The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-19
Wbose the Bones?
Were Grey FgdmiraI Ui!IamiI's
Or cbpsV 81 a COMMON Sailor.

New York. MaIcu le.-Tne sensational
finding Of The body OF Admiral Villami, OF
The Spanish navy, sitting in an arm chair
On the Cuban coast about four miles west
of the entrance 10 Santiago harbOr, calls
forth statement from the correspondent
who witnessed the destruction of CeTve-
ra's feet on July last from the yacht
Wanda, dispatch boat in the service Of
the Associated Press. Admiral Fillami
was an officer Of considerable renown in
the Spanish service ana he was in COM
mand of the torpedo fotilla which accom-
panied the larger vessels Of Admiral Ger
vera s feet from the Cape Verde Islands
10 Martinique and thence to Curacao and
Santiago last spring. He was badly
wounded aboard the destroyed Pluton in
the ensaeemeat between the American
and Spanish fleets near Santiago on July
q last but managed to reach the shore and
tae American sailors did not find him. As
he never appeared in Santiago and as his
brother officers on the Pluton knew that
he had been desperately wounded, having
lost an arm and a leg, his death was never
doubted. But the finding Of his body in
Z chair and its positive identification by
means Of mis- uniform and papers found
IN his pockets, Is the first absolute proof
Of his death. The mere finding of the
body is not such q remarkable fact, but
that il should be found seated in an arm
chair on the rocky coast several miles
away from any habitation calls forth the
statement from the correspondent REFER
Cd 10, VINO accounts for the presence Of
the chair, which for more than eight
months past has been the strange tomb %
Inc Spanish commander. The first re
port from Santiago about the finding o.
the body, which was received here on Fri
day, March TO- stated that il was believed
10 be that Of the captain of the Pluton.
The statement Of the correspondent shows
mat this could not be correct, for by
peculiar chain Of circumstances, connect
ed very closely with the presence Of the
chair on the Cuban shore, he was obliged
70 have an interview with the captain
Of the Pluton aboard the auxiliary gun
boat Converted yacht Gloucester an
hour OF more after the Pluton had been
sent 10 ner destruction.
The correspondent says: During the
sea fight on the coast Of Cuba on July
last 1 was on the yacht Wanda, the COM
mander of which was Captain F. c. Mil
Ter. We came upon the Spanish torpedo
boat destroyer Furor, Just as she was
sinking, and the destroyer PlGton, which
mad been cut in two by sheells from the
Gloucester and was pounding 10 pieces on
the rocks along the shore. This was at
point about three or four miles west Of
MORO. at the entrance to Santiago har-
Dor, and about one mile east of the point
where the Marie Teresa and the Ami
rante Oquendo was driven ashore. The
Wanda ran in shore a half mile from the
Pluton. The Gloucester was Standing
by a half mile or more to the westward.
From the deck Of the Wanda we could
easily see a score or more Of men on shore
near the wreck Of the Pluton, but we
c....- s. .-' --r-.Ho~ they were Ameri-
cans. Sr;,..... r-'- one Of
the Wanda's small boats, WIN q 4~..r-
termaster and one or two sailors with me,
and went ashore to the place where the
men were for the purpose of getting their
story Of the destruction Of the Juror and
the Pluton. found that most OF the men
were Spanish sailors, belonging to the
Pluton. They were being guarded by
small squad of sailors from the Glouces-
ter, who were waiting TO take them
aboard the Gloucester as prisoners Of war.
one Of the American sailors told me that
an officer of the Gloucester was up on The
bluff Of rocks overlooking the wreck of the
Pluton a few hundred yards away, and
h. also told me that there was wounded
sailor from the PlutOn there with him.
He asked me if ! could not get a litter or
something from the Wanda so that they
could get this wounded man off to the
Gloucester. sent my boats crew back
10 the Wanda with instructions TO report
the circumstances 10 Captain Miller and
see If he could 60 anything to help the
wounded man. I then climbed over the
rocks in search of the Gloucester officer
and after q great deal Of difficulty found
aim near the wreck Of the PlltoE with
heavy rife n his hand standing sGa-c
over an office u the Piuton, who was al
most naked and lad MS feet tied Up n
burlap to protect Item fro n tie sharp
rocks. I have forgotten the name of the
American officer but he was a young en-
sign or naval cadet. The Spanish officer
vas ve~y pleasant fellow, but he was a
,ncst ritiable specimen. hed evidently con-
Cludod ina, he had been up against 4
su.,iC 'aaty. and that he could not sur
ren Ter Quickly enough. All that IL want
e thcu was a boat 10 get MIN out 10 re
Gloucester as a prisoner. He could speak
"A little English and with my mongrel
Spanish we could understand each other
very we'll In the next few minutes did
-.s~.-
noih the American and Spanish officer
Then I asked the Gloucester officer about
The wounded man. but he had lost him for
The time being and the three of Us COM
menCed a search for him. There was no
shade nor vegetation OF any kind where
We we're Il was blUT covered with
rocks. so hot from the scortchins sun that
they blistered the feet IN walking over
them. and here and there there We're de-
preSsions in which a few inches Of stag
nant water remained from the last rain
fall. We wandered over these rocks for
fully fifteen minutes searching for the
wounded man. The heat was almost in
tolerable and all Of us We're nearly fam
:shed from thirst The Spanish Officer
gave I'D the search ard sank on the rocks
exhausted. The Gloucester officer and
myself finally came upon the wounded
man living in a pool - staSnant water
which had turned red from his own blood
lie vas a common sailor or fireman from
the Plut0n and he had a hole in him
large enough 20 have been made by six
Inch she'll He was plainly dying. though
h was conscious but he was TOO weak
70 speak plainly. and all that I could get
from him was q cry for aqua aqua
(wate-'. and 7 had none 10 civ MIN. He
kept moving his hands about in n. pool