The times., 1899-01-09
THE ALVARADO'S MASCOT
War Experiences of Adven.
turous Randolph Sweet.
WENT WITH THE INMUNES
Stricken with Fever and Sent Home
on the Reclaimed Spanish Gunboa;
A Long Noyngc-Boys of the
Fourth Regiment Homesick IN Gu
bn-Hnrr. Tcnckle's Good Fortune.

Two strange gunboats built after the
manner CT foreign war craft are moored
to the long low wharf of the Washing
ton Navy Yard. They are the Alvarado
and Sandoval which were formerly as
signed TO the Santiago station by the
royal Spanish navy, but the Stars and
Stripes fluttered over them yesterday.
The Alvarado was surrendered to the
American Government with the city OF
Santiago after the defeat of the Spanish
forces under General Toral. She is about
113 feet long. draws seven feet OF water,
and is armed with two modern rapid-fire
guns. The Sandoval is n vessel of much
the same type the Alvarado and was
stationed at Guantanamo Bay at the be-
ginning of the war.
When the Texas and Marblehead steam
ed into the bay last summer and bonn
tarded the shore batteries around La
Caimanera. the Spanish commander of
the Sandoval gave orders for retreat to
the vicinity of Punta Monati and the
Ensenada de JCa a small arm at the north
end of Guantanamo Bay. When the re-
treat had been consummated those who
manned the vessel were sent ashore in
small boats and the Sandoyal was sunk.
After the close of the war the Amer
lean naval constructors raised the ves-
sell Lieut.. Edward A. Anderson Is in
charge Of the Sandoval and Lieut.. Victor
Blue. concerning whose exploits so much
has been published, commands the Alva-
rado. Lieutenant Blue is the daring young
naval officer who made numerous bold
"Reminiscences in Cuba Immediately after
the formal declaration of war, for the pur-
pose Of opening communication with the
insurgents and obtaining valuable mill
tary and naval data concerning the
strength of the enemy.
The men Who were assigned to man the
Alvarado after she became the property
of the American Government were picked
from the crew of the Texas. Those On
the Sandoval were taken from the Marble
head
The trip from Caribbean waters to this
country was begun by the Alvarado on
November last She touched at Gil
bara and entered Guantanamo Bay, where
she was joined by the Sandoval. Both
gunbcats. flying the American colors, pro-
ceeded 10 Key West and steamed along
the South Atlantic coast, occupying near
ly two months in making the voyage. NJ
merous points were touched on the South
ern coast, the last step being at Norfolk
during the early part OF last week.
The Alvarado is not only an interesting
vessel, but one with an interesting crew as
well. One of the most interesting of the
persons who came to Washington on her is
Randolph Sweet, the son of William T.
Sweet. of No. 1lO7 G Street northwest
Randolph probably attracts more attention
than any other member of the vessels
crew or passengers for the reason that he
was one OF the youngest followers of the
American colors in the recent war. He is
only seventeen years old. Though young
n h,1 iC ri in at act
those qualities which prompt men to lay
down their lives for their country, and
when the war fever was at its height
young Randolph caught 1t badly.
He went TO the office at No. 110S Penn
sylvania Avenue northwest, where men
were being recruited for Colonel Pet
tits Fourth United States Immune Regi-
ment. lie was too young TO be 4 soldier
and practically ran away from home, with
only his sisters consent, and accompanied
the regiment to its first camping place at
Fredericksburg, Va, as an orderly TO Capt.
Charles =. Newberry, of Company B.
Young Sweet was the mascot of the regi-
ment and was liked by every soldier on ac-
count OF his sincere, straightforward man
ner and his intelligence.
He accompanied the regiment to Fernan-
dina passed in review before Colonel Maus.
of General Miles's staff. and Gen FitZhugIl
Cuba, and was about to go to the interior
with Company b, which was assigned 10
garrison duty, when he was stricken with
typhoid fever The officers decided that II
would be best TO send him home after he
became sick. Passage was secured for him
on the Alvarado. which was about to sail
! for America. The voyage was a long one
/ and the brisk sea breeZes soon drove the
fever out of the lads system He then
I Dir NaIs Love
trousers, becoming the mascot of the cap
tured gunboat
When seen at his home last evening By
a Times reporter, Randolph displayed al
1 interesting collection of souvenirs of his
| wonderful trip TO the tropics. He tool
! especial pride in a large blue cheeseclotf
/ flag about five feet square, which he sale
! was used by the Spanish as a signal flag
/ Among the other things brought back tc
/ Washington by the little fellow were sew
eral machetes, queer red and yellow cur.
/ tain from one of the windows of the Alva
| rado. specimens of smokeless powder use,
/ by the enemy. bullets. FOUNDER Sho
] and numerous stories Of his varied expe
/ riences.
Il do not want to 90 back to Cuba, h
! said. America is good enough for me
| Why. the streets in the Cuban cities ar,
| not as good some of our alleys and looI
| llht 'bt!H lot All tnt Wofl0. 90 not 1lk
the Cubans much. In the night we woul,
| see them stealing around our quarter
looking for hardtack. They are not mucl
good. They are treacherous. Most of tn
boys OF the Fourth Immune Regiment ar
! from Washington. Many were sick when
left and nearly all homesick. When | wa
| told that ] might come home on the Al
varado when | was taken sick many O
them said they would like to change place
with me. What the boys need more tha
anything else is magazines and newspa
pers. They told me TO tell their Washing
ton friends 10 send them The Times, and I
| subscribe for it for them | believe W
are going to have Il war with the Cubans
! Anyone could see that they did not lik
10 have the Americans come down there
but if they fight us they will get beaten
Among the other members of the ere,
Of the Alvarado, and close friend q
young Sweet. was Harry Teackle. who wa
on the Inflated Maine when she was blow
up in Havana harbor last February
Teackle has just reached his majority an
become heir TO a fortune of several thou
sand dollars and some property He lei
for New York yesterday for the purpos
of arranging TO have the money trans
ferred into his hands.
Woman's sudden Death
woman who gave her name As Miss EliyyLct