The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-16
SOME SEA YARNS.
Queer Incidents Of the Sun
day Battle of Santiago.

luuldld was IN the city a snort while
ago, he told his immediate friends a
number of interesting and amusing
incidents of the battle off Santiago
that have never been published. Capt.
Taylor is a jovial follower of the sea,
and knows good story when it hap
pens his way. He declares that after
the last Of Cervera's ships had been de-
stroyed, there were many little things
that appealed to ones rislbilities, in
spite Of the scene Of destruction and
the general feeling Of what might be
called exuItant sadness.
Capt. Taylor, as is well known in ma
val circles, is brother-in-law Of
Fighting Bob" Evans Of the Iowa.
The ties of friendship and relationship
between the two are very strong, in
deed, and both admitted afterward
that during the battle they were half
wishing that something would happen
to the other that they might rush to
the rescue and be Of service.
After all the poor Spaniards had
been safely tucked away in the various
ships of Uncle Sam, and all the ex
element of the famous battle was
over, it was but natural that Capt
Evans should cali upon Capt. Taylor
On the formers old ship, the Indiana
Congratulations were exchanged in q
manner betting the occasion, and then
the two began talking Of their expert
ences. 1t was in the cabin of the big
battleship and several of the rescued
Spanish officers We're sitting disconso-
.ately in the group.
1T strikes me as remarkable" spoke
up the far-famed Fighting Bob"
that during the first ten minutes of
IA Mt L 3 g.1
bridge giving orders to my men,
heard small shot and shell whistling
all about my ears and occasionally
would see huge body of steel go sail
ng overhead a discharge from one
of the heavier turret guns Of Cervepa' s
fine fleet. Then gradually the excite
ment of the chase became intense, and
the throbbing Of the engines beneath
me and the boom of our own guns f.
nally made me oblivious to the fact
chat any shots were flying around the
ship. 1t seemed as if we were at tar
get practice, and that there was no
Us for a time, too, but in the midst of
it all, there was no feeling of danger
20 the ship or the men"
THAT is truly strange" declared
Capt Taylor, but do you know, Bob,
| experienced precisely the same SEN
sation. After the first eight or ten
minutes of the battle, l was not cog
infant of the fact that steel missiles of
death were flying all about u.s. The
whistling of the shots 1 heard no
more. just as you say I suppose that
is the way it should be in battle, and
that a kind providence had made it
So
Just then a Junior lieutenant OF Tile
Spanish line, who was an English
scholar and had taken in everything
that was said, broke the silence he and
his fellows had maintained since their
capture:
Il think I may easily expIain~that
of which you have been talking" he
piped. We did not fire any shots af-
ter the first eight or ten minutes You
drove our men from the guns"
Capt Bob looked at Capt Taylor.
They looked at each other They
changed the subject
AFTER THE FIGHT WAS OVER.
Another story is told by Captain Tay-
Tor OF an fncredulous Austrian naval
o1lcer who arrived on the scene of the
Santiago battle after the fun was all
over IN that Austrian Warship that was
at first believed to be another Spanish
target for the American guns. When
the dark lines of the approaching war
ship We're seen hull down on the hori-
zon Captain Taylor was one of. the first
to make for her The Indiana was black
and grimy with powder stains, while
the decks were running in dark water
the wash from the swabbing Of guns.
The ship was filed with powder smoke,
pilot house, coming toWerS captains
cabin and hold. There was every indi-
cation of battle. Captain Taylor him
self stood in uniform trousers and his
naval cap. Some Of his fellow officers
declare that the remainder Of his make
up on this occasion was a satisfied
smile.
At any rate, the captain was at his
post of duty on the bridge, while the en-
CINE room force below was crowding on
all steam. The gunners, just through
with the flower of Spain's fleet, were
by their pieces, ready at a
to begin on this unknown en-
envy. Visions of the Cadiz feet were
before the eyes of the blockaders, who
had just turned one victory, and all
smelt battle, and of battle, too. The
Indiana made for the stranger with
rush.
AS the Austrian colors went up to the
main on the ship of war there was a
grunt of disappointment all around. The
two ships presently came to a stand
still not far distant from each other.
A boat was seen to put out from the
Austrian and was soon alongside the
Indiana's gang-plank with a lieutenant
on board, sent to exchange greetings
with the American commander and to
ask news Of the struggle with Spain
The lieutenant was conducted to the
captains cabin, amazement written on
every line Of his face. He looked first
at the decks and then at the begrimmed
crew and the officers all wet with pers-
piration and delightfully."- dirty. The
powder smoke in the cabin stifled him.
His ship was too far away during the
fight to hear anything but distant
rumble-a rumble like the heavy canon
nading so often heard off the Mole St
Nicholas.
When Captain Taylor appeared the
Austrian promptly asked what such a
state of things indicated.
1T indicates answered the captain,
that we have just engaged the enc
N.Y."
what Cervera?"
"The same.'
What were your losses?"
None"
but where is the Spanish aeet?'
again queried the now thoroughly ex-
cited foreigner.
Come up on the poop with me and
VIII show you.
The Austrian took his binoculars from
their leathern case.
'There-and there-and there-and
another-the Cristobal, little out Of
view" remarked Caytain Taylor, as he
pointed slowly to the burning ships
along the Cuban shore
Great God" The Austrian ST.