Evening star., 1898-05-12
Ensign BaSley.

! Ripen's directions she has been trans
| formed into a perfectly equipped hospital.
| Her dining saloon has been turned into
| large operating room. with enameled floors,
walls, &c, and with sterilizing apparatus
! for steriliZing the bandages, Instruments.
| surgeons aprons, gloves. &c. An elevator
| connects this operating room with the
| wards below, and the elevator is large
| enough to take on board a large-sized cot.
| Aside from the Solace the navy has at
| Key West temporary hospital. 1t is the
purpose of the department, however, to
Use the Solace mainly for the wounded,
and to bring them north as fast as their
condition will permit, in order 10 get them
cut of the rigor of the southern climate.
| The ProyocatiOn for Attack.
| Up to l o'clock the Navy Departme had
received no details of the fight at Carde-
mas except those supplied by the Associated
| Press, in which the greatest interest was
| manifested. There was a disposition mani
/ tested to question the wisdom of the attack
| made under such circumstances by one light
| gunboat, a torpedo boat and a revenue cut
| ter upon fortified port, with a feet under
| the guns. 1t was suggested that our Off
| cels wero becoming reckless, owing to the
good fortune they have heretofore had in
| in the absence of official reports it was ask
| ed that judgment be suspended. 1t is not
believed, although on this point the officials
are mute, that the attack was made on
| specific orders from either the department
or from Commodore Watson, who is now
| N charge OF the blockading squadron in
the absence of Admiral Sampson. 1t is
pl obable that the commanders of the
American gunboats Were acting under a
general instruction to prevent the strength
enlng or construction of shore batteries
and to destroy Spanish gunboats 1t Is be-
neVed that in the latter pursuit the boats
were unwfttingly drawn within range OF the
fire of the batteries. The Wilmington was
the most formidable vessel in the Ameri-
can line of attack, and yet she was nothing
more than a gunboat of moderate size, be-
ing 1892 tons, and carrying a battery of
eight 4-inch guns. four 6-pounders four l.
Founders, four Colts and one field gun
The Hudson was not long ago employed as
a harbor revenue cutter at New York As
enc of the officers put it she is nothing
more than a big launch, 81 feet long b.
p feet beam, drawing feet 10 inches, and
with speed of 13 knots and tonnage of
ia. Her battery is insignificant, being
made up of two 6-pounders and machine
gum The Winslow is one of the newer tor
pedo boats Of the navy buiIt at the Column
bian Iron Works, her tonnage being 142
and her speed 24la knots She is It's feet
long by IL feet beam and 5 feet inches
deep. She is torpedo boat pure and sim
pie, for besides her torpedo tubes her only
weapons of defense three 1-pounder
guns.
1t will appear from this statement that
the three boats were ridiculously made
quate in the matter of battery power
Lieutenant Bernadou, the commander of
the Winslow. who was wounded. is one of
the very few men who have received the
thanks of the Secretary of the Navy for
gallant conduct and good judgment He
started with the Winslow from Newport
last February to join the squadron at Key
West. He had scarcely disappeared from
sight when one of the most terrific gales
experienced for years swept over the At
lantic coast. The torpedo boats are not
good sea boats, and the Winslow was lust
out of the builders hands and without hav-
ing been thoroughly tested. The Navy De-
partment was in the greatest apprehension
for her safety when she turned up at Della
ware breakwater. 1t appeared that in the
height of the gale, when the ablest sea-
manship was required to keep the little tor
pedo boat above the water, Lieutenant Ber-
Hduoua Hdu discovered TWO poor fellows
adrift on one of the big garbage scows
blown away from New York without food or
water. Regardless of the great risk to him
self and mis- little boat, by adroit handling
of the craft he managed to rescue the men
and bring them to the breakwater. En-
sign Bagley was with him on that trip and
assisted in the rescue, which earned the
commander letter Of thanks from the Sec
retary of the Navy.
Cardenas Has Figured Before
Cardenas has before figured in Cuba's
struggle for liberty. Secretary Quesada of
the Cuban delegation said today that ii was
the point at which General Lopez made his
first landing with an American expedition.
which opened a former revolt against the
power of Spain. At present it is one of the
two outside limits of the section made SUBJ
ject to blockade by the proclamation of
President Mckinley. which recited that the
blockade would be maintained from Car
H.. -