The St. Johns herald., 1898-08-06
FLIGHT OF THE ARMADA.
Experience of PhiiD's Fleet in the
 storm of the German Ocean.


 Storms of the German Ocean.
 In the Century there Is an article on ''The Spanish Armada by William Frederic Tilton. Arter describing the defeat of the Armada, Mir. Hilton says: Meanwhile the Spaniards were speed ing, crestfaIIen, over the German Ocean, under all the canvas that their torn rigging and splintered spars would bear. For SidOnia's men were think ing only C. getting home 10 the warm sun and sparkling water of their cara Espana-dear old Spain. Soldiers and sailors lounged in sullen silent groups about the decks. The flag ship would not respond to the s8jutes of her con- sorts. The wind blew northerly at times, but the duke forgot his promise to sail back into the Channel. He thought only Of flight, and offered his French pilot two thousand ducats If he should bring him safe to Spain. Soon the autumn storms burst, and the Spaniards had to house everything but rag of sal to steer by. Thick, black fogs often settled down upon them, SC that they could not see one another's lights at night. One day, howeveF, they had the melancholy satisfaction of capturing a few En- glish pinnaCes returning from their fshing-grou15 laden with cod and ling. This-one almost regrets to say It. was the greatesc achievement of the fleet that was to give Philip the sOv- ereignty over w. erD Europe. The men had been supplied with clothes only for 8 short summer campaign, and these North Sea gales froze them to the bone. eve all expected to come home rch from this eNpedition," wrote gentleman on board the flagship, as she was doundering past Scotland; but nov We are coming home in our l shirts, for our clothes got so ragged that we had to throw them overheard" To Increase the Wretchedness, 1t be came necessary 10 reduce the rationS to starving point The arillery mules and nOblemen's horses, which a wise commander would have kept for food, were cast overheard to save water. It was heartrending to see the wild white eyes of the poor brutes as, plunging and snorting- they tried to swim back to the ships side
 It seemed imperative to punish some body for au this disgrace and misery. A number Of officers were accused of disobedience or cOwardica. Some of these the duke deprived of their con- mands; and one captain was hanged in a pinnace, which was sent through the feet with It's grueSome freight dangling from the yard-arm as a warn Ing to the rest.
 The weather got ever wilder. The clumsy ships heaved and rolled, and plunged their yards deep into the waves. Hulls got so badly strained that they had to be stiffened with ropes. Strong men fockei to the chap lains, begging for their prayers. Many poor fellow losing nope of seeing land again, made his will and intrusted 1t to the ships priest Men sickened and died by hundreds, sons of Spain's noblest houses with the rest Many ships got 80 shOrt-handed that they dropped behind the main body, and had to struggle northward in isolated groups. Now and then a rotten lacing would give way, and the sailors, weak ened by hunger and sickness, had to go aloft Tn the gale to house the tug ging and bellying sal, lucky If shrouds and spars were not slippery and dan gerous with the driving sleet. Though midsunmeC, 1t was as cold as Christ mas. Everybody excep: the pilots stayed below as much IS possible to keep warm. They were all perishing with hunger and thirst, and the little food they got was mOldy They might have tried catching rain-water in casks, but the spray would have turn ed it salt. Calderon, one of the pay masters, had a store of delicacies aboard his hulk, and distributed them, as well as the heavy sea allowed, among the sick and wOunded of the fleet. The negroes and mulattoes, 1t was observed, nearly all oerished with the cold The men were now kept continuously at the pumps. Woe to the ship when pumps got clogged with ballast pebbles, IL was hard and dan gerous work shifting me crews of sinking vessels in the tempestuous weather.