The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15

John Walsh who worked one of the
eight-lnch guns of the Baltimore at
Manila last May when Admiral Dewey
won the greatest naval victory in the
history of the world, was in the city
yesterday and some graceless scamp
was mean enough to relieve him of
about all his earthly possessions.
Walsh arrived in New York Thurs
day as a member of the prize crew
of the Spanish transport "Indravalli,"
which was captured by Dewey after
the memorable battle of Manila bay.
The vessel was loaded with all kinds
of captured war prizes and other
things that Dewey wanted returned to
the states. The transport left Manila
Nov. %, 1898, and the sailors who
manned it were promised a good sized
furlough when they reached the land
of the free and the home of the brave.
Since the vessel left Manila many
exciting events have occurred in the
far-off Philippines, and when the crew
of the 'Indravalli' arrived in the port
of .J"w York last Thursday they found
orders telling them to return with all
speed to Manila. They so on the trans
port Sheridan, which sails this morning
from New York.
LOOKING FOR HIS BROTHER.
Gunner Walsh has been in the navy
for thirty years and has risen to the
position of chief gunner. He is very
proud of his position, it may be added.
Walsh is a tall, broad -shouldered,
blue-eyed man, with heavy iron gray
hair. He looks like the manner of
man who could be depended upon in
an emergency anu if he is a fair type
of the men who stood behind Dewey's
guns in Manila bay it is no wonder
the battle was short, sharp and deci-
sive.
When Walsh landed Thursday he
hunted up his sister, who resides in
Brooklyn, n. Y, and from her learned
that his brother, whom he had not
seen in seventeen years, was in this
city, as she had received a letter from
him postmarked Scranton, Pa"
Walsh arrived here late Monday night
and yesterday morning went to the
post office and had talk with Deputy
Postmaster Powell, with a view to
getting a list of the Henry ]. Walshs
in Scranton for the purpose of aiding
Illll III HIS StdlCll. ne SlluNeu the uG-
putty postmaster his papers and other
matters to prove that he was what he
purpor.s to be.
While searching for his brother,
someone searched him, and to a pur-
pose, too.
Walsh was in despair. 1t was bad
enough not to be able to find his
brother, but to have his all taken from
him was distressing. One thing that
worried him above everything else was
the fear that he would not be able TO
get back to New York today in time TO
get on the transport Sheridan before it
sails, and that he would be considered
a deserter.
SENT BACK TO NEW YORK.
| Persons who became interested in
! Walsh laid his case before General
| Manager Hallstead, of the Delaware
| Lackawanna and Western company
and he promptly said that Walsh
should not lack a way of reaching New
| York while wheels were turning on the
| Delaware, LackaWanna and Western
| road. He was put aboard one of The
fast trains on that road and reached
New York at 9 o'clock last night.
During a chat with a Tribune man
Walsh told of some of the exciting in.
cidents of that battle in Manila. HI
was one of nine men injured on tn,
Baltimore, but his hurt was not of I
serious nature.
when we left Nur's bay last Apri
we knew there was stern work ahead,
said Walsh. I'VE didn't know exactl!
what it was, but when the commando
of fleet visits his ships once or twice
a day to examine guns and ammuni
tion, you can depend upon it that some
thing is going to happen. The Officers
said nothing, but when We saw tn
anxiety of Commodore Dewey abou
the condition of fighting parts Of tn
vessels, we knew there was tropbl
ahead.
THAT night we stole into the harbol
of Manila will never be forgotten by
those who We're on the vessels. Nj
one slept Every man was at his sta
ton, alert and vigilant. The darkness
concerning what was going to happeI
was to us as impenetrable as the dark
ness that surrounded us but when day
broke and we saw what was ahead o
us we knew the kind of Q days Worl
that was cut out for us.
"That was a merciful act of Dewey
in giving the men a short recess dur
ing the battle. You see we had slep
none during the night ard had nothn,
to eat since o'clock on the precedini
, evening. We We're fighting alongsid
of red hot guns in temperature tina
was one hundred and ten degrees i,
the shade so that you can probabl,
understand how exhausted we were.
THOUGHT IT A DEFEAT.
| when the men heard the order I
2 withdraw most of them We're angry
} They thought it was a defeat, 500
= the officers assured the crews that
e was all right that the Spaniards wer
2 already more than half whipped an
that we would have an opportunity q
70 going back to finish them. That pleas
4 ed the men and silenced their com
e plants.
$ Dewey is the idol of the men VIII
e serve under him. Why? First of a
0 because he is a gentleman and ever
h man under him is sure of just treat
= ment, The humblest man on any of hi
vessels Is always sure Of a respectfl
hearing"
Concerning the present trouble {
/ Manila Walsh said:
[ Il believe that the greater part {
!. the present trouble is caused by Spar
iards or Spanish sympathizers VIII
want to cause all the trouble they ca
4 for Uncle Sam. They have no love fC
: us; we saw that every day at Manilj
: They would drive us all into the sc
if they could"
Walsh was one of the men to whol
was assigned the hazardous task
g | rpmoX'iDg tho tnrre1Cac frorn Mapil