The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-20

and as a curtain of smoke settles down
all about the ship, the captain of the
Vixen, who is coming to their assis-
tance at full speed, says to his crew;
Boys, you have seen the Brooklyn
for the last time
"Shels were tearing through our
sides, ripping the smoke stacks and
hammering the arinor belt. AS our
head slowly swung to etarboard the
Vizcaya got the contents OF the whole
battery of that side at close range, and
she Immediately took fire. The Oregon
now steamed into the fight, her crew
cheering us like mad inen. Up went
Schley's signal: Remember the
Mainer The fury of the guns doubled.
Santiago bay was now living hell
of fire, smoke and carnage.
'It could not last. The Maria Teresa
is now on fire and while the Texas
tears great gaps in her. sides. she
heads for the beach and strikes her
colors. The Cristobal Colon then breaks
out of the fleet and starts up the coast
at a nineteen knot gait. The Brook
lyn starts in hot chase, leaving the
Iowa and Texas to finish up. The
Colon gains at nrst, for we have only
three boilers going. More steam is
the cry.
"They jab those fires like demons.
The gap between us is soon closing.
The Oregon and Vixen follows in the
distance. After an exciting chase of
over three hours we again begin to
throw eight-inch shells into her and
she let's go last broadside, runs up
on the beach and hauls down the flag.
We lost one man. killed, one wounded
and no ships. The Brooklyn was hit
thirty -eight times. and 1t is almost
miracle that she is afloat today"
James II. Murphy, of Hawley. a for
mer resident of this city, was one of
the marines landed at Guantanamo
bay several weeks ago before the arTi-
val of Skaters men. He took part
in the fighting there and had also the
good luck to he in the naval engage
ment of July 81. In a letter to friend,
he writes: Friday night the Iowa
came here Guantanamo bay), and the
New Orleans came down here and ask
ed for l20 marines to man the ships
of the feet, and 1t was my luck to be
sent. l was put on the Oregon. When
we got where Sohley was, we were told
that the Spanish fleet was coming out
to meet ours. Sure enough Sunday
morning we saw them coming out Of
the harbor. Well. we knew we could
lick them. but did not expect to get
off as easy as we did"
Mrs. Mary J. Mari. q widow residing
at 66 Lehigh street, Wilkes-Barre. has
received a letter from her son, Marcus
Mari. stating that he was severely
wounded in the battles about SantiGgo
and was now in the hospital at Point
Comfort. Va. The letter stated that
he had sent home all his papers before
the fighting and asked that they he re-
turned TO him. Mari was born and
raised in Wilkes Barre, is rs years old
and enlisted in the Eighth regiment
of the regular army five years ago.
His term of enlistment expired on
June 9, but he re-enlisted at once. He
was sergeant in his regiment \
brother, John Allen Marr, is musician
in the same regiment, but was not in
jnred in the fight. The letter did not
state the nature of Marrs wounds.
Mr.. John Cunniff telegraph editor of
the Times, displays with some sa.is~
faction a souvenir of the nava, Lettle
at Santiago. 1t is II brass button from
the uniform of one of the crew Of yhe
Spanish cruiser, Christobal Colon,
worn during the engagement. Mr..
Cunniff received the trophy from his
brother, Thomas +. Cunniff, a mechan-
ic on board the United States auxiliary
cruiser Harvard. which conveyed the
nri SD tia 70, Do n
n. n. During the voyage one of the
prisoners frem the Christobai Colon
gave him the button. Mr.. Cunniff's let
ter declares that the Soaniards give
ample testimony in their personal ap-
pearance of the hard usage to which
they have been ubjected-Times.
County Commissioner. Quincy. of
Wilkes Barre, is in receipt of a letter
from his brother. Dennis Quincy. a
corporal in the regular army, who was
shot in the knee during the assault
of San Juan hill. near Santiago. He
is now in the camp hospitar at Siboney,
Cuba. He is improving, but is anxious
to get out of Cuba.
In letter to President Walter Gas
ton, of the Wilkes Barre board OF
trade. Colonel c. b. Dougherty, COM
mander of the Ninth regiment. says
they would greatly appreciate one hun
dred thousand two-grain quinire pills
sheeting. pillow cases, matted milk, and
boards to make floors for the tents.
John Mcbride, a Wilkes-Barr boy
with the Seventh United States regi-
ment of regulars in Santiago in a let
ter to friends said he had been in the
fight, but escaped injury.
nNnrUEpc prrrrn1y