The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-18
No Mention of Sickness Save NAL de
Mer, and the Boys Well and
Happy, but Hungry.
SIX INVOLUNTARY DESERTERS
WENT ASHORE AT NEWPORT NEWS
FOR SQUARE MEAL AND GOT LEFT.
Two Caught the Boat by Hiring a Tug
-Hardships on BOARD and Capt.
Grigsby Roasted.
correspondence Of the journal.


o. BOARD THE TRANSPORT ROU-
M N, Off the Southern Coast of Porto
R ednesday Evening. Aug. S.--Unul
tc the voyage to Porto Rico has been
a. eneventful one, but the fact that the
Roumanian is in command of a very obsti-
nate man was fully demonstrated this
morning. The first officer has made the
trip and has steered the ship into safe am
chorage several times, but the captain
would not listen to him, and at 4:50 o'clock
this morning the vessel met with an acci-
dent that came near bringing the voyage to
sudden and unpleasant end. The men had
just been awakened and several were on
deck when harsh, grating sound was heard
for few moments. and then the ship came
to a sudden stop, and the men realized that
she was on the rocks in sight OF our destl-
nation. 1t was afterward ascertained that
luck was still with the Twenty-seVenth
Battery, for, instead of striking one of the
many jagged rocks that are plainly dis
cernible on all sides, the Roumanian had run
on coral reef. and unless a squall should
appear in the immediate vicinity no danger
was apprehended. To make matters worse,
however, after first striking the reef the
captain, unwilling still to admit he was In
the wrong, gave orders to go ahead and
tried to run the ship over the reef, but
finally gave up the attempt after running
her up hard and dry. After a consultation
with his officers distress signals were run
up and several rockets were fired. The ssg-
nails resulted in the bringing OF large.
freighter to the rescue at about $3.50 o'clock.
boat was lowered and an officer was
rowed to the freighter, and after quite a
delay the boat returned with the informal
tion that the captain of the stranger could
not help, as his vessel was as large, If not
larger, than the Roumanian and drew more
water, and was afraid to move up close
enough to pull us off the reef However,,
the signals had been seen by others and in
side of an hour two transports appeared.
They proved to be the Comanche and the
City of Macon, of the Mallory line, out from
New York, and had just landed troops from
Tampa. After much talk and delay two
cables were stretched from the Roumanian,
one to each of the transports, and just as
every one was shanking hands with his
neighbor on the rescue being sure and soon
the steamers started ahead, the cables
tightened, and then every mans heart
leaped into his throat as the two huge
lines (cable at least four inches in diameter)
snapped like much twine without budging
us. The stricken ship settled back and
again commenced her ceaseless grinding.
Disheartened, every one sat down to await
further developments, for apparently every
thing had been done that could be. From
this time until about 1890 o'clock every
thing was quiet; then orders were given that
every man, with the exception of a horse
guard, consisting of fifteen men from each
battery, should get all personal property
packed and in readiness TO leave the ship
as soon as mess had been served. The men
had received two days rations each, which
they were to carry with them. They were
then to be transferred to the Comanche,
which vessel was to take them to the land
ing. This scheme seemed to be the only
plausible thing to do, as the unloading of
nearly eight hundred men might so tighten
the ship that she could be hauled off much
more readily. In twenty minutes after re-
ceiving the orders the men had drawn their
rations, had their baggage packed and on
deck, ready to move. Just everything
was in readiness all plans were thrown to
the winds by the arrival Of the cruiser CO.
lumbia. This is the first war vessel sighted
since leaving Newport News, and, of course,
the appearance of this magnificent vessel
on the scene caused the greatest excite-
ment on board the transport. Again a long
delay and then just as plan had been
settled ard arrangements been made for the
Columbia to get the ship out of her un-
pleasant predicament the flood tide kindly
lifted her off the reef and the Roumanian
was again under way. AT o'clock .. m.
the ship anchored in a little bay surrounded
on all sides by mountains, in sight of a little
village, evidently some kind OF a summer
resort. called Guanica. 1t was thought at
first the batteries were to unload at this
port, as several transports had already been
unloaded, and a camp of infantry could be
seen along the beech. Orders were received
at $50 p. to stay in the bay until morn
ing, and then to make for Ponce, a distance
of about fifteen miles, where the Rou-
manian was to unload A native pilot will
come on board early in the morning. and the
probabilities are that Ponce will be reached
shortly after daylight.
Thursday, Aug. 4, a. m.--Just arrived az
Ponce and everything is In a hustle, every
one getting ready to disembark. The har-
Dor is full of vessels of all descriptions, the
Columbia is here before US, and next TO her
at anchor lies another gunboat. The rest
of the vessels are evidently transports and
freighters. The Massachusetts is busy un-
loading the horses belonging to the cavalry.
and everything Is confusion j. " "