The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-09-28
rcuEp AT LAST.
A Somerset Boy With sampson's fleet st
sartiagO-was On Board the Iowa.


The HERALD has waited patiently ever
since Admiral Sampson destroyed Ger
vera's fleet ia front Of Santiago for the
name Of the Somerset county Jackie
who participated in that historic engage
ment We knew that he was there, be-
cause Somerset lad has turned up at ev-
cry fight since war was declared against
Spain. Our patience aud confidence
were rewarded on Friday when William
Metzler. a petty officer ON board the
Iowa. arrived il town and began To search
for the friends Of his boyhOod. Mr.. Metz
Ter is a son OF Cyrus Metzler, who was
killed in the battle Of Gettysburg. He
was born in Somerset in 1864. and remoy-
ed from here to Connellsville with his
mother, who has REMARKED.
II never was as happy in my life. - said
Metzler, ''as J was on Sunday morning.
July Sd. when 1 saw the smoke Of the
Spanish feet as the ships came steaming
out of Santiago harbOr. You would nat
urally think that the jackies on our ships
would have felt some fear about tackling
the formidable Spaniards-but not a bit
of it; it was the opportunity we had been
waiting for for weeks, and we went into
the fight with as much pleasure as we
usually go on shore leave. Ny duties
kept me confined velow decks, as 1 have
charge of the firemeu and coal l-handlers.
but / occasionally got peep above. and
from the noise the guns made knew that
everything was going right. The excite
ment below decks is as great as elsewhere
on board ship when an engagement is GO
ing on. Well. you know Captain "BOb"
Evans. and wouldn't like to serve under
a finer officer, had his heart set on blow
ing up the Vizcaya, and we paid particu-
lar attention to her, as all the world now
knows. Executive Officer Rogers said TO
the Captain after we had been plugging
away at her for some time, Captain, she's
hauling down her colors.' Are you sure
of ir2' asked Captain Bob. Lieutenant
Rodgers hesitated, when Captain Bob
you know he is a rough talker - COM
lnanded, his words fairly kissing between
his clenched teeth, Let go both y inch
forward gunsr They didn't do a thing
but let them both go at once, and
thought the old Iowa was torn in two.
Well, sir, both shots struck the Vizcaya's
bow and tore hole in her side that caus-
ed Captain Eulate to strike his colOrs i'm
mediately. Those two shots killed sixty
two men. exploded shell in one Of the
Vizcaya's guns, and made her run for the
beach. When the crow of the Vizcaya
were brought on board the Iowa as pris
oDers, we clothed and fed them. They
were starving, poor devils. fed one
Spanish sailor with spoon. and saw him
de before he had taken half a dozen
months-fiIll Of food. There is nothing
truer in the world than Captain "Bob'sn
remark about our jackies fighting like
American seamen and being as tender as
American women after the fighting is
over / have been in the navy for six
years. | went to the Iowa in June. 1897,
and was detached on September 18Th, at
New York. After enjoying a short vaca-
ton I'm going 70 re-enlist."
Mr.. Metzler was surrounded by
throng OF people wherever he went, who
listened to all he had to say about the de-
struction of the Spanish feet He is a
warm admirer Of Admiral Sampson.