Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-20

ITO see and talk with the chief actors
in this lurid melodrama; to hear them tell
of being so drenched with their comrades
blood that they knew not whether they
themselves were wounded and bleeding; of
the awful time spent in the water swim
ming for their lives; of the flames of their
burning vessels, and the heartrending cries
and groans Of their dying comrades; to
, near all this from those who We're a part
CT IT, vas to come in touch with the horror
of it all in way that had not been posi-
Die before. And it seemed to be the one
subject Of which all wanted to talk, all
save the admin al But Lieut. Angel Ger
vera made up for his fathers reticence,
giving US a graphic description of how he
and a sailor had saved the admiral from
drowning by supporting him on either side.
and keeping his head above water till res
c>ed by sailors.
Thus was the admiral rewarded for
similar deed of mercy to our own hero Hob
son, when with his own hands he helped
TIE young lieutenant into his small boa,
alter ordering cessation of the terrific
firing through which Hobson and his men
had mfraculously passed.
In reply TO the only political question I
asked the admiral he said. courteousiy: 'Of
that will talk to you after the war and
when have rendered my official report to
Spain. Since then he is reported to have
spoken quite freely on the same subject.
namely. what Blanco had to do with his
leaving Santiago.
Capt. MOrcu of the Colon.
Upon this point, as well as many others,
the captain of the Colon, with whom we
mad an hours conversation next day, was
much less reserved expressing himself in
rapid though rather broken English accom-
PANIED by many expressive gestures and
Spanish shrugs
nave sent my written report to es-
spain, he said by way of explanation; be
sldes, am membre parliament, so | ak
press myself to you here. Why not?'
tic
repeat nothing important that he said made
the entertaining captain more outspoken
were 1 at liberty to repeat his account of
the capture OF his ship the Colon)-'which'
ne ADDED proudly, almost so away'-it
would throw considerable light upon a
heated controversy. But i am warned by
ms own account of an attempted interview:
"A reporter has asked to me: "CaDitane
Will you aixprass to me your opeenion of
the discussion about Sampson and Schlev2'
ANA L have said to him: II have no opeen-
ION TO alxpress on that subject, and if l
have 1t is not for your
He did add however with evident relish.
As Tor me, II is my ship who has put most
OF the holes in the Brooklyn, while I am
MT only fife times! All, 1 almost go away.
But since l cannot escape | know how To
sink my ship. You think not I am so st,,-
pa mat know not how to sink nv ship?'
from his further remarks it seemed possi-
pie that he may take a hand in the contro-
Versy after his return to Spain When the
time comes they hear from me in the es
spanish parliament, of which T am mem
pre- ne added, impressively. He also ex-
pressed himself on the character of Ameri-
can newspapers, most of which he COM
pIllned. were too sensash'nai' though he
mentioned two or three exceptions ono of
"hlch, by the way. was The Washington
I ntai; Wlllch ne said h. often bought. and
hked very much. However, he added
with laugh and a shrug I myself am
Proprcatalre of a newspaper in Mathreed
50 know one looks not always in the ma,
in the papair"
The Proud EuIate
In strong contrast to the vfvacity and
DC hhofnie OF the captain of the Colon is the
proud and melancholy Eulate-he who re-
fused TO sign the parole on the ground THAI
Is word was as good as that of the adj
miral And certainly he who talks With
fu!ate Is soon convinced that his word is
as good as his bond. The most ausfare
ldea OF Spanish honor and CastiIian bau
teur is typified in this unconouered dcn
Captured, but not vanquished' 10 thn
thought that constantly rAcurs while talk
ing TO the proud captain of the ruined VIZ
caEa. lie also drifted at once to the tale
of Spanish disaster, and in pure and fluent
French related TO me the story of his mis-
fortunes. "a MS mis-
have saved nothing he said; 'abso
lnl=!y nothing but my sword, my ring and
my fe1glous medals, which YOU see here
craving up pretty little silver chain
from around his nsck. These and nv
scapular which. you see has bean soaked
WIN my blood! for Capt. Eulate was one
OF those who narrowly escaped with his
me- having been struck between his sbouI-
deFS with piece of shell. and also raceiv-
ing severe wound in the back of his head
IrCm winch he is now almost recovered
TIE fact that his wife and children live
IN San Juan de Porto Rico seems to cause
the captain special distress and apprehen-
sion from which tried TO dssuade him.
Wv
An, mademoisselle, / have lost everything
my snip, my fortune, my home my prop
erty-in word, my career,
1T was Impossible not to feel sympathy
Lor thS unfortunate captain, TO whom the
future seems so dark, and whose ONLY con-
ISOLATION seems to be his religion for no
one Is reputad among his fellow officers to
be so truly pious or to spend 50 much time
at his deyotions as this same proud and
unbending Eulate--of whom one is aIwavs
f:chned to think, by a slight paraphrase
OF Shakespe2re. as the melancholy Dom
by the way. it may be of interest 10 state
tHat MS name is pronounced 'A-oo-lah-
tay' in four syllahles. every vowel being
sounded.
The Younger Officers
Several young lleutenants also called on
US, a. OF whom were anxious to learn En-
glish and struggled with our language in
the heroic hope of adding a few more words
TO their vocabulary. BY the aid of numer
phrase We managed to get along very well
Ihey al! wanted to talk of the great fight
ana their experiences therein. One young
oiheer OF the Colon was sure we could not
raise that vessel. You will get her up
neYairH be explained. We have sunk her
too Well? Evidently the wish was father
to the thought
'One little thing that rather surprised me
was the interest they took in our comic
cartoons of the war. One picture that they
all gathered around and laughed gaily over
represented the Philippines in the guise of
half-sayage native girl. running frantical-
ly after the Empire Express, on the rear
platform of which stood three maidens la
heled, respectively, Cuba Porto Rico
and Iadrones.' II l miss this train I'm
a goner,' was the legend below. In hot
pursuit OF Little Filipino was fierce
Spanish soldier. knife in hand To find
amusement in this satirical and sweeping
representation of Spanish losses seemed to
indicate how mercuriai the tempera-
ment of these young officers-or was It be-
cause, IN their heart of hearts, they re-
joiced that the war was almost over and