St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-05-18

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ADMIRAL SIMPSONS
WAR NEWS.
Several rlarines Killed and Wounded
at Cardenas and CienfugOS.
Puerto RicO's Capital Bombarded.
The Cape Verd Fleet In West India
Waters.
Our First Losses.
An engagement took place last Wednes-
day afternoon at 2 o'clock i'll Cardenas
harbor, 25 miles east of Matanzas, in
which Ensign Worth Bagley and four
sailors Of the torpedo boat Winslow were
killed. and Lieut.. Bernadow and four
men were injured.
The cruiser Wilmington, the gunboat
Hudson and the torpedo boat Winslow
entered the harbor together for the pur-
pose of attacking the Spanish gunboats.
The Spanish vessels fired first, however,
and they were supported by the land
batteries. The engagement lasted an
hour.
The Wnslow was struck and badly
damaged and Ensign Bagley and John
Varvoros, an oiler; Josiah Tunnett,
cabin cook; and J. V. Meeks and J.
Daniel. fremen, were killed. The
wounded are Lieut.. Bernadow; r. E.
Cox, gunner's mate; d. McKeene, quar-
termaster; ]. Patterson and F. Gray,
firemen.
The Hudson returned to Key West this
morning with the bodies and the
wounded men.
The battle was terrible while it lasted.
The Wilmington and the Hudson came
up first, and were followed by the Wins
low. In an instant the entire attention
of the Spanish gunboats and batteries
was directed upon the torpedo boat.
Shot and shell poured upon her from all
sides. The crew of the Winslow never
faltered, but one solid shot crashed into
her hull knocking out her boiler. In an
instant she began to roll and to drift
helplessly.
There was a moment Of awful suspense,
Then fierce cheer of triumph went up
from the Spaniards. Again the enemy s
storm of fire opened on the helpless boat.
The Hudson threw line to the crew.
Only one shot hit the Winslow, but soon
the fire grew closer, and the Wilmington
and Hudson retired.
Ensign Bagley and six men stood on
the deck as the line was thrown from the
Hudson. Bagley smiled coolly and said :
LET her come; it's getting too hot for
comfort here" At the same moment a
shell burst in the little group on the deck
of the disabled boat. The bodies were
recovered by the Hudson, and the Will
mington and the Hudson retired.
The crew on board the Winslow acted
nobly. The shell which killed the men
burst in their faces. The Hudson shows
the effects of the fight. Her smokestacks
are punctured by bullet holes, and the
cabin and the decks are smashed and
splntered.
Ensign Bagley was &c years old, and a
very popular and promising young officer.
One.half of his face was blown off, and
death was instantaneous.
Latest.-The Winslow was towed to
Pedras Island and anchored there. The
bodies not thrown into the water were
removed from the deck. Commander
Bernadow told the story of the battle
He said the American vessels went into
the harbor under orders to attack the
Spanish gunboats. The gunboats were
tied to the dock and had a fair range on
the approaching vessels.
Cutting the Cable.
The special correspondent Of the Sun
gives the following graphic description
of the cutting of the cable: The United
States cruiser Marblehead, the gunboat
Nashville, and the auxiliary cruiser Win.
dom, steamed up to the harbor o.
Cienfuegos early Wednesday morning
with orders to cut the cable connecting
Habana with Santiago de Cuba. This
task was accomplished; but only after 6
terrible fight between our warships anC
several thousand Spanish troops which
lined the shore, and lay concealed behint
improvised breastworks. One man, {
seaman named Reagan, of the Marble
head. was killed outright in one of tn,
working small boats, and six men wer
severely wounded. In addition, larg
number on board the ship received mino
wounds. Soon after the arrival of tn
warships off Cienfuegos four boats wer
launched and proceeded in shore for tn
purpose of graphing for the cable, il
order to cut it. The warships lay to
about 1000 yards or more off the harbor
1t was observed that the Spanish troop
had assembled on shore, but it was no
known that heavy guns had been place.
in masked battery and that the oil,
lighthouse, far out on neck of land
had been transformed into a formidabl
fort.
The small boats proceeded cautiously
and for more than an hour worked ur
molested on the cable. Suddenly, just a
the work was about completed, the shor
battery fred shell at the boats. ]
was followed by others, and the SPANS
infantry opened fire with their rifles.
Then like fash the Marblehead ser
shell inland and followed it with a pc
feet shower Of shot. The Nashville wa
quick to follow suit and the little VIII
dom cut loose with her four-pounder
In the meanwhile the Spanish bullets fe
in every direction around the small boat
The attack had come suddenly an
fercely, but the bluejackets were not di
mayed, and protected by the terrific r