Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-06-23


who, wnen the great test of honesty
and manhood which in 1896 called up
on all intelligent men to take their
stand either for or against the rights
of the people, boldly but firmly re-
nounced the republican party and took
up the cause of the free coinage of sill
yer and industrial emancipation.
AS an example of the wonderful elo-
quence. the answering patriotism and
great heart OF Capt. Joe Waters we
reproduce a part of his Decoration
Day address in which he SO graphically
describes the battle of Manila.
l can imagine that dawn ten thouS-
and miles away. Lads from the Pen
obscot woods. Boys from Hampshire
: hills and Boston boys. Swarthy men
. from the Great Lakes. The only son
swith tremble on his lips as he thought
of the far away home. Sons with
furzes on their faces, and the high
tenor of departing youth. Two thous-
and sons of American mothers, whose
tears, whose prayers and benedictions
we're showered on their boys like in
cense swung from a censer. The
full steam, start for Manila Bay.
Everything cleared for action. Like
specters of night they thread their way.
Lights are bid. Batteries on either
shore; an island slope terraced with
guns. Enveloped by the morning mists,
they speed on. An impatient spark
escapes from a funnel and give the
Spaniards notice of their passage. A
gun rings out and for echo comes pro-
jectiles from the fleet. On they go to
. where the naughty vessels of the proud
Castllian lay. Taken at a disadvan-
tage, without steam, huddled under the
protection of land battery and fort. con-
fused by the suddenness of the shock,
they heard the thunder of American
guns and felt the downpour of their
iron hail. The American ships man.
euvered on as if on dress parade. A
nutmeg crater passing over the nut
megs. Here ship takes FIRE and there
one sinks. The flag ship is destroyed
and the commanding admiral employs
his time in escaping from a ship that is
burning to another that is about to burn
He was for a while more of sprintel
than sailor. There goes one of theil
ships from an outside explosion; ant
then shell goes longitudinally through
the diaphram and abdomen of another
There one sinks, and Ere, smoke ant
disaster shroud the banner of Spaii
and the deep waters engulf it. Thei
1ecks are slippery with blood. Som
maiden by the dark Guadalquiver will
mourn lover who lies there with tn
harbor slime in his hair.
How is it with our boys7 Strippe
to the waist. short sleeved to the pan
falcons, decollette to the top pants bu!
tons. in bare feet, the thermometer i
the fighting tops, the decks hot, smok
everywhere, and the men grimy an
dirty as the demons that stroke th
eternal gridirons of Inferno: they shoe
by volley, in chorus, by diapason, an
then the fleet out bursts its broadside
that makes the vessels vibrate with th
throes of earthquake and volcano.
Straight at the mark each shot is sped.
crash of plate and heaps of dead,
They fire again with broadside roar.
and the Spanish ships there more.
shout from all the feet Is heard,
From lip to lip is passed the word,
And sullen ships join in the strain.
Remember the Maine. the Maine, the Main
The few remaining ships of th
Spanish feet are in dire distress; whe
from the flag ship is given the strange
order ever signailed feet, "A litt
more grape Captain Bragg" ''W
have met the enemy and they al
ours" ''Double shot your guns
.'Open broadsides on the Christina
''Let that little gun boat near the bres
water have 1t from the fighting tops
Not bit of it. From the crows ne
in the rigging of the Olympia. abo'
the smoke that hung around the por
and veIled the ships as with bridal
battle, the wigwager sent this signal
the fleet: This battle is adjourn
twenty minutes for breakfast %
To be sure, the Spanish had expe
eucad cyclone. Some of their sf,i