The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-06-01

talk of the matter, but little by little the
details were drawn out, and this is the
story about as he told it:
The Marblehead, Nashville and Window
were detailed to do the perious work. The
town of Cienfuegos is situated some dis
lance from the sea in harbor which winds
and twists about high hills, completely OBJ
securing it from ships standing out at sea.
Near the mouth of the harbor the land Is
low for some distance back from the coast
and then there is a sudden rise-a sharp
blum-towering up and covered with trees
The lowland is covered with tall grass and
underbrush. The cable house which the
Americans desired to destroy was located
very close within a few feet of the water.
Not far from this one on the side was
light house and on the other side an old
block hos.se or lookout such as the Spanish
In former years established all along the
coast They were built for the purposes of
intercepting filibustering expeditions
1t was the plan of the Americans to
send out the small boats from the ships,
and, proceeding close to the shore, pick
up the cables with graphing irons and
cut out a section of sufficient length to
prevent the possibility of mending them
by reuniting the severad ends
When daylight came the three warships
were in position short distance from the
Shore With the first rays of light the
lookouts began to scan the shore, and 1t
! was soon discovered that the Spaniards
were expecting and evidently knew the
mission of the ships. Rife pits were plain
1y distinguished at the very waters edge,
and commanding the point where the cable
was supposed to be and where the Ameri-
cans would have to go in their small boats.
Rapid-fire guns and small cannon could be
seen. The polished steel and brass of the
guns glistened in the sunlight
Squads of infantry swarmed like insects
hn CHI M rs VA
gallopng here and there and constantly
racing up and down a dusty white path
that led from the shore to the side or the
bluff and hill top. All this the men saw,
but as If the shore were desert the boats
were lowered, the implements were put in
and the perilous voyage was begun.
The little flotila that did the hazardous
work consisted of two small launches, two
steam launches and half a dozen ordinary
row boats. The launches were armed with
machine guns and were designed that they
could aid in protecting the men in the small
boats as they worked and tow them back
to the ships in case the men should be so
badly disabled as to be unable to use the
oars.
With steady nerves and strong arms the
sailors pulled directly in shore toward the
cable house. On they went until they
could see the faces of the Spanish soldiers
peering out from behind the buildings and
out of the rifle pits. They knew 1t was
only a matter of minutes when fire would
be opened upon them. But the regular
swing of the oars did not falter.
At last a point within 100 feet of the
cable house was reached. They were with
in 200 feet of the rifle pit where the Span
iards were lying ready to open fire upon
the boats. EAeAt
Lieutenant Winslow stood up in the boat
and gave the command to throw out the
anchor and begin graphing for the cable.
The water was as clear as glass. The
bright morning sun penetrated 1t and every
object upon the bottom was clearly seen.
Calmly, as If trolling for fish, the men
bent over the boats and began to work
with the graphing hooks All this time the
men on the Nashville Marblehead and
Window stood at their guns to rain shot
and shell upon the shore the moment the
first puff of smoke was seen to come from
the rifle pits.
The men In the boats worked on steadily
and In silence. Lieutenant Winslow urged
them to work speedily, telling them that
at any moment volley might come. They
made no reply, but bent to their work. AT
last one of the graphing hooks caught
something a few inches below the SOFT
white sand and the arms of two strong
sailors soon brought the cable into view
Then came the first shot 1t was just a
fash a sharp snap, a singing over the
heads of the sailors and splash in the
water below. There was no white puff
from the shot. The Spaniards were using
smokeless powder.
1t was the signal for the opening of a
deadly firing upon the men in the boats.
II was promptly answered by the guns on
the ships out in the bay. A hurricane OF
shells shriked and Kissed above the heads
of the men in the boats and tore to frag-
ments the earth where the Span'ard were
crouching and hiding
Again and again the guns roared from
the ships. Again and again the great Clouds
of dust and debris flew skyward on the
shore. Another mighty crash from the
Nashville and the cable house flew into the
ar. torn into numberless fragments. An
other crash from the Marblehead and the
block house was in ruins. Then the iron
storm from the sea swung around and
svept the hillsides. 1t shattered the rocks
and trees. It drove a throng of panic
stricken men scurrying to shelter.
Then It lowered again like the rays of a
mighty searchlight and raked and riddled
the rifle pits. What craftsmanship The
terrible fire pouring in upon the rifle pits
passed only few feet above the sailors
working in the boats. Who but Yankee
runners could do that-would do it-and
who but Yankee sailors would work on
ike heroes under such a. blast furnace of
| destruction?
| AT the time a heavy sea was rolling and
| the characterization of fraction of an inch
| or the fraction of second would have
slaughtered the men In the boats. But
there came moments pause In the awful