The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-13


surgeon bending over him, told the
story OF the battle to the representa-
tive of the Associated Press as calmly
as If talking of the weather. He be-
gan:
We went under full speed to at
tack the Spanish boats in the harbor
and you know the result. We went
under orders from the commander of
the Wilmington. Our boat is badly
damaged, but she will be brought here
fcr repairs and 1 think she will be
ready for service again in two weeks. -
Continuing the lieutenant said: The
WinsloW was the worst injured and
had i've of her men killed and 1 don't
know how many injured. We were
ordered to attack the Spanish gunboats
at CardenaS- We steamed in under full
head and were fired upon as soon as
we were in range. The Spanish boats
were tied UP at the docks, and had a
fair range on us. The batteries on
shore also opened on us, and l think
we received most of the fire. 1 don t
know whether any one was hurt on the
Wilmington or the Hudson but think
not
st have no fault to find with the
Winslow's crew. They acted nobly all
the way through. The men who were
killed fell at the same time. We were
standing in a group and the aim of the
Spanish was perfect. A shell burst in
our very faces"
The Winslow's dead are now lying at
an undertaking establishment. They
We're taken there in a rough wagon,
still covered by the stars and stripes.
The rude conveyance was followed by
a large crowd and all day long the
doors of the shop have been surrounded
by large gathering.
BODIES MANGLED.
Naval officers, marines and sailors
came there to look upon the faces OF
their dead comrades. Some of the
bodies show fearful wounds. Ensign
Bagley was literally torn to pieces. His
body will be embalmed and shipped
home. Oiler Varves had his throat cut
open by a. sharp piece of the shell,
which apparently severed his windpipe
as if slashed by a. razor. Fireman
Daniels had his left shoulder ripped up
and the right side of his head torn
open. The body of Tunnel, the col
ored cook, shows no wounds. Fireman
Mee!,s was hit in the groin.
No orders for the disposition of the
bodies have yet been issued.
Ensign Bagley was about 70 years
of age and while the fleet was sta
toned here he was one of the most
popular men in the service. The news
of his death caused a terrible shock to
all who knew him. 1t has always been
a foregone conclusion that the torpedo
boat would be almost the first to fall,
as the work is most dangerous, but in
spite of this, when the fleet was sta
toned here and changes in assignments
were frequently made, all the young
men of the service were eager for tor
pedo duty.
The Hudson shows the effects of the
fight. Her smokestack is punctured
with bullet holes and her cabin and
decks are damaged and splintered.
SUNK A GUNBOAT.
It is now known that the American
boats made furious havoc with Carde-
mas harbor and town. The captain Of
the Hudson said: Il know we de-
stroyed a large part of the town near
the wharves, burned one of their gun
boats and l think destroyed two other
torpedo destroyers. We were in a Yor-
tex of shot, shell, smoke, ETC., and
could not tell accurately, but we saw
one of their boats on fire and sinking
soon after the action began. Then
large building near the wharf, 1 think
the barracks. took fire, and many other
buildings were soon burning. The Span
ish lad masked batteries on all sides
of US. AS soon as we got within range
OF their batteries they would move
them. 1 think their guns were field
pieces. Our large boat coald not get
into the harbor to help us on account
o. the shallow water.