Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-05-29
l.OUISAT NETWORK
Cruiser Arrives from West
Indian Waters.
as.s -
HOW CABLES WERE CUT
Men Tell of "a Drueh with the
spaniards at Santiago. Big
Warships VIII Mount
Large Guns.
(By Telegram +,

tBy Telegraph.)
NEW YORK. May 2S.-The auxiliary
cruiser ST. Louis arrived here from
West Indian waters this morning. She
has been ordered to the Cramps ship
yard at Philadelphia. where it is in
tended to place upon her six 5-inch
quick firing rifles and thus make her
equal to the ST. Paul. The St. Louis
carried only four 6-pounders
The incident of the attempt to sever
g cable communication between Cuba
and the rest OF the world which was
one of the latest in which the ST. Iouis
dian waters. is told as follows by one
who was on board the cruiser:
Orders were given by Admiral
sampson to Captain Goodrich on May
10 TO take the fleet tender in tow and
proceed to Santiago de Cuba and cut
the cables at that point. The graphing
implements were secured from the tug
Wampatuck on May 16 and at Ii p NJ
the expedition in the small boats left
the cruiser for the entrance Of San
tiago. 1t was then perfectly dark and
hazy and the Santiago light was burn
ing brightly. Moonrise was not until
3:45 A. NJ.
At A. NJ. May II, the expedition re-
tprned with part Of the cable, but it
had failed to find the second one which
is close under the fort and was pro-
tected by two patrol boats Then
start was made to cut the cable on
the other side OF the island At A. NJ
the ST. Louis fired its first gun ut the
forts protecting the entrance to Santa
go harbor and after a little time tbs.
fire was returned by one gun which
must have been two FOUNDER.
At A M. the St. Louis was about
two miles distant from the fort, which
seemed to be unprotected by modcr,,
guns. After three hours graphing In
over 500 fathoms. the cable had not
been found. AT 1915 P. NJ. the gums OF
MORO Castle opened fire followed hy
the shore battery on the southern point
and also the west battery. The st.
Louis kept up constant fire from her
bow guns and soon succeeded in silence
Ing the guns Of MORO Castle. The gar
rison Spanards could be seen running
in all directions Most of the shots
from the forts fell short Of the ship.
Shells from the mortar battery went
over the cruiser and exploded in the
water quite close to the St Louis. The
mortar batter ceased ut 1856. after Il
fusilade OF forty-one minutes. After
the firing the cable was grappcd, haul
ed on board and cut.
The st. Louis crew behaved in n
very cool manner under fire. and Cap
tain Goodrich and w. C. Randle. the
latter OF the American Line. ut the
close of the engagement. compliment
ed all hands for their bravery.
SuDldlu ILduNle say there IL Il miss
take OF a day in the date of the bonn
bardnaent Of Santiago de Cuba as Civ
enby the copy OF the cruisers log. He
He says that after the graphing on
May 16. when the St. Louis had to slip
away on account OF the presence of
two Spanish gunboats. the cruiser and
the Wampatuck ramained out OF sight
of Santiago all the next day. The
hombardment took place as described,
Captain Randlc AYERS. on May 49,
.l.,r<,,
ded. but the new forts ON the shores
kept up savage fire.
The cruisers 8-pounders not being
able to reach the mortar battery. after
7 the cable had been cut, the st. Louis
\ and her consort retired. During the
bonlbardment the st. Louis fired 172
shots and the Wampatuck fired sew
enty-six rounds.
That night, Captain Randlc says, the
cruiser and the Wampatuck lay TWEEN
ty miles to the southwark of Santiago.
and on the morning of May 10 proceed
ed to Guantanamo. where they Crap
pied for cable at the mouth OF the
harbor. The cruiser was not able to
make q cutting before Spanish gun
boats, armed with G-inch rifles. opened
fire on It, A company of soldiers ON
a hill also blazcd away with their
small arms The gunboats finally fore
ed the ST. Louis and Wampatuck out to
sea. The cutting of the cable was
Mole st. Nicholas was visited on
May 20 and from there dispatches We're
sent to Washington. The Wampatuck
was ordered to proceed to Key West
from that place. The st. Louis pro-
ceeded along the north coast of HAY
ii where 1t met the ST. Paul. They
parted In about an hour ana then the
ST. Louis went to Cape Cabarojo to sew
er the cable running in from Porto Rico
and San Domingo. but the bottom was
SO foul at that place that the subma-
rine line could not be located.
Last Sunday the ST. Louis cruiSrd
along the coast Of Porto Rico and ran
within two miles Of the batteries at
Ponce. Cape Matalas was visited on
May 90, and at ST. Thomas next day
the cruiser got orders to proceed to
New York to take on her heavier guns
and then go to Cramps shpyard to be
armor plated. The big guns We're put
aboard the cruiser today and tomorrow
at A. NJ she vii! start for Philadel-
phia.
4ecaptain Randle says that the bonn
81 a:lment of San Juan caused consider
ohIe dsaage to the Spanish forts there
and the Sf.I.ouis passed the wrecked
/ fortifications ni aEt day. Captain Ran
die says that neitheFs ScnlsX.s or tGs
Spanish feet was sighted or htHf7":ssa
during the trip Of the st. Louis in West
Indian waters. The cruiser succeeded
in cutting three cables in all. one being
on the south side of Port Rico, anoth-
err at Santiago de Cuba and the third
at Guantanamo.
IN THE. BEST OF IIUMOR.