The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-06-02
RIGHT IN THE FACE OF DEAF !,
---------------- TO
HerOism Displayed in Cutting tf1s
Cable at Cienfuegos.
STUFF The UNITED STATES NAVY IS MADE'OF
For Three Hours the Yankee
Sailors Work COOlIy on
UNDER A BLAST FURNACE OF DESTRUCTION

latest news OF the war has passed,
somebody will tell the true story of
the cutting of the cable at Cienfuegos.
And when that story is told people
will understand more clearly than
they understand to-day what sort of
stuff Uncle Sans navy is made out
Of 1t was theme for Victor Hugo
or a picture for a Meissonior, that
three hours of heroism, determination
and death in the bay of CienfuegoS
that bright May morning. The pNssfl
knew that death awaited then they
knew the small boats were lowered
from the ships and they pulled to-
ward the shore that while they worked
1000 Spaniards were concealed in the
high grass and underbrush on the
shore waiting to shower bullets upon
them. The lookouts from the masts
knew it, but the order to cut the ca
BILE had been given and the command
was obeyed.
| Sought as Souvenirs.
Sludll SecllOIlS OI Une cdDle WHICH
| these brave seamen cut that morning
are much sought-for souvenirs at the
Key West Hotel since the warships
brought back the dead and wounded
after the work was done.
There is something amusing and
yet inspiring in the picture one often
looks upon in the rotunda of the no.
tel as one of the wounded men hap
pens to stroll in. He sees the valued
little souvenirs passed about from
hand to hand. He hears the story
told over and over again, and he
smiles in silence and limps away. He
alone knows the story. But he is the
last one to tell it. Ask him about it
and he tells you the cable was cut,
two men were killed and six badly
wounded. That is about all.
Lieutenant winsIow's Story.
Lieut.. G. NJ. R. Winslow of the Nash
vile, who was in command of the ex-
petition, came into the hotel last
evening and was soon surrounded by
group of friends eager to hear his
story of the affair in which he was the
principal figure. He had been wound
ed in the left hand and his arfi was
yet in sling. He was not eager to
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 peri
lous work. The town of Cienfuegos is
situated some distance back from the
sea, in harbor which winds and twists
about between high hill, completely
Obscuring 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 there is a sudden
rise-a sharp bluff towering up and
covered with trees. The low land is
covered with tall grass and under
brush. The cable-house, which the
Americans desired to destroy, was To-
Gated very close-within few feet of
the water. Not far from this on one
side was a lighthouse, and on the
other side an old block-house, or look
out, such as the Spanish in former
years established all along the coast.
They were built for the purpose of in
tercepting filibustering expeditions.
Plan of the Americans.
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 CRAP
ping irons and cut out a section of
sufficient length to prevent the posi-
bility of mending them by reuniting
the severed ends. When daylight
came the three warships were in posi-
ton a short distance out from the
shore. With the first rays of light
the lookouts began to scan the shore,
and it was soon discovered that the
Spaniards were expecting them, and
evidently knew the mission of the
ships. Rifle pits were plainly distin-
guished at the waters edge and COM
handing the point where the cable
was supposed to be, and where the
Americans would have to go in their
small boats. Rapid fire guns and
small cannon could be seen. The pol
ished steel and brass of the guns
glistened in the sunlight. Squads of
infantry swarmed like insects upon
the shore. Groups of cavalry were
galloping here and there and con-
stantly racing up and down a dusty
white path that led from the shore
to the side of the bluff to the hill top.
All this the men saw, but, as if the
shore were desert, boats were low
cred, the implements were put in and
the perilous voyage was begun.
The Perilous Undertaking.
The little flotilla that did the haz-
ardous work consisted of two small
launches, two steam launches and
half dozen ordinary row boats. The
launches were armed with machine
guns, and were designed to do what