Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-25
ON THE wIssLow UNDER FIRE.
William o'Hearn Tells what lie saw
ON Deck when the Fight Was Hot.
New York UeraIdt

4 t'NN aOth AttIbfbst
Just returned from the disastrous fight
at Cardenas. William o'Eet~n, water
tender on the torpedo-boat Winsiow.
which was so badly injured In the action
and had four of her crew killed besides
| Ensign Bagley. is at his home. No. 10
state street Brooklyn. After brief rest
he will return to the service, as his time
has just expired, and he proposes to re.
enlist In the naval service. Eighteen
years spent in the service. in every quar-
ter OF the globe, has not cooled his ardor,
neither has the fate OF his gallant com-
rades in the fight in cardenas bay.
IL was with difficulty that the plucky
seaman could be induced to ten OF his
experiences on the day when the little
Winslow was riddled by the masked
Spanish batteries before Cardenas. AT
last he said:
We'll, 1 suppose I must tell you about
It, although many OF .Ae details have
been printed already.
JUST BEFORE THE BATTLE.
"On the morning OF May nth we were
lying off Matanzas. AT daybreak we
were ordered TO go to Cardenas and get
coal off the Machias. When We arrived
We found the Machias, with the Whining
ton and the Hudson. lying of the Carde~
mas light, the Hudson being aground. We
helped 10 tow her OFF, and we were then
ordered to go into Cardenas and see what
vessels were lying in the harbor. The
Winslow was accompanied by the Will
mington and the Hudson, the Machas
remaining outside. We sighted two ves-
sells that looked like Spanish gunboats.
We cleared for action, with sharpshooeers
in the tops of the Wilmington. We soon
discovered the vessels were deserted barks
hailing from Barcelona. AS we drew
closer In the water shoaled rapidly. and
this forced the Wilmington to withdraw.
AS she left. an ofiicer--the captain, l sup
rose-shouted through a megaphone for
us to go in closer and see II there were
Gunboats at the wharves, and Ii so, draw
their fire. AS we drew In masked bat
terry on shore and the gunboats at the
dock opened fire on US. We promptly
replied with our l-pounders. My place
was below, but the firing brought every
man on deck. John Varvares. the oiler;
John Denfee and John Meek. hremen.
were on duty with me, and had they re.
manned below, would probably have es-
capped. After the firing began l returned
TO my duty at the boilers. A few minutes
later shot smashed through the boat
and into the forward boiler. where II ex-
ploded, stunning me and throwing open
the furnace doors. The fuse struck my
feet' 1t was fearful crash. and the
0olIer-room speedily filled with coal and
steam.
THE HEROIC LIEUTENANT.
when | recovered somewhat l rushed
m deck 10 report TO Lieutenant Berna-
lou. He was standing near the 'f0c'sle'
'un, a blood-soaked towel tied around
us left leg His voice. giving orders.
"A no. h..
uns yelled that shell had gone
through the forward boiler, and he replied
0 get out the hose, and again turned to
ne gun. l returned to the b0iler-room,
lhile the fight grew hotter. Going on
eek again, | found that several OF the
rev were missing. Five of them were
Ting in heap on the starboard quarter
ear the after conning-tower. Others
'ere lying i'm agony. or dragging them
elves around, wounded and covered with
lood.
II saw that all the group Of five men
ere not dead. John Meek was able to-
)eak and move one hand slightly
sked him II there was anything I could
} for him. He said No, Bill, old man,
m dying. Good-by.' He died a minute
ter
Ensign Bagley was lying beneath the
hers, badly mangled. The colored cook
y ~ htOt apart rum ttit bkuttH. we
opposed him dead, and covered him like
e rest. Nearly an hour later we found
m living. He said he was being roasted
Ter the boilers. and asked US 10 move
m. We moved him and gave him u
ink of water. He just said. Thank you,
r. and died.
JUST oBEYED ORDERS.
lust then we signalled the Hudson 10
me 10 our aid, as the Winslow had
ceived seven sh0t-holes, besides the de-
cement Of her boilers and machinery.
d was In danger of sinking. The Span.
-ds had our range and poured steady
-eam OF shells upon the Winsiow. Tho
Idson had a hard time TO get hold OF
the first line parting. but finally We
re towed out OF range and were joined
the Machias and Winslow. Our cap
IN and officers fought bravery. and
ere was no Sinking. We were under
iers and obeyed them. We did as We
re told and II was not our fault that
didn't do better"
rHearn has had other narrow escapes
IN death during his eighteen years OF
vice. He was serving on the Puritan
en crown sheet burned out. steam
4 water pouring into the furnace.
ief-Engineer George Cowie was badly
lded while trying TO reach the safety.
We. o'Hearn and August Wilson. 4
lermaker. wrapped wet cloths around
ir hands. arms. and faces and enter
the nre-room. Wilson opened the
ety-valye, while oHearn crawled over
boilers and closed the auxiliary Stop.
We. despite the fact that he was Al.
st boiled alive. He received a medal
honor from Secretary Long for his he
; conduct on this occasion.
K