Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-07-11

town looks very much like a modern
city. 1t is built on several hills and
parts of it remind me Of Duluth. The
ship is in good condition and every
body is well enough to swear about
scene of war. I am afraid we will be
late in getting where we are
wanted
Off Cuba.
Blockade of Santiago de Cuba, June 2.
On May 10Th we arrived in the
harbor of Key West to find the fleet
gone to look up the Spanish squadron,
leaving the monitor Terror, several
gunboats, and number Of torpedo
boats to defend the harbor. We were
Immediately boarded by newspaper
men who gave us all the news and
told us that the people of the
United States have been watching us
with some anxiety. I found the news
paper men as a rule very clever
people. | went ashore in the World
Herald boat to find the first evidence
Of real war. The many prizes are
anchored off the water front and the
wharves are occupied by dark cOlOred,
ugly looking torpedo boats. The city
is full of marines on guard duty and
naval officers ON shore. met so
many friends that the foreign looking
/ little town seemed like home and our
visit like an academy reunion. My
most pleasant surprise was to run
across one of my best friends, Boyd of
my class, who was on the Maine
when she was destroyed. He says
she was undoubtedly blown up by
mine. At the time of the explo-
sion he was sitting in the mess room
with MERIT reading some magazin IS.
he first notice they received was
the putting out of all lights. This
vas Immediately followed by a ter
! rjble explosion which threw pieces Of
the furniture about the room. Boyd
was struck on the head by one of
these but not seriously hurt. Merritt
must have been injured as he stag
gered against Boyd and did not
answer when spoken to. Boyd took
his hand and they started in the
dark for the door, They stayed to-
gether until both got into the open
berth deck space when the inrush-
, ing water separated them. Poor Merritt
was never found. The water was
then rising rapidly and in the dark
it was almost impossible to tell one
direction from another. At last Boyd
got to where the ladder ought to be
only to find it missing. He was
CIV inc IA
tinually striking against the beams,
and in the midst of so many Shrek
ing. drowning people it was almost
| impossible to keep afloat. When he
was just about to sink some inflam-
mable material which was on the
main deck and still above water took
; fire showing him the hatch. He
climbed through this over all kinds
Of debris to the main deck from where
he jumped into the water. A part
OF Boyd's story which he did not tell
me is that, after getting into the
water, he swan to one of the partly
filled boats and with it rescued sew
eral people from the water. Though
he speaks as lightly of the affair
as man may of such a catastrophe,
I can see a change in the once jolli-
est of fellows. His face looks older
and there is a quiet, sad look about
the man that was not there before
He now occupies the position of pay
master, doctor, chief engineer and
executive officer Of the torpedo boat
! Cushing. The place was last held by
Breckenridge who was killed in a
storm off Havana some months ago.
into port with a prize a month ago.
! AS the commodore was in need of
an assistant. he took him on his staff
and the poor fellow now works at
his desk % hours a day Che says) and
on salary of $1,000 year, and he
must live at hotel where they
charge 81 day. The commodore, I'M
fortunately, found him a good man
for the place and will not let him re-
join his ship. Before leaving the
city | saw several men limping around
or carrying arms in bandages, show
ing that the war is an actual fact
and not the play it has seemed to
me heretofore.
| I'VE worked night and day to get
coal On board and as soon as possible
steamed down to the fleet We left
with the Metz York for this place
soon after and sent the rest of the
fleet back to Key West. Upon our
arrival here we learned that Admiral
Cervera's fleet is within the fortified
harbor, and don't see how we are
going to get him to come out. Some
of the ships exchanged shots with
him the day we came in. 1t was at
long range and there were no casual.
| ties. We are now returning. from
100 mile chase after what we thought
was Spanish scout, but which turned
out to be one of the many newspaper
boats that bother us more than the
Spaniards.'
The Hobson Episode.
Word just came from the flagship