Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-05-19
WAR NEWS OF THE WEEK.

tile AldUdHld TO the government On OCt.
2, 1899.
WAR NEWS OF THE WEEK.
Five of Our Sailors Killed at Cardenas
and Two at San Juan.
Washington, May Bon Thursday
of last week George Downing alias
Rawlings, committed suicide by hang
ing at the Washington barracks where
he was awaiting trial on a charge of
being a Spanish spy. The evidence
against Downing, who was a natural
lied Englishman and ex-chief yeoman
on the cruiser Brooklyn, was of such
a nature that he would have been
shot. He had been furnishing informa-
ton to Ex-Minister Polo de Bernabe.
Secretary Long received a cable mes
sage from Admiral Dewey, showing
that communication with the Philip
pines has been re-established.
On Friday last came details of a bat
tie at Cardenas, Cuba, resulting in the
partial destruction of the torpedo boat
Winslow and the killing of five of her
crew. The gunboat Wilmington and
the auxiliary tug Hudson were also en-
gagged. The boats went within reach
of the Cardenas batteries, when fire
was opened on them from the shore.
The vessels responded, and for 80 min
utes there was the liveliest kind of can
nonading. During the engagement the
Winslow's forward boiler and star
board engine were knocked out and
the vessel left helpless. While the
Hudson was preparing to tow the dis
abled vessel out of range of the guns a
shell exploded on the Winslow's deck.
instantly killing two men and injuring
three others SO severely that they died
within a few minutes. Our sailors be-
lieve that great damage was done in
Cardenas by the fire of our guns. The
dead sailors of the Winslow, the first
killed on our side in the war, are Worth
Bagley, ensign; John Varveres, oiler;
John Daniels and J. " Meek, both first
class firemen, and Josiah Tunnel (col-
ored), cabin cook. Five others were
wounded, including Lieutenant Ber-
nardou. commander of the Winslow.
Another important event of Friday
was the sailing of Commodore Schley' 6
flying squadron from Fort Monroe on
sealed orders, presumably to cooperate
with Admiral Sampson in an expected
battle with Spanish warships. The
state department issued an official
statement denying that no contraband
of war or Spanish gunners were landed
at Havana by the French steamer La
fayette, as had been charged. Lieu
tenant Rowan, u. S. A, arrived at Key
West with important dispatches from
General Gomez, commander of the in
surgent forces in Cuba, to General
Miles. The regular troops have left
Chickamauga National Park, Ca, for
points further south, and the park is
being occupied by regiments of the vol
untesr army.
Sunday brought another report from
Admiral Dewey the hero of Manila,
saying that he was in absolute control
and could take Manila at any moment.
On May II he captured the Spanish
gunboat Callao, which entered the port
in ignorance of the fact that war had
been declared There is great
scarcity of provisions in Manila, and
the admiral thought the Spanish gov
ernor would soon surrender. Admiral
Dewey was notified that troops and
ammunition would be sent to him soon.
Governor General Blanco, at Havana,
sent out two Spanish war vessels with
intent to lure our blockading fleet be-
meath the guns of MORO Castle, but the
plot failed, though a number of shots
were fired. Crews of fishing smacks
captured by the Cuban blockading fleet
report that reconcentrados have been
driven from Havana, and are dying
of starvation by hundreds. They de-
clare that tlocks of vultures are feeding
on the dead bodies. The steamer Gus
sic returned to Key West, having made
two unsuccessful attempts to land
munitions of war for the Cuban in
surgents. Each attempt was pre-
vented by Spanish soldiers. Two regi-
ments of Pennsylvania volunteers left
Mount Gretna for Chickamauga.
A Madrid dispatch announced that
all the members of the Spanish cabinet
have resigned, and the queen regent
intrusted Sagasta with the formation
of new cabinet.
On Monday an order was issued at
the navy department prohibiting at
taches from discussing naval matters
with representatives of the press. The
order was made necessary by the gen
eral publication of the movements of
our fleets, which knowledge was made
use of by the Spaniards. Information
from Havana is that Captain General
Blanco is very short of ammunition,
and it is believed the Spanish flying
squadron is endeavoring to reach him
with fresh supply. Dispatches from
Hawaii declare that the republic will
not remain neutral during the war, but
LII.
use the island as a coaling station.
The movement of Pennsylvania troops
TO Chickamauga and other points has
begun, and it is believed Mount Gretna
will be deserted by the end of the week
1t is estimated by Senator Allison thai
the war revenue bill introduced in the
senate will raise $151, 497, 066. The fu-
neral of Ensign Bagley the first Of
fcer killed in the war, at Raleigh, N,
c., was noble tribute to the heroic
dead. Rev Thomas Ewing Sherman,
son of General w. T. Sherman, has
been appointed chaplain of the Fourth
Missouri regiment.
On Wednesday the Spanish flying
squadron commanded by Admiral Ger
vera was reported off Totola Islands,
40 miles east of ST. Thomas, Danish
West Indies. Another dispatch, from
St Pierre, Martinique, announced that
the Spanish fleet had gone in the direc-
ton of Cuba or Porto Rico. A Hong
Kong dispatch announced that the
Philippines insurgents were useless as
allies, many of them favoring the
Spanish cause as against the United
States. It is believed that all of the
125,000 volunteers called for by Presi-
dent Mckinley will be en- route to their
permanent camps by the end of the
week. Pennsylvania officials decided
to organize a provisional National
Guard of nine regiments of infantry
three troops of cavalry and three bat
teries of artillery. Newspaper CORE
spondents at Tampa, Fla. were warn
ed not to mention prospective secret
expeditions to Cuba.
Colonel William j. Bryan
Lincoln, Neb, MAY 1S.--William J
Bryan is to organize a third regimen
of Nebraska volunteers, TO tender theil
services to the president as soon a:
mustered. Governor Holconb yester.
day issued him a commission as colo.
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