The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-10

( inside the reef.
! ''These creatures had become excited
by the blood from the wounded mixing
| in the water.
MY boat crews worked manfully and
succeeded in saving many Of the wounded
from the burning ships. One man who
will be recommended for promotion clam
bered I'D the side Of the Vizcaya and
saved three men from burning 10 death
The smaller magazines of the Vizcaya
were exploding with magnificent cloud
effects. The boats were coming up in
steady string and willing hands were
helping the lacerated Spanish officers and
sailors on the Iowa's quarterback. All
the Spaniards were absolutely without
clothes. Some had their legs torn off by
fragments of shells. Others were multi
ated in every conceivable way.
THE bottoms Of the boats held two or
three inches Of blood. In many cases
dead men were lying in the blood. Five
poor chaps died on the way from the
Spanish ships. They were afterwards
buried with military honors from the
Iowa Some examples of heroism, or,
more properly. duty, were never surpass-
ed One man on the Vizcaya had his left
arm almost shot off just below the shout
der The fragments were hanging by a
small piece of skin. But he climbed un-
assisted over the side and saluted as II
on a visit of ceremony. After him came
strong-hearted sailor whose left leg had
been shot off above the knee. He was
hoisted on board the Iowa with tackle.
but never a whimper came from him.
Gradually the mangled bodies and
naked we'll men accumulated until it
would have been almost impossible to rec
ognize the Iowa as United States bat
tleship.
"Blood was all over her usually white
quarterdecks: 272 naked men were being
supplied with water and food. Finally
came the boats with Captain Eulate the
commander of the Vizcaya, for whom
chair was lowered over the side, as he
was evidently wounded. The captains
guard of marines were drawn up on the
quarterback to salute him, and l stood
waiting to welcome him. AS the chair
was placed on the deck the men present.
ed arms Captain Eulate slowly raised
hImSelI IN the CndlTs SdlulSu IIic with
grave dignity, unbuckled his sword belt
and, holding the hlt of the sword before
him, kissed it reverently with tears in
his eyes and then surrendered it to me.
"Of course, 1 declined to receive his
sword: and as tn crew of the Iowa saw
this. they cheered like wild mn.
''In the meantime thirty officers Of the
Vizcaya had been picked up, besides 272
of her crew. Our ward room and steer
age officers gave up their state rooms
and furnished food, clothing and tobacco
to those naked officers from the Vizcaya.
The paymaster issued uniforms to the
naked sailors and eacn was given all the
corned beef, hard tack and coffee he
could eat. The war had assumed another
aspect.
LAS | kne what the crews of the first
two ships wrecked had not been visited
by any of our vessels, l ran down to
them I found the Gloucester with Ad-
miral Cervera and a number of his oftic
ers aboard and also a large number of
wounded, some in a frightfully mangled
condition. Many prisoners had been kill
ed on shore by the fire of the Cubans
The Harvard came off and l requested
Captain Cotton TO go in and take off tbs