Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-05-15
|A|IHI At C|ENFE9|)S
One American Killed and Sew,
eral Badly Wounded.
MANY OTHERS SLIGHTLY Hurt
Old Lighthouse Turned Into
~ f.. a Fort.
MASKED BATTERYASHORE
Spanish Trn".,s Resist an Attempt to Cut
the Cnh..a. Nashville and Marble
Machine. Guns. The wound
ed at Key West.
MANY OTHERS SuGHTLYHURI.
MASKED BATTERY

Copyright, 1895, by Associated Press.)
KEY WEST, FLA, May 1.-THE
United States cruiser NIarblehead. the
gunboat Nashville and the auxiliary
cruiser Window steamed UP to the
harbor of Cienfuegos early Wednesday
morning with orders to cut the cable
connecting Havana with Santiago.
This task was accomplished. but only
after fight between our warships
and several thousand Spanish troops,
which lined the shore and lay conceal
cd behind improvised breastworks One
| man. Il seamon named Reagan, of the
Marbehead was killed in one of the
working small boats and six men We're
seriously wounded. In addition, a
large number on board the ships re-
ceived minor wounds. Captain S. E..
Mcguire. of the Window, believes that
several of the six badly wounded men,
who were brought to Key West this
morning cannot recover.
The following is the list of killed and
badly wounded: H
ki!led-Reagan, seaman of the Mar
blehead
Badly wounded--.Iohn Davis, of New
York: John ]. Doran. of Fall River,
Mass; Ernest Suntezeaickle. Herman
W. Hochneister. Harry Hendrickson,
all of the Marhlehead: Robert Roltz,
Carteret county. N. c., of the Nash:
vile.
Soon after the arrival Of the war
! ships off Cienfuegos four boats were
| lowered and proceeded in shore for.
| the purpose OF graphing for the cable.
| in order TO cut 1t. The warshtps lay
to about 1000 yards or more off the
harbor. 1t was observed that the
Spanish troops had assembled ashore,
but it was not known that heavy guns
had been placed in il masked battery
| and that the old lighthouse far out on
| a neck of land had been transformed
| into Il formidable fort
When the commanders of the Mar
blchead and the Nashville called for
volunteers to man the boats and cut
the cable the men responded with a
jump. Lieut.. c. MGR. Winslow of the
Nashville. took command of the Nash
tilie's boats. The shore surrounding
the entrance OF the harhor was first
shelled and then the boats proceeded
in.
The work of finding the cable was
slowly and cautiously proceeded with
The cable was deep in the channel and
was found with difficulty. One of the
relays of the cable had been cut when
the Spaniards opened fire. The ma
rines in the boats replied at once and
machine gun from the forward
launch sent in Il stream of bullets,
while heavy shells from the warships
olpNe Vie epstllElf0S from the IlIle PITS
i at the shore. many OF them seeking
rfuge in the lighthouse fort, which was
afterward torn to pieces by a she'll
| from the Window. Na ~
AS there We're great numbers of Span
iards in and behind the fort at the time
there is no doubt that many of them
We're killed. With desperate courage
| the American sailors remained calmly
at their posts ana succeeded in drag
| Sing up the second relay of the cable
and severing it. Seven men badly
wounded was the count and one Of
them. Reagan died while on the way
back to the ship. Lieutenant WinsloW
was shot in the hand and a number
of others We're more or less injured.
On the Nashville. Captain Maynard
was standing forward with an ensign,
when Il Spanish bullet passed through
| the ensign's shoulder and struck May
nard on the chest. near the heart.
wounding him only slightly.
The Marblehead was struck scores Of
times by bullets from machine guns
and the Nashville suffered to about the
same extent. The Window also had
many marks of the fray. Her shell.
blowing up the lighthouse and scatter
| ing Spaniards in all directions, ended
the battle.
Boltz and Hendrickson. who, with
four others of the wounded, are at the
naval hospital here are expected to
die.
The remains of Reagan were buried
at sea. sM
The cable which was cut at CienIue-
gos extended from Santiago de Cuba.
| 1t does not sever cable communication
With Cuba. as there is another line In
| operation between Santiago de Cuba
| and Kingston. jamaica. The severed
able is owned by the Cuba Submarine
| no an, on.r1tiDG King
Ston is owned by the West india Pan
| anna 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.