The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-13
h. # the Battleship Iowa's He
roes Comes to Seattle.
am or OLD PHILADELPHIA.
s.~e Is VI. Larsen, and During
a. Terrible Battle In the Tropic
srs which Resulted In the Com
...e ApnihIIatfon of Cervera's
rtet He Was In the Forward Tar-
n Of the Iowa-His story.

-.s.sya and unknown Il he mad mai On
ss4~.r,fo.ru ana mad ms record been 0iaz-
a az tie street corners. .le would PROB
- hays been accorded Il public ovation
=, s-as. 10 cub invited tim 10 festive
ssyd no brass band o:ayed on The street
80 no crowds huZzahed ar the men
= n MS name. lie went lodess.iy aDoGs
/ Z b,saness and the hurrying. seurrying
az a, ,epple in the Streets did not know
a. ;hsy had d. nero III TIE niioss u
81
Is zane is 81. Larsen. and he halls from
tgaeeloAia. Pa. HIS occupation Is that
I ss!prigger. lie has cUrne 10 Seattle to
Ak this city his future home. Bat he
Ia in tie forward t4rret Of the nattlesnip
ana during the fierce storm OF shot ard
ssJ aaa, fell upon the tropic seas when
.frysra attempted to make bis escape from
s4 saroor OF Santiago. His task was TO
sd one az the eight-inch guns that
srSsgki such .rlghtfgI havoc on the decks
Il lie aeeng Spa8iaFdS
pgss-lntelLgsacer reporter sought an
hsyry.@w with MIR Larsen yesterday Al
rs. be was aVerEss 10 saying anything
Ssg, his own share III that grand naval
exaxernea, that has become one OF the
vosa points in modern history. Step BY
~. however he uHfo.ded mis- story, told
grace o. faise modesty Or egotlsn, and
ahe telling OF 1t there was not the slight
s.asiuiatloa OF his part that he had done
sthins more than tlls duty OF q plain
Aer1caa citizen. His story ii best told in
oxn words,
Cursed the spaniards.
vaa on the Iowa only four months
ID be- You see before that / was on
Maine. II - happened that just two
ss before she LEFT Key West for Ha-
"a | wAs taken sick and sent to the
tied States marine hospital at Key
Ht. We heard of the blowing up Of the
lne or the same night on which IL &C
fred. A message came 10 Key West nn,!
was 'phoned up TO the hospital with
gpss, 10 make room al once for the
Jgr9ed survivors. ! can hardy express
thrill Of horror which / felt AT first
eeald not believe the report. first began
realize 1t when the survivors from the
isue Began 10 come Into the hospitals.
ame wsre sent to the marine hospital.
acre vas and some to the soldiers hos
IA. Among all Of them with whom !
tked. found the impression profound
nd universal that the Maine had been
aan up by an act OF Spanish treachery.
was told by some of the men that the
cling in Havana hartpor prior TO the blow
& Up Of the Maine had been extremely
Ter. Ferry boats across the har5or had
board Of them had spit at the Ameri-
rs. shaken their fists AT them and cursed
ler There was no doubt at that time n
4 minds o. any Of these men that the
.ains had been blown up by the Span
ras
"Whsn I left the hospital. March l..
as In company with six of my comrades
III whom ! had been on the Maine We
eFe ordered 10 join the Iowa A. that
M Sampson was IN command Of the
~. - 81.
land ~ the fleet he VAS In turn succeeded
Capt Robley 8. Evans. better known
Fighting Bob Soon after Ne joined
er the Iowa was ordered to Cuban waters
ri joined in tho blockade OF Havana. We
" OF Havana for several weeks. Then
q were ordered Ia Porto REQ to look for
ts Spanish fleet. When we arrived We
osa3 that the Spanish feet was NOT there.
amqson concluded that he would leave
a.iee 70 the Standards that We had been
here and accordingly fired q few rounds
4 he forts with telling effect,
Then We went back to Key West, Com
rasors Sch,ey was already there with his
.S.ng squadron. In fact he left on the day
ioned Schlev or Cfenfucgos expecting 70
EJECT the Spanish fleet there. A all the
scra now knows. y was not there. We
ssArd from q Passing boat that the Span
asas were a Santiago. and We promptly
saref for tlat port
When we fra: arrived al Santiago we
fssnd thN Cr.stobal Colon lying outside the
hasnor under the shelter Of the forts We
mara that her machinery was out of or
e'r and thai sAs was not able - get n
see the harbor. Or the next Law Sstlley
ihoaght Re would do some tlrins a. the
se-'s ard the Crlstohal Colon. hut the range
vas 90 long and no damage was done
Ihsn ~e stool oJ.' 70 SEA again Tor coupe
0. aavs
Sampson Wa. Popular Then.
. ss.z
see; VAS glad 20 sec him. and his arrival
sas rou9dly cheered. He was far more
s.Ialsar With de- nea ;han Schiey. and IL
sas great mystery u us aftcrward TO
sss sroG reading she papers that the i,tll-
le At large considered Sc1lcy th@ hero a
santiago. Sampson a. cnce gave orders
- e.ear tor action. AMI the next morning
re work OF bpfn 0ar,tusut began. We were
tefs S.H0 i8Tiis ron the shore TIE
AAA n ne spau.s9 forts 1rDd few shots
u Is aa then a ~oan as .he.r tlrNr was re-
!, TED FNrseot< Their curs and fed IN the
us where We couid not reach them
.he famous tight ~ thc moufh q san
,sro harho. began At s:t5 o'clock IN the
.eFAae We We're a. Sunday Inspection
Ven the navigating ofif - sounded the
xs9m C>st TIE Spanish ships were corr
sA' o; TIE hatbor Al FIRST We could
sN%N tsE~F~ etlT ears. because by fAaf
''lf a. had become ased % false alarms
.pe4t Tia STANDARDS erfli.Uk out- Stl1.
go man was promptly n rs station
=. e guns Dere a.fetda soatvt>. ard II
- hNAns tirst 3t.t=atson wa> - ram
:. oEsi S9'l' he cctsfS nUpr3Ach buf ~
y net asy> - tteu. neas ~ stea ~ fsr
~ a. @.a :~s rs -. Spanish Snaps came
A sn - lag acre ~ the mouth
g, asrho~ t-eY hesar - five At rs
s. ~ t-N17r -.s ref Gr@-t tAatr IRE. A.
.ss ., se.'F rso%e rs sood. and that vas