The times., 1899-09-27
WOODS DEATH CONFIRMED.
The Naval Cadet Killed in the Fight
With InSurreuts

With Insurgents.
In cable message received at the Navy
Department yesterday Rear Admiral Wat
son states that from insurgent reports it
is learned that Naval Cadet Welborn c.
Wood, who commanded the gunboat Ur-
daneta. which was captured and destroy
ed by the rebels, was killed in the engage
ment in the Orani River. The despatch
announcing the killing of Cadet Wood was
preceded by the following cablegram con-
firming the press reports of the disaster:
Manila, September 25, lsos
Secretary Navy, Washington:
Gunboat Urdaneta, Cadet Welborn G. Wood.
commanding has been captured and destroyed
by the insurgents while blockading. The wreck
is hard aground water two feet deep, near Ora
nj, on Orani River, northwestern OF Ma
Mia Bay, and is completely Quilted Draft, max
imum, was less than six feet. Displacement in
tons, ortytwo. Battery consists of 1-pcunder rap
id-fire gun, l machine gun Colt automatic),
machine gun (Nordenfedt). % milimetres.
The reason of his presence in that river is not
known. Commander Cornwen was preventing the
landing OF arms with forty men. His force was
tco small 10 attack armed insurgents at the
village. Water is only SIX feet deep the bar
at the mouth OF the river Cannot obtain any
authentic information of the as yet, be-
cause insurgents will not respect flag OF truce.
Cadet Wood with the Of nine enlisted men
and one Chinafnan are not accounted fer.
The name and rate of Americans, who, ali of
them, were attsched to the Oregon, were as fol-
lows: Benjamin James Green, coxswan; William
Mitchell, seaman; Samuel Jones, Tiiden Herbert,
ordinary seaman; Edward Burke, ordinary
man; George Daniel Powers, apprentice, first
class; Arthur William Drummond, machinist, first
class; Thomas Gray, fireman. second class; Sam
uel Stone, seaman; John Hames Farley, fire
man, first class. Vessel burned. Report by
mail WATSON.
Welborn C. Wood was the son of H. X.
Wood, a Georgia farmer of limited means.
They lived near Jerusalem, Perkins county,
Ga. The father gave up farming recently
and is now a storekeeper and gauger in
the Internal Revenue Service. Two years
ago, while young Wood was at the Naval
Academy, his mother became seriously i'll
and the boy went home, but too late to see
her before she died. Young Wood had two
brothers.
Cadet Wood secured a common school
education at Jerusalem, but was anxious
to go through college. He managed to
save enough money to take course at the
North Georgia Agricultural College. and
while there Representative Tate, of the
Ninth Georgia Congressional district, be-
came interested in him. There was
vacancy in the Naval Academy from the
district, and MIR. Tate gave the appoint
ment to Wood. The young man entered
the Naval Academy ON September 6, 1895.
and last January was graduated before his
time in order that he might be sent to
sea, the lack of officers having proved
serious embarrassment to the Navy De-
partment. He went to the battleship
oregon after his graduation and made the
voyage to Manila in that vessel. When the
Urdaneta, former Spanish vessel captured
by Dewey, was placed in commission, Wood
was assigned to her command, an unusual
honor for a cadet. Wood was very ener-
getic in everything he undertook. His rec
ord at the Academy was excellent.
Naval officers do not quite understand
the reference to Commander Cornwell and
foryt men in Admiral Watson's despatch
reporting the Urdaneta disaster. Cornweli
Is the commander of the gunboat Petrol.
1t is supposed that he was entrusted with
the duty of preventing flibusters from
landing supplies in the vicinity of Orani
River and left the Urdaneta at the mouth
of that stream.
The records of the Navy Department give
the following information about the en-
listed men of the Urdanera who were cap
tured or killed:
Benjamin j. Greene, coxswain; born San Fran
cisco. CAL; residence not given next of kin, b.
j. Greene. father, Los Angeles, Cal.
William Mitchell, seaman; born Bucksville, s
O.; residence, New York city: next of kin, George
Mitchell, father, Bucksville, S. G.
Samuel Jones Tilden Herbert, ordinary seaman;
born Charles county, Nd. residence, Baltimore,
Md. next OF kin, Richard o. Herbert, broth-r, Sll
Edmunson Street, Baltimore, Md.
Edward Burke, ordinary SEAMAN born Boston,
Mass residence, New York city; next Of kin,
Hannah Moore, aunt, Dorchester, Mass.
George Daniel Powers, apprentice first Glass;
born Smartsvile. Yuba county, California; next
Of kin, Mrs. NJ Betancue, mother, $50 Washington
Street Oakley, Cal.
Arthur William Drummond. machinist first
class: born in Canada: next of kin. Mrs. r. Da-
Wis Bathell, Canada
John Hames Farley. fireman first class; born
Newark, n. j.; residence, Newark, N. j.; next OF
kim Mrs. P. Farley. mother, Up Chambers
Street, Newark n. ].
Thomas Gray, fireman second class; born Buf-
fao, N. Y: next OF kin not given
Samuel Stone, seaman; born Wilma, Russia ;
residence Fall River Mass next of kin, A. j.
Shon. 12s Pleasant Street, Fall River, Mass