation. That story was fully told or
the day after the battle.
O'Hearn is So years of age and hs:
. served Is years in the United State.
. navy. He went on the Winslow las
: January and had previously served OF
- the Puritan, the Katahdin, the Texas
u and other vessels of the navy. Will,
u ON the Puritan in the Brooklyn nav,
yard last July he prevented catastro
phe by saving the ship from bein;
. blown up. For this act of bravery b.
. was given a medal, which he nov
u wears.
= He will return to some place in tn
IL navy after few weeks rest in Brook
u Ign.