The record-union., 1898-06-06
She Carries Heroes Of the Battles On the
Cuban Coast.
Many Of the Invalids Were IN
Swinging Hammocks ON Deck,
Where They Could Breathe the
Fresh Ocean Breezes-Some of
Them We're in the Fights at
Cienfuegos and Cardenas and
Will Bear the Scars to Their
Graves.


NEW YORK, June copyrighted.
1898, by the Associated Press) The
ambulance ship Solace came into port
to-day, having on board fifty-four
wounded and sick, some. Of whom had
been transferred from the American
warships in Cuban waters, and others
taken from the hospitals at Key West.
Her after-deck had been tented off
with canvas, and in swinging ham,
mocks lay half a dozen of the more
seriously ill of the patients. The con-
valescing-rOom was the basking place
of score or more Of the poor fellows
who had not given up the fight with
out a struggle, while the privilege of
the decks had been accorded all those
who We're able to move about or a1fx-
ious to watch the green hills as the
good ship moved in shoreward The
Solace anchored off Tompkinsville ear
ly this morning, where she was board
ed by a representative of the Associ-
ated Press. She left Key West Wednes-
day afternoon last, and made the run
to New York without incident until
Saturday night, when the gale tumbled
her about awhile and made things to
some extent uncomfortable for the pa
tients she carried But the sea voyage
was tonic to the men. They had left
behind the sweltering heat of the trop-
ics-had exchanged suffocating and ex-
hauSting winds for refreshing breeZes.
Many were nearing home; all almost
were to rest in the heart of the great
country they had been fighting for The
Solace. brought in many a little band
of heroes among the fifty-four. They
had gathered together in little groups
on the voyage up many a time and
told again the story of a brush with
the Spaniards or the night watch at
the blockade
Four of the heroes were from the
Nashville and the Marblehead were
among the patients on the Solace-Rob-
ert Voltz of San Francisco, and Henry
Hendricksen, John Davis and H. ".
kuchmeister of New York They are
the wounded of that gallant band of
volunteers who cut the cable at Glen
fuegos nearly month ago 1t is a
tale that has been told before, but that
noble effort will live in history side by
side with the Merrimac's journey down
into the narrOws at Santiago harbor.
Commander McCalla Of the Marble
head called for volunteers to man the
boats. Every hand went up, and then
begged for a call to the place of dan
ger. Lieutenant Winslow Lieutenant
Anderson and Ensign Magruder were
In charge as the seamen swept the
boats with easy stroke in shore In
the rifle pits 1900 Spaniards had gath
cred. Shells from the warships were
directed along the coast line, and then,
with every man at his gun, the Mar
blehead, Nashville and Window sailed
watching for the voice that all knew
was inevitable.
The small boat made straight in. A
few hundred yards from shore and the
men were at work. They dragged UP
the first cable and hacked through the
heavy strands; then found the second
This was the Spanish signal and they
opened fire. For a half hour the gallant
sailors worked amid a rain of bullets
Meanwhile, the American warships
were hurting shells and shot into the
enemy, who nevertheless kept up
fierce fire. The men in the boats kept
coolly at their work. Never for a mo-
ment did they falter Lieutenant Wins
low lost three fingers of his left hand
by the explosion Of a shell, but he is
still at Key West, ready for duty again.
John Reagan, on the Marblehead. was
shot through the chest. AS he fell Pri-
vate Marine Kuchmeister stooped to
assist. At that instant a ball struck
the latter in the jaw and passed out
of his mouth. The marine, hardly re-
alizing how badly he was injured.
bandaged up his jaw with a handker-
chief and tried to stop the flow of
blood from Reagan's wound, but poor
Reagan died a moment later. Gunner's
Mate Davis of the Marblehead was
torn with bullet in his thigh. and a
moment after a 1-pounder from shore
had sent shot close enough to craze
his arm.
Hendricksen and Voltz mot Volts).
the former from the Marblehead and
the latter from the Nashville. are the
others of that gallant expedition who
will carry the marks OF heroism TO the
grave. When the revenue cutter Win
dom brought Hendricksen and Voltz to
Key West the hospital surgeons said
both would die. One had three bullet
wounds; this was Voltz. A 22-caliber
bullet had passed through the skull at
the base Of the brain and out. Com
pared with this the other wounds were
insignificant. He was unconscious for
several days at the barracks hospital
at Key West but gradually they
brought him around. Now Volts looks
well. To be sure, he is still thin and
haggard, wears the bandages, and says
that his head troubles him somewhat;
but Volts is a hero like his three mates,
and there are many heroes in the
American navy. Hendricksen was shot
through the abdomen. The bullet pass
ed completely out, so great is the We
locity of these tiny steel missiles under
new methods Of propulsion. Hendrick-
sen, when seen aboard ship to-day,
however, said he would be fighting the
Spanish again before the end of the
month, If there was any fight left in
them.
The Winslow sent one man here to
remind the people North of that now
famous torpedo-boat and of the terrible
engagement at Cardenas, when Ensign
Bagley was killed-the first officer of
the American navy to fall in this war,
with four of his men. He is Robert T.
Grubb, a landsman. 1t was on that
memorable occasion that Lieutenant
Bernadou, in command of the Winslow,
under orders from Commander Todd of
the gunboat Wilmington, attempted to
force Cardenas harbor for the purpose
of drawing the fire of the masked bat
teries. The fire was hundred fold
more effective than expected, and the
first shell from shore exploded over the