The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-05-31
In Open Boats and in the Broad
Light of Day,
Exposed to a Deadly Fire of
Cannon and MuSketry,
CAPT. WINSLOW'S MEN
Cut the Cable at CienfuegOs
on Cuban Coast.
A Story of HerOism Which is
Rarely Equalled.

WY ASAAN' 1890 ny ]AoON~Ae1NON = -N->'
Correspondence of the Associated
Press.-Key West, Fla, May q.
Some day, after the epoch
of eagerness of 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 under
stand more clearly than they under
stand today what sort of stuff Uncle
Sans navy is made of. 1t was a
theme for Victor Hugo, or a picture
for a Meissonier, that three hours of
heroism, determination and death in
the bay of Cienfuegos that bright May
morning. The men knew that death
awaited them. They knew when the
small boats were lowered from the ships
and they pulled toward the shore that
while they worked a thousand Span
iards were concealed in the tall grass
and underbrush the shore, waiting
to shower bullets upon them. The look
outs from the maSts knew this The
officers knew it. The men knew 1t
but the order to cut the cable had been
given and the command was Obeyed.
Small sections of the cable 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 at
the same time inspiring in the picture
one often looks upon in the rotunda
of the hotel as one of the wounded men
happens to stroll in. He sees the val
ued little souvenirs passed about from
hand to hand. He hears the story told
over and over again and he smiles in
silence and imps 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
Lieut. c. NJ. r. Winslow of the
Nashville who was in command of the
expedition, came into the hotel last
evening and was soon surrounded by q
group of friends eager TO hear his story
of the affair in which he was the prin-
cipal figure. He had been wounded in
the left hand and his arm was yet IN
a sling. He was not eager to talk OF
the matter. but little by little the de-
tails were drawn out and this is the
story, about as he told it: The Mar
bIehead, Nashville and Window, were
detailed to the perilous work. The
town of CienfuegOS is situated some
distance back from the sea in a harbOr
which winds and twists about between
high hills 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 then there is a sudden rise-a sharp
bluff towering up and covered with
trees. The low land is covered with
tall grass and underbrush. The cable
house. which the Americans desired
to destroy was located very close-wlth-
in a few feet of the water. Not lar
from this on one side was light house
and on the other side an old block
house. or lookout such as the Spanish
in former years established all along
the coast They were built for the
purpose of intercepting flibustering ex-
petitions.
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 the severed ends.
When daylight came the three war
ships were in position short distance
ont 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 and evil
IDENTIFY knew the mission of the ships
Rifle pits were plainly distinguished at
the very waters edge and commanding
the point where the cable was supposed
to be and where the Americans would
have to go in their small boats. Rap
i'd fire guns and small cannon could be
seen in the sunlight. Squads of in
fantry swarmed like insects upon the
shore Groups of cavalry were gal
Looping here and there and constantly
racing up and down a dusty white path
that led from the shore to the side of |
the bluff and the hill top. All this the
men saw, but as if the shore were a
desert the boats were lowered, the i'm
plements were put in and the perilous |
voyage was begun.
The little .fiotilla that did the hazard |
Gus 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 to do what they |
could in protecting the men in the |
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 ca !
bic house. On they went until they
could see the faces of the Spanish sol |
diers peering out from behind the build |
ings and out of the rife pits. They
knew it 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
pits where the Spaniards were lying
ready to open fire on the boats.
Lieut.. Winslow stood up in the boat |
and gave the command to throw out the |
anchor and begin graphing for the ca |
BILE. 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 ready 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 |
.WIinslow ordered them to work speed |
lly, telling them that any moment a |
Volley might come. They made no re-
ply but bent to their work. At last one
or the graphing hooks caught some |
thing a few inches below the soft white |
sand and the arms of two strong sail |
ors soon brought the cable into view
Ihen came the first shot. 1t was just |
nash, sharp snap, a singing over
she heads of the sailors and a splash |
IN the water beyond. There was no
MnlLe Dllff from q hat