The evening times., 1898-08-10
A MIDNIGHT TALK.
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A conversation an Interesting char
acter. before lG9e audience. took place
or the Isle of Pines. on the southern
coast Of Cuba. on the nigh: of July Is
1t is reported by,a correspondent Of the
New York Evehn3 Post:
.The hour was midnight. The stars
shone clearly overhead. Away to the
northward vivid and frequent flashes of
lightning outlined the heavy cloud mass
es which hung along the horizon. All on
board the Decatur H. Miller were asleep.
save those who were on duty. The decks
were thickIy strewn with the forms OF
sleeping soldiers. who found the decks a
more comfortable dormitory than the hot
and oppressive quarters provided for
them below. The Miller was pounding
her way through the surges of the Ca
ribbean Sea n: her usual pace Of nine
knots an hour.
''The conversation started with some
sea-talk in the shape Of a signal light
which cleaned from the darkness on the
port quarter. An, unknown something
was out there. telling the Miller to stop
her engines. But the Miller kept on.
The light shot forward, and from a dim,
low-lying form on the surface Of the wa
ter there came a flash and report.
That was another and more emphatic
way of saying: 'Stop!' 1t was treated
as the light had been. Then the dark
form showed three signal lights. one
above the other. and ran up to within
hailing distance. and the summons to
'heave to- came through megaphone.
This produced the desired effect, and the
megaphone voice again came across the
water, and It came in tone that i'm
piled a very decided dissatisfaction with
what had been done. Its tone was an
cry.
What is the name Of that ship?'
"A less distinct megaphone replied from
our pilot house. The D. H. Miller
What Is that ship beyond you?'
The Arkadia.'
why did you not stop in answer to
our signais?
Il did not understand the signal
Why did you not stop when We fired"
Il thought you might be a Spaniard.'
Have you soldiers on board"
Yes. Three hundred Of them
VERY well! Now. / want to tell you
that you are a natural born - - fool!
You have endangered the life of every
man on board your ship. II 1 hadn't
known that transports were coming /
should have filled you full of holes for
not stopping when We fired. AS for Span
iards, you need not be afraid of them.
There is nothing on this coast that dare
cross our lines. or even go outside the
harbor. You will probably be stopped by
five or six patrol boats between here and
Won pQad ah0nf
any Spaniards, but when anything out
here tells you TO stop. you stop! Now, go
ahead and good luck to you ALL
This little speech may have been lack
ing In punctillo- and in those lines of fine
courtesy which are 4 marked character
istic of the officers of our navy. but 1t
was a marvel of directness, force. lucid
ity and truth. Its meaning was as clear
as the day. 1t was answered by burst
of hearty applause and cheers from the
men who thronged the sides Of the Mil
Ter. Three rousing cheers came from the
saucy and neryE Eagle, one of the most
dashing and slccsasful boats on the
blockading line. Then the signal lights
went out. and the dpsky shape slid away
into the darkness toward the coast.
sit was quite an episode. The men lay
awake on the deck discussing it, and We
of the cabin sat in BAHAMAS. nightshirts,
and underwear, for a review OF the situa-
ton. We pronounced our ship captain to
be guilty of high crime and misdemeaa-
or. Capt. Emery, the commanding,
though not the ranking military officer on
board was authorized to visit the cap
tain of the ship, and announce our SER
tence, that he be keel-hauled, mastheaded.
and then hung at the yard-arm, II such
a contrivance could be found on board
the steamer. Capt. Emery. hatless. bare
footed, and clad only in undignifed and
unofficial underwear. proceeded on his
fearful errand. But, upon his arrival. he
exercised the authority which
he was vested by reason of his official
position. and modified the sentence. He
proceeded to say things in a manner
which may be learned at West Point.
though the form is not included in the
prescribed studies of that institution.
From the sulphurous smell which was
waited through the cabin windows Dur
clear TO the rest of US that the captain
Infantry. was doing his duty like a man
and sinner. Within those minutes. the |
OF the Miller gained some va,ua- |
BILE information with regard to the wis |
dom and safety of monkeying with the |
vessels of the United States navy. The |
next time he is called upon to stop and |
that it is likely to be at any hour of the !
lay or night. it is probable that the en- |
sines OF the Miller will cease their throb-
ping without loss of time
EXTERNAL DEBT OF SPAIN.