The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-03-03

other. We were the only ship in front
of their line and they concentrated
their fire on us. We were hit forty
four times and had twenty-five holes
in our ship, most of the Spanish shot
going over head. We ran in toward
them and the parallel and pumped
steel into them. The hot fighting
lasted twenty minutes and we drove
the Maria Teresa, Almira, Oquen-
do and Nizcaya Oh the beach. The
Texas came up IN time to help.
by the time we had them licked
Sampson came rushing up on the
New York No, | don't think much
OF him. Schley's my man. He is q
gentleman, all the sailors think so.
We could get to him any time we
wanted to and no red tape. He's the
most popular commander i'm the
navy-more than Dewey even. When
sampson came out he sent us tired
out and out of ammunition back cast
to meet what we thought was another
oIblll6ll llttlt Nillt It llulsIth Ant
fight to claim part of the prize mon
ely. His men looted all the Spanish
vessels which we sunk and they were
commonly supposed to have several
millions of money ON board 1t was
never heard Of 1t made us mad
enough to- fire into the New York
when Sampson came up and pulled
the Colon Off the beach. She was all
right where we drove her, but began
to sink when he pulled her out.
They rammed her to drive her back
on the beach and she went down
right there.
1--WE Were Off on wild goose chase
for the supposed Spanish fleet turned
out to be an Austrian boat. She was
u dandy. You know there are tor
pedo boats, and torpedo boat de-
stroyers. Well she was destroyer
of torpedo boat destroyers. Her cap
tain came on the Brooklyn all agrin
and said: 81 hear the Spanish fleet
got out" Admiral Schley said it
had. Then the Austrian smiled out
loud. Schley then added, "They
came out and you can find everyone
of them on the beach down there
The smile stopped. The Austrian
asked how he could get away from
the fleet and was told to go twenty
miles south. He went forty.
"rhe Brooklyn is the finest cruiser
afloat and the Oregon the finest bat
tie ship. Our men sang and yelled
and cut up when we went into battle
50 you could hardly hear orders, they
were so confident. No, we didn't
suffer from our work. You see we
had only our trousers on, and stood
on our toes with our mouths open 80
the jar and conclusion didn't hurt us,
although my gun fired six shots II
minute. We captured II 600 men
and killed 800, all worth 500 prize
money apiece, and / helped to take
five merchant men. There is s. ,O00
900 prize money coming To us but |
don't know when we will get it or
how much / will get. Sampson
ought not to have cent for he got
right ont of this war. / have seen
him leave the squadron on the New
York many time and chase "A little
column OF smoke lie would fire four
or five shots ut the ship when he came
up with it, each shot costing 81 900
aud then it would turn out to be an
English or German vessel. | was on
the New York one day when be did
that very thing.
1--WE stayed around Santiago and |
was on the shore considerable. /
| helped land the first boat load of
American soldiers at Santiago, for
which Gen. Garcia gave us silk Gu
ban flag. | stayed on shore several
days and saw the Rough Riders. Az
ter wards | was in Santiago and stood
in the hay market where the crew of
the Virginius were shot. 1t is a
covered, paved building and the
Americans were lined up and shot
and then the Spaniards ran their
cannon over their dead bodies, mang.
ling them horribly.
81 heard sergeant tell story
about one of the brutes that made me
feel good. He and two men were
in front of the American line on
ground from which the Spainards
had just been driven. They started
to cook supper under tree and he
sent the two men to get wood. A
rifle cracked near by and one of the
men, the sergeants chum, fell dead.
He couldn't find the man and decided
that someone had accidently fired
and killed him. They cooked their
supper and sat down to eat when "a
Spainard, a sharp shooter, slid down