The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-19
Jersey Sailormen in the
Thick Of the Havana
Blockade.
FOURTH OF JULY SPORTS
Boys Are Spectators of a
Battle, But Do Not
Take a Hand.


July 5, lS9S.-The Badger left Key West
about ) O'Clock Sunday afternoon, July 8.
salnting the two Aagships as she passed
out She had taken on the mail for the
b~lockading squadron about Havana ana
transferred the first lot about 8 o'clock
the next morning. AT sunrise and was
sighted and before long the white build-
ings of Havana behind old MORO could be
distinctly seen. The whole morning was
spent in picking up the ships and ans
ferring their mail. Among these We're
the Montgomery, Castine, Prairie, yicks-
burg and Mayiower. The latter came up
about noon, her quarter deck festooned
with flags In commemoration Of the day.
At moor on the Fourth the Badger lay
within five miles of Havana, with four
ships of the heet-in sight, At precisely
eight bells a national salute was fired
and the Spaniards of Havana were re-
minded of the glory OF an Independent
union and the present greatness of a
once struggling people. Upon leaving
Key West orders were issued that no
light of any kind excepting those in the
engine room should be permitted. This
meant that hammocks would have to be
swung in darkness. The gunner's and
carpenters Rates CROPPED around through
the hold and the berth deck on their
hourly rounds and the whole ship was
kept dark. The full gun crews stood
at the guns and every one realized that
at last the Badger had entered upon Sc
rious work. AS the crew looked across
the shimmering waters toward Havana
a mixed feeling of patriotism IN keeping
with the glory of Independence Day and
of resentment burned within them as
they thought of those few miles of water
between them and the watery graves of
their friends and fellow-sailormen-the
heroes of the Maine. The Badger hav-
ing delivered her mail was assigned a
position in the b~lockadlng squadron, di-
rectly off Moro Castle. where she lay
drifting with the current throughout the
day.
with Lieutenant Irving, prepared and
posted the following programme for
evening celebra tion:-
U. 5. S. Badger,
Off Moro Castle, July 4, 1896.
Schedule OF sports on the day we cele-
First event-Raee over topmast head
against time.
run in heats 600 in the shaded.
Third event-Potato race.
Fourth eyent-Tug q war; teams OF
eight from each division.
Music by the Cat Head Choir.
Fifth event-Chicken difficulty.
Sixth step-Jig. buck and wing dane
Goneertino solo, by Water Tender Nc
Iaaughlin.
ssVen[h event-cake walk. The prize
The yeast will ba furnished by the ward
room mess
Plantation Echoes. by the Galley Nip
pers.
Eighth ~event-Little Egypt. in her fam
Gus Cuba-Libre Dance, SEAMAN Hinson.
Instrumental and vocal selections, by
assorted artists.
Entries will close with the Secretary,
Ensign Kemble. any time before com
ORG cake Of hard tack, 70 be drawn on re-
QUESTION from the g. P. Q. mess.
Evening mess was served one hour ear
paired to the f~oic'stle. where the opening
event took place. The entries in all the
events were NUMEROUS, and the contests
were hot ones. The TWO which aroused
the greatest enthusiasm were the tug of
war. in which the engineer force pulled
ali other teams over the line, and the
chicken difficulty event, in which Seaman
Tucker came out the victor.
In the strength test Seaman Jenkinson,
of Newark, came out with winning colors,
ard a shout went up from the .sOld Sec
ord for Jim" the old Prairie Boat
Clubs sweep wielder.
The last rays of a setting sun never lit
up the faces of a happier ships company
than those of the Badgers crew. On the
quarter deck and in the rigging. captain.
officers. sailors. all together, enjoyed the
spirit of the occasion It was getting dark.
Over the stern appeared the flash light of
Moro Castle. when, with heads uncov-
ed, the voices Of officers and men mingled
in the solemn stirring tones of Amer
lea" THE Star Spangled Banner was
.,ar xr;tt rs5lDp5fd affect and than I IL
tenant Gearing suggested that the exer-
cises close by singing the long meter
Doxology. Few OF the ships company
will ever forget that scene. as the prayer-
full harmony rose above h has been
the theatre of strife for several months.
a silence of a minutes or so followed the
last note. and the men took their stations
with an increased o and confidence in
their officers and their ship and a deter
nlination to serve their beloved country
as best they can
During the night the sharpest kin OF
vigilance was observed for blockade run-
nars. An entirely different spirit prevails
now. Men who formerly stood at their
guns with half-closed eyes. wishing for
awake, piercing the gloom with an eagle
eye. and determined to make 1t warm for
the enemies of their country.
Two sharks w been caught and land
ed on the fo'c'stle. Each was about four
feet in length. and they fought desperate
w until dispatched. The crew secured a
few shark souvenirs and dropped the re-
mains OF these horrors of the deep over
board.
July 5th-After quarters Tuesday morn
ing the order to secure had been sounded
and the crew had returned to its regular
work when heavy firing was heard off the
port bow. Smoke could be seen rising
from a point on the shore line near Ma
riel and the Badger started in at top
speed. The Castine had run down q block
ade runner. a steamer of fairly good size.
and opening fire had driven her on the
beach, where she took fire from exploding
shells. The Castiae was engaging the sand
batteries when the Prairie. Badger and
went to her assistance.
General quarters had been sounded and
every man in the crew knew that it meant
business and not drill. The laborious
work of clearing ship was lone IN a jiffy
and the crews stood at their guns ready
for the word to commence firing.
The Prairie and Badger both got within
range at the same time. bur just as the
Badgers crew expected the word to let
go the prairie signalled her to hold pack
and she went in alone, banging away with
the Castine. Surprise was followed by
looks of disappointment as the Prairie.
having finished the work, Withdrew with
out allowing the Badger to fire a gun, al
though plainly within ang The Badger
about a mile and a half off the SAND
batteries ard was in splendid position for
landing her shells, but had to content her.
self with standing ~ watching the 0 n
test and the burning ship. About 8 O'Clock
in the afternoon an explosion occurred on
the burning ship and when the Badger
steamed away an hour later the flames