The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1898-05-26
CUT THE CABLE
Gallant Work of TarS
Under Fire of
Cienfuegos.
ONE KILLED, SIX WOUNDED

Finished the Work in Spite of Terrible
Known to Have Been Heavy-FOrts
at Harbor Entrance Reduced.
Key West, May 17.-Amid a perfect
storm of shot from Spanish rifles and
batteries. the American forces cut the
cable at Cienfuegos Wednesday morn
ing. Four determined boat crews, un-
der command of Lieutenant Winslow
and Ensign Margruder from the cruiser
Marblehead, and the gunboat Nash
Vile, put out from the ships, the coast
having previously been shelled.
The work of the volunteers was per-
ilous. The cruiser Marblehead and the
gunboat Nashville and the auxiliary
cruiser Window drew up 1000 yards
from shore with their guns manned
ready for desperate duty. One cable
had already been cut, and the work
was in progress on the other when the
Spaniards in rifle pits and battery on
a point standing out in the bay opened
fire.
The warships poured in thunderous
volley, their guns belching forth mas
sive shells into the swarms Of the ene-
my. The crews of the boats calmly
proceeded with their desperate work,
notwithstanding the fact that a num-
Der had fallen. and finished it, return
ing to the ships through binding
smoke and heavy fire.
One man in a Marblehead boat was
killed, and six were seriously wounded,
one of whom, Robert Boltz, is now at
Key West, and is expected to die before
morning, bullet having passed
through the base of his brain. Harry
Hendrickson, who also may die, was
shot through the abdomen.
More than 900 infantrymen on shore
kept up continuous fire, and the bull
lets from the machine guns struck the
warships 100 times, but did no great
damage. Commander Maynard, of the
Nashville, was slightly wounded by
rife bullet, that, before striking him,
passed through the arm of On ensign,
whose name is unknown. Lieutenant
Winslow was shot in the hand, max
ing three officers wounded in all.
When the Spanish had been driven
from the rifle pits, many of them took
refuge in the lighthouse fortress, upon
which the fire of the ships had been
conferred. A 4-inch shell from the
Window tore the structure to pieces,
killing many and burying others in the
ruins. The Spanish loss is known to
Lave been very heavy, the warships
firing hundreds of shot and shell right
into their midst.
Following is liet Of the badly
wounded:
Herman W. Kuchneizter, private
marine, shot through the jaw, probably
fatal; Harry Hendrickson, seaman,
shot through the liver, probably fatal;
Ernest Suntenic, apprentice, fracture
of right leg; John ]. Doran, boats
wain's mate, ~gunshot wound in right
buttock; John Davis, gunner's mate,
wound in right leg; William Levery,
apprentice, wound in left leg; Robert
Boltz, seaman on the Nashville, Sc
verely wounded.
The remains of Eagan, who was
killed in the Marblehead boat, were
buried at sea.
The Marblehead and Nashville used
their heaviest guns, as we'll as their
small rapid-fire guns, and hundreds of
shots were thrown into the Spanish
troops. On board the ships numb
of men were slightly wounded. One
of the cables had been cut when the
Spaniards opened fire. The marines in
the boats replied at once, and machine
guns on the forward launch sent in a
stream of bullets, while heavy shells
from the warships drove the Spaniards
from their rifle pits on shore.
The cable which was cut at Glen
fuegos extended from that city to San
tiago de Cuba. 1t does not sever cable
connection with Cuba, as there is an
other line in operation between San
tiago de Cuba and Kingston, Jamaica.
The severed cable is owned by the Cuba
Submarine Company. The one in
operation to Kingston is owned by the
West Indies and Panama Company.