New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-19
SIRE IT'S ITLANIL'S BODY
A STATEMENT FROM AN ASSOCIATED
PRESS CORRESPONDENT

PRESS CORRESPONDENT
INTERESTING STORY THAT ACCOUNTS FOR TIE
ARMCHAIR IN WHICH THE REMAINS
WERE FOUND.
The alleged finding # the body Oh "''''.."
Villamil OF the Spanish Navy sittihg III IN 49,
chair on the Cuban coast about -FOUR mIes W "
the entrance TO Santiago Harbor ca"S iof'"
statement from the correspondent who witnessed
the destruction Of Cervera's fleet on July "S'
from the yacht Wanda, dispatch poat III wv
service of the Associated Press Adnirhi NH"i''
was an officer of considerable renown IN 'he
Spanish service. and in command OF the 'or-
nedo ootilla which accompanied the larger VeHse'S
of Admiral Cerveras feet from the cape Ne'u
Islands TO Martinique and thence TO curacao ana
Santiago last spring. He was BABY "ouhu'"
aboard the destroyer Pluton in the enBagemehl W.
tween the American and Spanish fleets near san
tiago on July last. but managed TO reach ,he
shore and the American sailors did not find him
As he never appeared In Santiago, and as MS
brother officers on the Pluton knew that he had
been desperately wounded. having lost an arm anu
a leg his death never doubted
But the finding Of his body In chair ana JUS
nositIve identification by means Of his uniform and
napers found I'm his pockets Is the first absolute
proof Of his death The mere finding OF the pou!
is not such a remarkable fact. but that II shou'"
be found seated in armchair on that ROCKY
forth the statement from the correspondent re-
ferred TO- who accounts for the presence OF the
chair which for more than eight months has Deeh
the strange tomb of the Spanish commander Inc
first report from Santiago about the hndihs Oh the
body which was received here on FRIDAY M"'C"
10 stated that IL was believed to be that OF the
captain of the Pluton The statement Of the cor
respondent shows that this could not be correct
for by a peculiar chain Of circumstances. connec'e"
very closely with the presence OF the chair o."
the Cuban shore. he was obliged 10 nave an ih'fI-
view with the captain Of the Pluton aboard the
auxiliary gunboat converted yacht Gloucester !"
hour or more after the Pluton had been sent TO
her destruction.
The correspondent says:
CORRESPONDENTS STATEMENT
During the fight off the coast OF tuoa oo on
July last / was on the yacht Wanda; me con- con-
mander OF which Captain +. G. Miller; W.
came upon the Spanish torpedo G GStroyycr
Furor Just as she was sinking. and the dcstItoynTI
Puton. which had been cut in TWO W H SnI,'
from the Gloucester and was pounding 10 P ~,
on the rocks along the shore This was srr at q. =
point about three or four miles west OF Morto one
the entrance TO Santiago HarDor, 'nH 10y rcresa
mile east of the point where the Maria itiVn"
and the Almirante Oquendq Were r miie' from the
Pluton. The Gloucester was standing oy. an; nam
The Wanda we could easily score OF men OF
shore near the wreck Of the Pluton but we fouiu
ar Cubans | took one Of the Wandas small boats
with a quartermaster and one or two sailors Win Win
e an" fo ,be nnrnose of getting their story Of the
destruction of the Furor and the Pluton. co,risb
sailors belonging to the Piuton. They were pe,ts
guarded by small squad OF sailors , IRON nboard
the Gloucester as prisoners of war one OF w
American sailors told me hat an oilcer OF oite
ing the wreck OF the Pluton, few hundred yarI YAH
away ana ne aiso tolq me r'Ii there with him. lie
asked If could not get litter or sonlr'n IKE
from the Wanda. that they could eel rms
wounded man off to the Gloucester. sent my
boats crew back to the Wanda with INSTRUCTIONS
to report the circumstances to Captain Miller ana
see II he could do anything to help the wounded
man / then climbed over the rocks in search OF
the Gloucesters officer and attcr great q pi, VI
with navy rife in his hand. standing guard over
an officer Of the Pluton. who was almost nakcn
and had his feet tied up in burap to protfct MN
from the sharp rocks have forgotten inc name
or naval cadet The Spanish officer was very
pleasant fellow but he was m3s p MA bsd
been up against it, sufficiently, and he could not
brn Wss boat to get him out to the
as a prisoner He could speak a little Engish, ana
with my mOngrel Spanish we could understand
each other very well.
A RAPID-FIRE INTERVIEW.
In the next few minutes did very "rapid-
fire" interviewing with both the American and
Spanish officers. Then l asked the Gloucester
officer about the wounded man but he had lost MN
for the time being. and the three OF ~ began Il
search for him There was no shade nor veee-
taton of any kind where We were. II was olun
covered with rocks. SO hot from the scorching sun
tbst tbav Mustered the feet in walking over them.
and here and there were depressions IN when a
few inches of stagnant water reih1ineu 1ol for
last rainfall. We wandered over lhcSc TOVha III i
fully fifteen minutes searching for the wounded
man The heat almost intolerable. ana an y,
US were nearly famshed from thirst. Inc Spahl;Sn
officer gave UP the search and sank on the ROCKS
exhausted. The Gloucester officer ana my sflii
finally came upon the wounded man ylng III q P,t ,
Of sagnant water. which had turned req rom NJ
own blood He was common sailor or hrcinln
from the Pluton and he had mole IN nun l"r a.
enough 10 have been made by 6-inch sh"Ii. IT,
plainly dying though he was e9nSTi2us II' ~,
from him was the cry Aqua Agua. Ai w1' III ;
and had none to give nm e Ky' t h,o' beody
stagnant water over his wounds, I'LL. ., and I
The Gloucester officer remained WIN MIN anu anu :
returned 70 the beach TO see if my boat had como
back from the Wanda found IL Walt"s uict .,,
steamer chair which had been used on our H.; H.
deck This the nearest approaSh 10 d NJ, s,r
Gloucester sailors who were present said that they
would take care of the wounded man anu soon
a. their la1neh should 9r them DOT Afeo m
ingly. turned the chair over 10 helh so INV '''
! boat and returned to the Wanda
PROBABLY DIED IN THE pool"
do not know what became Of the wounded
Snanisb sailor never heard Of him af;erward'
| but / believe that he must have died IN the poor
whore left him before the sailors on shore cou'd
get him i'm the chair and take him 10 the HIouceH'e
| II ne did die in the pool. which cannot uouD' .
| owing to his frghiful wounds. and the fact that
| ne Law IN the burning sun long without surgical
attention. It Is not likely that he found any other
| tomb for IL was 10 time occasion 10 be over
| particular about dead man. as Hcau lne.i W.,
rather numerous in that LOCALITY tnei ana M IN
| fortunate sailor whose mangled BODY was elt EInb
in his own blood the sun-blisered rocks OF uDt
| shared no worse fate than scores OF DINERS "hoHe
| bodies saw that day floating In the sea. either 10
become food for sharks or TO be ground 10 pieces
when the incoming tide should thro" them against
| the rockbound shore. , -,
| When the Gloucester sailors hnaly returned 10
their own vessel they undoubtedly left the Wanda =
chair on the shore, and believe there Is not me
| slightest doubt that that chair afterward became,
The death-couch and then tEc tomb OF Admiral
| ViamiI He was doubtless lying near US az me
| time | was on shore. but none OF the Americans
| found him. which not remarkable, as there
| were very few Americans on shore ana ne could
| ga ally have been concealed behind the rocks along
| the beach or I'm the thick brush back OF them II
| the Spanish sailors who had been captured knew