The record-union., 1899-03-20

American sailors on shore and had put
out to the Wanda in one of the Plu-
| toms boats which had floated ashore.
| Their reason for going to the Wanda
was that the yacht had British regis
try and flew the British flag, but her
| flag was the only thing British about
her, a fact which the Spaniards did not
know. She had a big hearted Yankee
| skipper in Captain Miller, and when
| the boat load of half drowned and half
| starved Spaniards came alongside he
forgot all about the color of the Wan
da's flag and the possibility of any an
noying complications that these Span
iards might cause us. He could have
directed them to go to the Gloucester,
which was then not more than a mile
away standing by the exploding wrecks
of the Maria Teresa and Oquendo re-
ceiving more prisoners than she could
take care of, while the Brooklyn, Ore
gon, Texas and New York were chas-
ing the Cristobal Colon along the coast
fifty miles to the westward.
But Captain Miller did not repulse
the appealing Spaniards His instinct
OF humanity was too strong, and he
told them to come aboard. Not only
that, but he gave them dry clothing
and food and drink So when 1 came
over the side of the Wanda l found
our 'jackies' pouring Jamaica rum
down the throats of the six Spanish
sailors on the forecastle, and in the
cabin We're the three officers telling
their troubles to Captain Miller, while
the steward was dealing out to them
libations of Scotch whisky and soda.
This was all right from a humanitarian
standpoint, but 1 found myself con-
fronted with the absolute necessity of
getting these Spaniards off the Wanda
at once. Our yacht was ready to put
out Immediately for Port Antonio, the
nearest neutral port at which we could
reach a cable station and send the
news of the destruction of Cervera's
fleet. We had then been running back
and forth between Port Antonio and
the Cuban coast for six weeks past,
and several times had the British
quarantine regulations impressed upon
us very forcibly.
Il knew, to a certainty, that if we
went into Port Antonio Bay with these
Spaniards aboard, who had been living
in the pestilential climate of Santiago
for a month or two past, the quaraE-
tine officials would not permit us to
enter but would anchor US about four
miles to leeward of the town and not
permit US to have any communication
with the shore, thus shutting US off
from the free use of the cable and
ending the Wanda's career as an AS
sociated Press dispatch boat. I felt
certain that Captain Wainwright,
whom I had known personally for
some years, would not care to take the
Spaniards forcibly off a vessel flying
the British flag, and Captain Miller
and myself seemed to be confronted
with a proposition which meant that
we would either have to throw our
refugees overheard or else land them
on Cuban soil, where the chivalrous
Cuban army would give them quick
finish suggested to the Spaniards
that they go aboard the Gloucester and
surrender to Captain Wainwright, but
they found themselves too comfortable
aboard the Wanda and refused to
listen to the proposition, at the same
time inf1icting any number of affec-
tionate embraces upon Captain Miller
and myself, and showing every indica-
ton of being in need of further stimu-
lants from the Wanda's medical stores.
along shore toward the Gloucester, and
l was thinking that had a very seri-
Gus proposition on my hands I con-
cluded to consult Captain Wainwright
on the subject, and when we neared
the Gloucester I boarded her. About
the first thing Captain Wainwright
told me was that he had the Captains
of both the Pluton and the Furor
aboard as prisoners of war I asked
him to take me to the Captain of the
Pluton at once, and he did So I found
that he could speak English, and for
the next few minutes I asked him to
give me an order to his men, held
out lead pencil and copy paper to
him at the same time He wrote the
order addressed to the senior Spanish
officer on the Wanda, directing all of
them to come aboard the Gloucester at
once and surrender. ! lost no time in
getting back to the yacht and deliver
ing the order The officers were great
ly incensed at their Captain but they
dared not disobey his order. and after
a great deal of rapid talking among