The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-10
Cervera
lin a.
BadWay


the Harlem river ship canal arrived in
New York the other morning on the
Dutch mail steamer Prins P,ederik
Hendrix, from Curacao May 10, with
news Of the visit paid by the Spanish
Cape Verde feet to the Dutch port. He
told the following story to q reporter:
~ left La Guayra on May 13 on the
Prins Frederik Hendrix. At daylight
ON Saturday, the 14th, we were ap-
preaching Curacao. About five miles
away, or perhaps more at first-for they
were hull down on the horizon--we saw
n fleet. AS they came nearer we recog-
nized the Spanish feet from what we
knew Of them by their pictures. got
their names later. They were the Cape
Verde squadron, advancing in line
abreast. At the left was the flagship In
fanta Maria Teresa. Then came the
vizcaya, the Cristobal Colon and the
Almirante Csuendo. At the right were
the two torpedo boat destroyers Pluton
and Furor. learned later that the Ter
ror had been left at Martinique for re-
raised signal and the destroyers turn
ed toward shore, going at about 10
knots, which seemed to be their best
pace with what coal they had, while
the cruisers followed at 12 knot gait
We were then perhaps seven miles Off
shore The two smaller boats went
within half mile of shore in Curacao
harbor and anchored about 8 a. m. Our
boat got into harbor about o o'clock.
Ia %tA - he cl,
ron lay off shore at first. saw pilot
boat come out to the Pluton, think it
was and take Spanish officer ashore. :
II landed and went to sec the Amer
lean consul. L. b. Smith. found the
Spaniards wanted permission from the
Dutch governor Of the island to bring
their feet into port for coal and pro-
visions. You know when two powers
are ut war their ships can enter neutral
waters when driven by necessity only
for the purpose of getting provisions and
sufficient coal to carry them to their
ncxt stopping place. While the govern
or was debating Consul Smith sent in
written protest against allowing the
feet to enter the harbor. This was
against my advice. My idea was to let
tho feet in and keep them as long as
possible, while we cabled to the state
department and to Admiral Sampson to
come down and trap them in the har-
Dor.
"The governor finally decided that he
would allow two boats to come In for
Necessary provisions, and at l2 o'clock
the Maria Teresa and the Vizcaya steam
cd in and dropped anchor in the harbor.
The Oquendo and Colon anchored 2k
miles out, and the Pluton and Furor
were allowed to stay where they were.
The warships exchanged national sa-
boat which lay at the head Of the har-
Dor.
II started in to learn all ! could
about the Spaniards and 80 did Smith.
He employed q couple of agents. and as
] have many friends at Curacao was
Dble to get seven men to help me. The
Spaniards were in bad way. They
were 80 short of rations that the officers
had been living on beans for four days
so short Of coal and provisions that
their usual water limo was a couple Of
feet above the water at the bow. took
two photographs which show that clear
ly. The bottoms of tho ships were all
overgrown with long punches Of green
sea grass.
''One torpedo boat destroyer had four
masts, and / counted "a men on her
decks There were probably more be-
hn ~ had h,,f
masts and had evidently lost one. Her
foremast was held up by stays, as it
were. saw sS men on her deck. 1t
was rumored that the flagship had had
q gun disabled in some way. know
they loft one gun carefully covered with
canvas SO IL could not be seen. The
men of the ships looked haggard and
discouraged. The negroes hootcd them
when they went ashore and did not
hear one answer i mover heard them
raise cheer or make any demonstra-
tion as our sailors do when they get
ashore.
1.-The Spanish officers started at once
to get in all the coal and provisions they
could. All the coal TO be had was 800
tons of slack coal condemncd by the
Dutch government and 10 poor it had
been there for two years without find
ing purchaser. was glad to see them
buy it, for l think it will almost put
their fires out. The Dutch government
had not pound Of coal. The American
consul, who is also merchant, had
1900 tons of good coal. He could have
got $25 a ton for il, but he said he
would not sell it for its weight in gold.
During the afternoon the ships took ON
the coal and bought provisions, They
got in all SIC, COO worth, every cent of
which they had to pay in cash. either
gold or drafts on London. The Dutch
merchants would not look at them on
any other terms.
"They got 26 head Of cattle, 300 bar
rels of flour, rice, potatoes. onions,
yams. plantains, five casks Of wine and
seven Of brandy. They cleaned out ev-
cry egg and oil the fruit ON the island.