The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-06-12
FLIGHT OF THE ARMADA
The Experiences of Philips Fleet In
the Storms of the German Ocean

Inc experiences OF Rn1llp'S Fleet Ii
+ the Storms of the German Ocean
In the last Century there is an illus
trated article on The Spanish Ar
mada," by William Frederic Tilton,
with an Introduction by Captain Alfred
t. Mahan. After describing the defeat
OF the Armada. Mr.. Tilton says:
Meanwhile the Spaniards were speed
ing, crestfallen, over the German ocean.
under all the canvas that their torn
rigging and splintered spars would bear
For Sldonia's men were thinking only
of getting home to the warm sun and
sparkling water of their cara ESpana-
dear old Spain. Soldiers and sailors
lCunged in Suilen, silent groups about
the decks. The flagship would not re-
spond to the SaiuteS of her conSortS-
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 hlmi
safe TO Spain. Soon the autumn storms
burst, and the Spaniards had to house
everything but rag or sail TO steer by
Thick. black fOgs often settled down
upon them, so that they could not see
each others lights at night one day,
however. they had the melancholy sat-.
isfaction of capturing few English
pinnaceS returning from their nshlnS
ground, laden with cod and ling This
one almost regrets to saAt-waS the
greatest achievement of the fleet that
was to give Philip the sovereignty over
western Europe. The men had been
supplied with clothes only for short
summer campaign, and these North sea
gales froze them TO the bone. we all
expected to come home rich from TINS
expedition" wrote a gentleman on
board the flagship, as she was hounder-
ing past Scotland; but now we are
coming home in our shirts. for our
clothes got so ragged that we had 10
throw them overheard" To increase
the wretchedneSs, it became necessary
to reduce the rationS to starving point
The artillery mules and noblemenS
horses, which a wise commander would
have kept for food, were cast overheard
TO save water. 1t was heartrendlng 10
see the wild white eyes of the poor
brutes as. plunging and snOrtinS, they
tried TO swim back TO the ships side.
1t seemed imperative to punish some
body for all this disgrace and misery
A number of officers were accused or
disobedience or cOwardice. Some or
these the duke deprived OF their COM
mands, and one captain was hanged
in a pinnace which was sent through
the fleet with its gruesome freight
dangling from the yard-arm as warn
ing to the rest
Inc WealnGT got ever WAA4tA- AAtG
clumsy ships heaved and rolled, and
plunged their yards deep into the
waves. Hulls got so badly strained
that they had TO be stifened with
ropes. Strong men flOcked to the CHAP
lains. begging for their prayers. Many
a poor fellow, losing hope of seeing
land again, made his will and intrusted
it to the ships priest. Men sickened
and died by hundreds. sons of SPANS
noblest houses with the rest. Many
ships got so shOrt-handed that they
dropped behind the main body, and
had to struggle nOrthward in isolated
groups. Now and then rotten laclng
would give way, and the sailors, weak
ened by hunger and sickness, had to
go aloft in the gale to house the tug
ging and bellying sail. lucky if shrOuds
and spars were not slippery and dan
gerous with the driving sleet- Though
it was as cold as Christ
mas. Everybody except the pilots
stayed below as much as possible TO
keep warm. They were all perishing
with hunger and thirst, and the. little
food they got was mOuldy. They might
have tried catching rain water in
casks, but the spray would have turned
II to 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,
the sick and wounded of the
feet. The negroes AMI mulattOs. it was
observed. nearly all persisted with the
cold. The men were now kept contin-
uOusly at the pumps. Woe TO the ship
when pumps got clOgged with ballast
pebbleSi It was hard and dangerous
work shifting the crews OF sinking YES
sells in the tempestuOus weather.