Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1898-08-19
NO. Is.

Scruggs a terrible blow over the head
with a bludgeOn. The soldiers were
quieted with much difficulty All the
men engaged in the riot were volunteers.
Most of them We're Tennessepans, but
there were number also from the Kan
sas and Iowa regiments.
Key West. Aug. lG-To the Gushing,
commanded by Lieutenant Albert
Gleaves. will doubtless go the distinc-
tiun of having had the last naval en-
gagement of the Span.sh-American war.
Had the peace negotiations been pro-
tracted a little longer, the Gushing would
unquestiOnably have ended IN, conflict
by avenging its beginning. when Ensign
Bagley and his four comrades of the
Winslow were killed at Cardenas. At
the very moment the orders for raising
the blockade reached the Cushing she
was making in for the three Spanish
gunboats which had wrecked her sister
ship, intent on sinking them, or herself
going down in the effort. They We're the
LigeIo. Alerta and Antonio Lopez A
few days previously the Gushing de-
strOyed six small sloops and two
masted schooner, the Trumpho of %
tons.
After a brief service at the opening of
the war the Cushing's machinery was
disabled and, although she was entirely
repaired within six weeks, she was kept
here until a week ago, much tn the
chagrin of Lieutenant Gleaves and de-
spite his urgent appeals for active s-Iv-
ice. Eventually, Commodore Howell al
lowed the Gushing to go to the blockade,
and on Aug. she went over to Sagua
Va Grande with orders to stop the inside
traffic in the shallow water behind the
keys, where the gunbOats could not
enter
Reaching Cardenas the next day, she
was Joined by the Mckee. under Lieu
| tenant kneppes, and both proceeded to
Sagua. Learning that there We're two
gunboats in that harbor. the Gushing
4 and Mckee cleared for action and went
in to See if any steamers were anchored
inside, As they got under way the con-
verted yacht Viking. with the senior Of
! ficer Of that blockading station on board,
came up and halted the two torpedo
/ boats, which were obliged to return and
/ anchor under the lighthouse.
That night, however the Viking left
and Lieutenant GleaVes. being then the
raniting officer took the Gushing and
Mckee across the shoals to the Byca
/ CriSte channel. and there captured SIX
small cargo boats of about four tons
each which We're lying at anchor and had
I been abandoned by their crews. This
was done in full view of the gunboats
( which. from distance Of two miles
! contented themselves with firing on the
torpedo boats without coming out. The
! shots We're not returned. The sloOps
not being worth towing to Key West,
were burned the next day.
On the Sth the Siren arrived with the
! torpedo boats Gwin and Rogers and as
sumed command Of the blockading at
! that port. The commander of the Cush-
| ing again asked permission to go in and
/ engage the gunboats, but was again re
| fused. and was ordered, with the Gwin,
! to Cardenas to prevent inland traffic
! between that place and Santa Clara.
! They left the next morning. and, after
/ chasing and holding up the hospital ship
/ SO.aCe, the American schooner Dellie
/ which, with the consent Of the authori-
/ ties, was carrying a Cuban expedition;
/ the Mangrove and the Anna +. Krauss
! from Baltimore for Galveston, all or any
| of which it was hoped might be ship of
! the enemy and offer fight. they put into
Cardenas bay last Thursday. Here the
( Triumpho was sighted at anchor on the
east side Of Hijo key. The torpedo boats
| could not enter the shallow water. so a
| cutting out expedition, composed of a
/ boat from each of the torpedo boats
! both commanded by Cadet David Boyd
of the Gushing, who is a survivor of the
| Maine. was sent in. AS they approached
the schooner her crew abandoned her
| She was anchored on a lee shore and a
! fresh wind made it impossible to get her
| off. SO Cadet Boyd, acting under orders
| set fire to and destroyed her.
On Friday both of the little fighters
again went into the bay, further to the
westward and found few sloops stand
! ing out, all the other vessels having
| scurried back toward the town. The
! Gwin gave chase to one sloop and, after
| firing many Shells hove her to. The
! Cushing was met chasing a second ves-
| sci. but the latter had too big a lead, and.
abandoning the pursuit, the Gushing
went to the Gwin's assistance. The lat
| ter's prize had six Spaniards on board
and the two torpedo boats We're about
! to tow her out when the three Spanish
| gunboats which wrecked the WinsloW
We're seen getting under way. A good
| fight was promised, and to save time the
! sioop was abandoned, the Spaniards on
! board of her shOWering blessings on their
! magnanimous CaptOrs. The decks of
the torpedo boats We're again cleared for
action and, although the contest would
have been an unequal one. the Spanish
boats carrying stronger batteries, all
was ready for the daring attempt when
the auxiliary yacht Stranger appeared
| with the news that peace had been re-
! stored and the blockade raised, and the
boats We're ordered Immediately back
! to Key West.
New York, Aug. 16.-After the rough
riders had all been landed and started
for the detention camp in Montauk,
! Colonel Roosevelt was met by the news
paper men. They endeaVored to get him
to tell about his experiences. He re-
fused to talk about his own achieve
ments, but gladly spoke of the work of
|