Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1898-07-15
w. r. HEARST.

tary masts have been swept overheard,
and her decks are clear Of top hamper
down to the turrets and the guns We
lowered boat to visit her, and as we
came alongside shocking sight met
our eyes. Dead Spaniards were floating
all about in the water stripped to the
waist as they had stood to man their
guns. We steered nervously among the
bodies, feeling much pity, and some
satisfaction too, that the Maine had
been again SO well remembered
About this time the Suwanee came
up and sent the famous Lieutenant Blue
ashore in her whaleboat to look for sur
vivors of the crews Of the Spanish YES
sells and take them prisoners. We de-
termined to follow, though we had nei
Their lifeboat nor life preservers, as the
Suwanee's boat crew had, and though
the surf was running high and strong
on a rocky beach. But deciding to swim
for it if we were upset, we dragged off
our clothing and headed our jolly boat
for the shore. When the first scrape of
gravel sounded under our keel, we jump
ed out and dragged the boat up on the
beach. Lieutenant Blue had been safely
hauled ashore by his crew and was in
terviewing band Of Cubans, who we're
also looking for Spaniards But as Span.
iards there were none, the lieutenant
pushed out through the breakers, board
ed the Suwanee and put to sea again.
We concluded, however, that it would
be a glorious thing to capture some
Spanish prisoners ourselves, so we join
ed some dispatch boats and headed for
the Infanta Maria Teresa, farther along
the coast to the eastward. This vessel is
not quite in such bad condition as the
Oquenda. Blackened by fire and batter
ed by shell she certainly is, but her aft
er military mast still stands, her bridge,
though much bent and twisted, is recog-
nizable as a bridge, and she has not such
terrible shot wounds in her hull as the
Oquendo has, Nevertheless she was the
first Of the Spanish ships yesterday to
give up the fight and head for the shore
We found her still smoldering. In the
fire the cartridges occasionally popped,
as though feebly endeavoring to con-
tinue the fight.
While William Hemment photo
graphed the wreck scanned the shore
for Spaniards and finally saw some score
Of figures huddled together in one cor
ner of the beach. We shouted to them
and made demonstration with our fire.
arms, and the poor, cowed fellows, with
great alacrity, waved white handker-
chief or shirt in token of surrender. !
jumped overheard, swan ashore and
told them we were going to take them
aboard our boat to the admiral. They
appeared rather gratiied than otherwise
and seemed to- dread the Cubans far
more than the Americans. I sent our
small boat for the ships launch, first
having landed Mr.. Hemment and his
assistant. We three stood guard over
our wretched Spaniards until the launch
arrived. Several Spanish bodies, upon
which the vultures fed, lay along the
beach. Mr.. Hemment took some rather
grewsome photographs while made the
Spaniards bury their dead.
Most Of our prisoners were wounded,
having been in the heat Of the fight,
and we learned from them how the gun
merry of the Americans had become ierc-
er and more deadly until the Spanish
crews had deserted their guns and had
been shot down by their own officers
how, as the conditions Of the battle be-
came more and more desperate, the fine
wines and liquors of the officers mess
ha1 hoov,z handed ont RI tho oro1uc ca
that with drunken courage they would
fight on in the hopeless fight, and how.
at last the officers themselves gave up,
and, scuttling their ships. drove, them
on the shore. z.ss
Of our prisoners Is were from the
Vizcaya, 8 from the Oquendo and Z from
the Maria Teresa, making total Of ~
We took them aboard the Silvia and