The times., 1899-05-14
OFF,
THE COAST OF CUBA
Thrilling Incidents of the
Spanish War.
The Engagement With the Enemy
at COlOrados Point.
Calling Fire From Mnchiae
Guns mt Close Range.

One year ago the Spanish public mind
was being cruelty disturbed By the ac-
tlvity OF the American cable-cutters of
the coast of Cuba. On May IL. 1885, the
telegraph cables OF the eastern side OF
Colorados Point at the entrance TO Glen
fuegos Harbor were severed by boats
crews from the Marblehead. the Nashville.
and the Eagle. which American warships
were then on blockade duty on the south
coast of Cuba. The object OF this wire
cutting was to more thoroughly Isolate
Cuba and prevent any communication be-
tween the insular authorities and those at
| Madrid.
Commander B. H. McCaila, Of the Mar
blehead, on April % directed Lieut. w. II.
II. Switzerland, in command OF the Eagle.
to proceed of the mouth Of the entrance to
Cienfuegos Harbor and to discover the
character and number of the vessels lying
there, IL being the understanding that two
or three Spanish gunboats were concealed
there, and il being the object Of the AEeri-
cans to lure them out to fight. that they
might either be captured or destroyed.
When the Eagle had moved to the posi-
tion indicated. her lookout reported that
two torpedo beats and what appeared to
be a torpedo gunboat were within the har-
bor- Within few minutes the Spaniards
opened fire and two of the craft started
for the entrance of the harbor. firing rap
diiy, but inaccurately. as they came. The
Eagle backed slowly, with her broadside
10 the enemy, in order both to change her
bearing and to bring as many guns as pos
sible to bear. She fired rapidly and effect
lively fer a few minutes and the elemy's
ships turned their steTns toward the
Americans and retired within the harbor.
Within ten minutes the torpedo gunboat
appeared at the entrance as though COM
ing out and with a shore battery opened
FIRE on the Eagle. The Marblehead came
up and bringing her 5-inch rifles to bear ON
the enemy, silenced the shore battery and
drove the gunboat back into the harbor-
On the afternoon Of May TO- the English
steamer Adula came out Of Cienfuego5
bound for Kingston with refugees, and re-
ported that the torpedo gunboat Galicia
had been disabled by 6-pounder projec
tile from the Eagle having passed through
her boiler.
During these days of waiting and watch
ing Commander McCalla ascertained the
location OF the cables leading from the
south and west into the cablehouse near
the lighthouse at the entrance TO the har-
Dor and prepared to cut them For this
purpose Lieutenant Switzerland was d.
reeted to leave his station with the Eagle
and steam to the westward where the
cable is laid in shallow water near the
lightship off Diego Perez Rey. He was
instructed not only to cut the cable but
to burn the lightship and blow down the
lighthouse.
Lieut. c. McC Winslow was placed in
command of the steam launches from the
Nashville and the Marblehead with Lieut.
J E. A. Anderson second in command. The
four boats were to be used to drag for and
} to cut the cables off Cienfuegos under the
! protection of the guns OF the Marbiehead
} and the Nashville. An infantry and cav
; airy force posted about the cablehOuse
was driven from its position and the cable
house blown to splinters- Two cables
were cut and small one was found in
shore but before this could be cut the FIRE
! from the infantry, with evidently a Maxim
gun, SO severe as to compel the boats
: to withdraw, as they were within one hun
dred and fifty yards of the enemy.
The following casualties to the Amsri-
2 can force were reported: Killed-Patrick
Reagan, marine. Wounded-Herman W.
Kuchnesiter. marine; Harry Henrickson.
) seaman; Ernest Suntzenich. apprentices:
!. John ]. Doran, boatswain's mate; Robert
!, VolZ. seaman; John Davis, gunner's mate;
i | William Levery, apprentice. and Lieuten-
ant Winslow. Commander McCalla, in his
: official report, called attention to the cool
5 ness and intrepidity OF the men under the
n CALLING fire.
/ On the same day the Eagle cut the sub
q marine cable connecting Batabano and
a Cienfuegos. The lightship was fred and
S the lighthouse destroyed. Lieutenant
k Switzerland in his report stated that the
K keeper of the hghtship was in a ptiable
= condition. He was a Cuban and had re-
ceiyed no wages from the Spanish govern
ment for seven months. In charge OF the
. lighthouse were two men and boy These
a were found in a starving condition. and
. were brought off by the Eagle. They had
= been eight months without pay. three
"a weeks without communication with the
: outside world, and five days without food
On the night of May 16, the Wompa-
tuck made an effort TO cut the cables lead
. ing out OF Santiago to jamaica The party
: was discovered by a patrol boat, and. not
knowing what might be the resources ol
d. the enemy in guns and searchlights, deem
ed ii prudent to withdraw. The volunteers
a for the hazardous work were Captain
J. Goodrich of the ST. Paul. commanding;
= Lieut.. Carl Jungan, commanding the Wom-
" patuck; Lieutenant Catlin. United States
: Marine Corps; Chief Officer Segrave, OF tht
: St Louis; Third officer Smith. Of the st
Louis: Second Engineer Preston, of tht
e St Louis; NJ. Koning, oller; J. Lindsay
II quartermaster; F. Albrecht. quartermas
ter; J. b. Wickersham, quartermaster
.s John Donaldson, seaman: George Camp
bell. seaman. and William Wynn. seaman
AT daylight on May is the St. Louis an
>, the Wompatuck grappled for and cut tn
III Santiago-Jamaica cables under the fire o
the guns of Moro Castle.
&c The water is so deep close in to tina
IS coast that the ships were obliged to ap
l. proach within little over a mile OF thi
l. Notifications. The crews hooked the ca
1t bles in over 500 fathoms Of water and wer,
ne Immediately fred on from the MORO. frol
lie a new fortifeation to the westward of tht
re harbor of Santiago. and from a mortar
ID battery on Casper Point. A section OF tn
E cable about 400 feet long was cut out
J. a effort was made on May 10 to cut tn
is French cable at Guantanamo The por
was guarded by Spanish gunboat carry
- ing heavier guns than the six-pounderi
- on the St. Louis and was commanded b.
Ie an officer who did not hesitate to attacl
l. the Atlantic liner.
t On the morning OF May 90 the ST. Loui
lie while off Mole st. Nicholas broke tn
e. French cable.
4 The news of the fighting OFF Cienfuego
id did not reach Washington until the after
IN noon OF Saturday. May II. when the Nav
lg Department received dispatch from Ike
II West. On that day the press dispateEe
4 told of the fighting and the losses.
in
,s Early English.
ho n.4