Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-06-01
CABLE CUTTING.
Story Of Our Brave Sailors
Work at Cienfuegos.
Without Haste or Excitement the,
Work Under Heavy Fire.
They May Be Untried But They Are Veterans
Without Service

Copyright. 1898, by The Associated Press J
Key West. May 27.-Some day, after
the epoch of eagerness for latest news
of the war has passed. somebody will
tell the story of the cutting of the cable
is told people will understand more
clearly than they understand today of
what sort of stuff Uncle Sans navy is
m;sde.
1t was theme for Victor Hugo, or
a picture for a MISSIONER. that three
hours of heroism, determination and
death in the bay OF Cienfuegos that
bright May morning.
The men knew that death awaited
them. They knew when the small
boats We're lowered from the ships and
they pulled towards the shore that
While they worked a thousand Span
iards were concealed in the tall grass
and the underbrush on the shore
awaiting to shower bullets upon them.
The lookouts from the masts knew it,
but the order to cut the cable had been
given and the command was obeyed.
Small sections of the cable which
these brave seamcn cut that that
morning are much sought for souvc-
niers at Key West hotels since the
Warships brought the dead and wound
ed after the work was done
There is something amusing and at
the same time inspiring in the picture
one often looks upon in the ro-
tunda Of the hotel as one of the
wounded men happens to stroll in. He
sees the valued little souvenirs passed
about from hand to hand. He hears
the story told over again ana he smiles
in silence and limps away. He alone
knows the story. But he is the last
one to tell it. Ask him about it and he
| tells you the cable was cut, two men
were killed ana six badly wounded.
That is about all.
Lieut.. c. NJ. Il. Winslow of the Nash
vile. who was in command of the eX-
ing, and was soon surrounded by a
| group of friends eager to hear his story
of the affair in which he was the prn-
cipal figure. He had been wounded in
the left hand and his arm was yet in
II sling. He was not eager to talk Of
the matter, but little by little. the de
tails were drawn out and this is the
story about as he told it:
The Marblehcad, Nashville ana Win
dom were detailed to do the pcrilous
| work. The town of Cicnfuogos is stu
ated some distance back from the sea
in a harbor which winds and twists
about between high hills completely
ohscuring it from ships standing out at
the land is low for some distance back
| from the coast and then there is q sud
den rise a sharp bluff towering up and
covered with tall grass and under
! brush.
The cable house, which the Ameri-
cans desired to destroy, was located
! very closc-Within Il few feet of the
water Not far from this on one side
WAS an old brick house not far from
IL ;,rl, Il
ON the other side an old block house,
or lookout such as the Spanish in form
or years established all along the coast.
They were built for the purpose of in
tercepting filibustering expeditions.
1t was the plan of the Americans 10
send out the small boats from the
ships, and proceeding close to the
shore. pick up the cables with Crap
ping irons and cut out n section of
sufficient length to prevent the posi-
bility of mending them be reuniting
the severed ends.
When daylight came the three war
ships were in position short distance
out from the shore. With the first rays
of light the look outs began to sean the
shore and it was soon discovered that
the Spaniards were expecting them,
and evidently knew the mission Of the
ships.
Rifle pits were plainly distinguished
at the very waters edge and command
ing the point where the cable was sup
posed to be and where the Americans
would have to go in their small boats.
Rapid-fire guns and small cannon
could be seen. The polished steel am
brass of the guns slistened in the sun
light. Squads of infantry swarmed
like insects upon the shore. Groups "f
cavalry were galloping here and there,
constantly racing up and down dusty
white path that runs from the shore up
the side of the bluff to the hill top.
All this the men saw but, as if the
shore were a desert the boats We're
lowered. the implements were put in
and the perilous voyage was begun