The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-24
BOB EVANS STORY.
some Dramatic Incidents of the Santiago
Fight

|
captain Evans of the Iowa was at
the peace jubilee at Philadelphia and
addressed the assembly in honor of
the occasion. Part of his talk is as
follows:
!" OF our little scrap | can only say
that it was the prettiest little mix-up
that was ever seen. And | want to
say here that no fleet ever had
braver enemy than we did at Santa
go. These Spaniards stood up and
got killed in the best possible shape
IL saTndred of them died in less than
= .aiaaatass se- you cau see that
no flinching on Cervera's
ships.
During the fight there were two
very interesting moments. The first
when the four big cruisers of the enc
my came outside of the harbOr, firing
away with mechanical regularity, and
presenting a most magniticent specta-
Gle. They were not hitting anything,
but that made little difference at that
time; they tried hard enough. AS we
closed in there came a moment when
the fleeing Spanish ships had an
almost perfect chance to use their
rams on our vessels. | submit now
that not a single one changed his
course a single inch. They came out
of that harbor, and ran away, and
that is all they attempted to do, fight
ing as they went.
The second point was when Dick
Wainright misread a signal l know
that he won't admit that he did mis-
read it; however, I'll tell you the Incl
dent. In the Glouscester wainwright
was off the harbOr when two Spanish
torpedo-bOat destroyers were noticed
making straight at him. The Indi-
ana sgnaled: The enemy's torpedo
boats are coming out wainwright
read it: Close in and attack enemy's
torpedo boats? and YOU know the rest
of the story.
There was a dramatic picture
which | want to call your attention
to. 1t was after the Vizcaya had run
ashore, and | had to stop the Iowa
some 400 yards away. saw the sur
vIyDrs on the sand bar, which was
,(l3slAs;Gelyaa strip about 204 yards away
ffSY shore, on either side of a small
inlet. On one side school of hungry
sharks were making fierce rushes on
the men, and on the other the Cubans
were shooting away, utterly regard
less of the fact that they were fight
ing helpless foe. Out in front we
were not supposed to be very friendly.
"Finally, | saw Captain Eulate, of
the destroyed ship, coming toward
my vessel in a small boat. Now,
Eulate is what you would call black
! Spaniard; one of those fellows that
would cry as though his heart would
break every few minutes when III
| trouble. He sat in the stern of "a
mall boat. that had belonged g. his
vessel She was partly stove in, and
had about a foot of water, or should
say blood and water, in her bottom.
Gas looked down in the gangway
think that it was the most horrible
sight that | ever witnessed. In the
| bottom of the boat lay two dead
Spaniards, one with his head com
pletely shot away. The Spanish cap
tain was wounded in three places, and
each of the four men who rowed the
boat were more or less cut up. We
slung a chair over the side and care
fully hauled him on board
"As he came up the starboard
gangway the marine guard saluted,
and he was received with all the
honors of his rank AS he stepped
toward me he burst into tears, threw
his hands up in the air, and then,
with. gesture of utter despair, but
MitA y the grace of the pretty gen
tleman,- loosed his sword belt, and
pressing a fervent kiss on the hilt of
the weapon he extended it toward
me. Every man on that ship knew
that that Spaniard was giving up
something of value equal to his life.
| am not very good-natured, but |
could not take that sword
This met with loud cries of You
did right, Bob, and one lusty-lunged
individual announced that there was
not man in the country that would
take it. Captain Evans, who recog-
nized the speaker as u friend from
the rural districts, answered.: .,Oh,
you don't know what some of these
up-country Pennsylvanians would
do. 1t was a pretty good sword"
Continuing, Captain Evans, said:
Il didn't know exactly what to do
with the Spanish captain to get him
into our sick bay. AS was about to
ask him of his wounds, he stepped
toward the gangway and looked
shoreward. About a quarter of a
mile off Law the once mapniiicpnt vps-