The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-05-06
IN AUTHORS TALE.
Richard Harding Darts 0ircs Graphic
Ter Picture ~ Horbor
scenes.


ON BoARD FLAesHIr NFw Yonk
MARIEI. April 90, via KEl WEST, May
s. -(Richard Harding Davis Special to
the London Tines The harbor Of
Mariel is a shallow bay that makes
into the coast some TWEEN y-five miles
west OF Havana. The town of Maricl
lies on the east side Of the bay, about
two miles back from its mouth. It
has 5000 inhabitants, mostly fisher
folk. On the east point there is
round pill box fort that overlooks the
bay. 1t has been there for the last
fifty years. On the west is the point
OF Satoventa. 1t reaches to high
hill on which there is square block
house OF recent pattern, like those
scattered along the Jucaro Moron
trocha.
The flagship has just come TO off
this harbor at five minutes past with
the torpedo boat Porter and Ericsson
lying TO seaward OF her few hundred
yards from the stern. AS seen from
the deck the harbor is a picture OF
wonderful tropical beauty. High
buttes covered with dark green plumes
and the marble pillars Of the royal
palm rise out Of the lighter green Of
the coast line and stretch back to the
mountain range OF dark blue.
In the foreground, between the two
points Of the harbor, is a chalk line OF
white breakers, and beyond that a
village of long, low, red tiled build
ings. They look from here like bar
racks or hospital sheds. Beyond the
barracks lies a town of white adobe
houses and square yellow building
that may be the alcade's residence or
convent. A great yellow church
rises high above the town on one of
the buttes.
As yet there has been no sign Of life
either in the old watch tower or on
the porches OF the red rooted sheds.
Except for some linen hanging on a
| line the place seems deserted. The
flag ship is moving further vast, and
| il is now possible TO see the full sweep
of the harbor. A torpedo boat has
| lNHL lIOu uuutE LnE lee OI Lnt
! fort and scurried away up the harbor
TO the town. There is another torpedo
boat lying at wharf on the east
coast. IL Is as lifeless and still as u
crocodile basking in the sun. Two
soldiers have just come out of the
royal pill box and are probably CON
vinced that they have driven the
squadron away. The flag ship has
moved on westward there will be no
bonn bardment.
1t was supposed on board that the
visit TO Mariel was to prevent work on
new Notifications and to destroy those
already made, as was done at Matan-
zas, but apparently il was only TO re-
connoiter this harbor. Still, it may
be well 10 locate Mariel on the map,
for one of the officers has just said that
we shall hear of Mariel many times
before the war is over.
Later, G;3O p. m.-The New York
passed the harbor of Cabanas, which
opens in the island few miles west of
Mariel, at o'clock. AS she lay off
the harbor there was a distant rattle
of volley firing to the left. 1t ap
peared to come from a group OF build
ings on hill that at one time formed
part of the centrale Of the Count de
la Runian, who owns the sugar plan
tation OF La Herradura, or the horse
shoe, as it is called on account OF the
way the lald curves around the fresh
water lake which lies east of Cabanas
harbor. The firing continued for some
minutes but IL sounded so futile sc
inadequate, and so impertinent thai
those on the deck OF the flag shir
gazed shoreward In astonishment anC
no one moved to reply. But as it grew
louder and bolder, an officer said;
THAT should be answered"
As he spoke a stoker leaning out OF
the hatch of the Porter, grimy anC
sweating and black, took his pipe from
between his teeth and laughed. VIZ
could hear his laugh across the water
II was sublime in its irony. 1t wai
perhaps the best answer that anyone
could have made, but still continuous
volley firing isn't TO be taken only az
a joke, and so tbs four-inch guns in
the stern were ran out and turned oi
the horseshoe.
It was an IN chosen name for thai
building under the circumstances, as
was Buena Ventura, for that frs
prize Of this war of '0s. The deck
arose as suddenly as an elevator when
| ~ ilbNn WIN u itNhf Aut louT-luCn Khu
was brought in front of the horseshoe
and exploded above its roof, 1t was
just at sunset, and with IL the sky wal
blazing with a gridiron OF red anC
gold. In moment the four-inch gur
Of the leaden eolored flag chip hurled
out flashes OF flames and clouds OF hot
smoke and volleys that shook tine
leaves of the palms and echoed among
the hills a. Cuba.
On the lecks and superstructure In
the turre Is and on the flying bridges
the blue jackets and marines crowded
! the decks 10 drop on each others
shoulder peeriug into the fading
light. They whispered and chucklec
together as each shell struck home as
though they were seated in the gal
lery az play, Tor there had been nj
general call 20 quarters. IL was only
bit OF gun practice In passing, in
+ tended TO teach infantrymen not 4
interfere with their betters, and posi-
bly, also TO discover IL there were am
masked batteries near Cabanas, which
might be tempted by the lombard
ment 10 disclose their hiding places
Meanwhile from below came thl
strains Of the string band. playing fol
the officers mess, and the music o
Scheur's "Dream of Spring" mingled
, with the belching of four-inch guns
This is not touch Of fiction, hut tn
reporting OF cold coincidence, 70
war as il is conducted at this end o.
the century and on this ship,
civilized.
Four days since talked with maj