New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-05
.ncrR'S WORK AT NCEVITAS
r,pTI-RES SPANISH TROOPS TRANS
PORTED UNDER THE RED
CROSS FLAG.
rnr TELEGRAPH TO THE rnIpuSr.l


u,.s, Fla. Aug 1.-THE auxiliary cruiser
~ ~ manned by the Battalion of the East, or
Nsw-Jersey Naval Reserves. and COM
..a bv Captain \. :. Snow. has arrived at
-, and reports that on Tuesday. July 20.
.aok three vessels as prizes at Nuevitas on
.osst Of Cuba. about three hundred miles
~ Havana The prizes are the large sea-
- ,us Humbsrto Rodriguez. the large
ss~,,er-rigsed troop ship San Fernando. ana
,rsantlne SAT- Three hundred and thirty
-, soldiers were on the vessels and they
saxon as prisoners OF war. BY order or
.ooso-c Howell to whom Captain Shaw re-
80 his CAPTURE last Friday morning the
80 took the prizes and prisoners to Dry
-. Radser had been blockadins the port OF
...yl,as from July IL On the 10Th white
40 was shown from Maternios. near the en-
.~.,ca 70 the harbor. and the lighthouse keeper
.,ue ont TO inform the captain of the Badger
,,s, he and his small garrison wished to SUR
,,Aer A few hours later sloop laden with
-.fnrees came out OF the harbor and Informed
c.n,ajn Snow that Nuevitas was being evacu-
,,sd and the inhabitants would gladly sur
-snder 70 him. They also brought the informa-
non ;hat two Spanish gunboats, the Pfzarro and
The Yunuri in the harbor. were to be sunk
r,n,ain Snow intended to communicate with the
commodore on the events at Nuevitas. but on
tho 0eth he was Unexpectedly obliged 10 change
bic MANS regarding Nuevtas. About o'clock
II the afternoon Of that day the lookout on the
u.ager reported three vessels. headed by a
s.eamer. comins out Of the harbor They were
snnarently IN line OF battle. and the yellow and
red NJ rhe Spanish flag could be plainly seen on
each
The Badger at once cleared ship for action
and the crew went 70 their guns stripped to the
waist IN anticipation Of genuine engagement.
The Badger headed straight for the Spapiards.
Suddenly under each Spanish flag there ap-
peared a Red Cross flag. and at the foremost OF
each vessel the yellow quarantine flag was sent
IN The steamer which was the Humberto
Rodriguez was towing the two vessels. and
started westward evidently without intending
10 pay any attention 10 the Badger blank
shot across her bow. however. caused her to
heave to rather quickly.
CAPTAIN Snow sent Lieutenant Edward NJ.
Peters and Surgeon Simpson TO the Rodriguez
with boarding party On the tug were over
sixty-fve Spanish soldiers, many wearing hos
ptal bandages on their arms DR.. Simpson de-
clared that most Of the soldiers were siar'ming
One officer he reported, evidently had consump-
which he admitted was broken by fall from
a horse six months before. and another officer
had gunshot wound several months old on MS
arm, on the other two vessels were 300 Span
,sh soldiers small percentage OF these were
III from malaria and wounds, and few hao
serious wounds which they sa:d they had re-
ceved in skirnishes with the insurgents
NOT ENTITLED TO THE RED CROSS FLAG.
oil no
could have been put on small vessel and
that on none OF them was any evidence. docu-
mentary or otherwise that they were entitled
70 fly the Red Cross flag Tie vessels were
ostensibly in charge of Surgeon Maxine Mar
tjnez Morales who said thai General Salcedo
had sent him with the wounded to Havana.
He said that as ne flew the Red Cross nag
IN. was entitled 10 proceed without molcstation
After careful inquiry Lieutenant Peters and
nye Simpson reported that there were at least
90 able bodied Spanish soldiers on the vessels.
Ar this Captain Snow decided 70 take the YES
sells as prizes and the soldiers as prisoners
under the conviction that the Red Cross nag
was being used frauduiently and merely as a
cloak to transport the soldiers to Havana
Lieutenant Peters placed on board
the Rodriguez with prize crew. Lieu
,anan, Irving Blount and Ensign A. "
crew consisted Of Chief Machinst McKenny.
Boatswain's Mate John Hudson and Seamen
Albert. Wilson. Cuff. c. r. Kicker. Raphel,
Graah Kelly. Tremecke Holland. Wetherill.
E x. Tucker. Dekolf Saunders. McGraw. Gales.
Y NJ Smith. Hardy and T. G. Forest. On the
Rodriguez were a number Of officers who. 1t is
believed were Of higher rank than they admit
ted. as one of them who said he was lieu
{xfo ilphf
which bore the ribbon and device Of chief en-
gineer Of the Spanish Navy. There were also
an alleged retired captain Of infantry an active
captain Of infantry and lieutenant of engineers
and two lieutenants of cavalry.
Surgeon Morales said that there were four
cases of yellow fever on the San Fernando and
Two on the SAT- Investigation proved that
dysentery was the worst disease on the vessels
and one Of the victims died Sunday morning
az Dry Tortugas and was buried on one Of the
keys.
Captain Snow started for the Havana block
ade with mis- prizes at once. and reported to
Commodore Howell off Moro Castle Friday
morning The Commodore ordered him TO pro-
coed with the vessels and prisoners at once 70
Dry Tortugas. ard TO report from there by
cable TO Washington. Dry Toriugas was
reached Saturday noon. and the Badger. with
her small squadron anchored In quarantine
DR.. Williams the health officer at Dry Tortu-
gas. examined all the vessels and rendered the
same verdict rs Dr. Simpson. that there was
no yellow fever and that AT least 30 OF the
Spaniards were able bodied.
The Rodriguez is 81 ane seagoiLg tug with
triple expansion engines. and is worth about
10000 Tb, San Fernando was formerly a
steamer but year ago was converted INTO
Spanish trooa ship The SAT- is fine br!gan-
tine The two ships together worth at
least $4,000
DEsERTERs FROM NUEvITAs
The Badger also has on board eight deserters
from the Spanish garrison at Nuevitas. a ser
Reanf ~ The Cadiz haffalinn Is Among thcn,.