The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-04-24

haze been eXiled to the other side of
the globe to carry on war against
heather amid conditions foreign to all
their experiences and with no incentive
beyond the professional pride of doing
the duty appointed them. Romantic
because OF its strangeness if not for it's
picturesqueness is the life of the Amer
lean fighting man in the Philippines.
So little remained for the navy to do
after Dewey's victory at Manila that
ii is the turning over of 4 new chapter
to read Cockswain Greene's account
of the fight of the gallant crew OF the
gunloat launch .Jrtlaneta one Septen.
Der Sunday Of last year. The Urdaneta
went into the Crani river to hunt for
contraband articles No resistance was
offered when tie crew overloaded and
searched the beats found in the river
There was no contraband on board.
turning back toward the bay the Urda-
Meta ran aground just below the town
of Belanga.
CockSwain Greene was sent ashore to
feconnoiter and saw what seemed to be
the feet of couple of hundred natives
hiding under the bamboo shacks which
lined the river bank. He reported this
to Cadet Wood. commander of the Cr-
daneta. bur the water had fallen to six
inches under the launch. and there was
nothing to do but lie and wait for tile
tide From the time the boat went
aground at 10 q. IN. until the middle of
the afternoon the sailors busted them
selves with their usual duties Sud-
denly, when all hands were punched
on deck, volley was fired from a
stone wall 30 yards distant on the
starboard bow and another from some
brush cover on the starboard beam 30
yards distant. The plight of the crew
of II in this crisis is told by Cockswain
Greene.
ton below" says he, but had one hop
perful on the Nordenfeldt gun and one
box of Colt ammunition on deck. but it
was not in the gun. There were fifteen
! FOUNDER charges on deck. The gun
covers We're on. AS soon as the first
volley was fired we crouched down be-
hind the rail, and Mr. Wood gave the
order to man the guns. and everybody
jumped to his station We fired about
10 minutes with everything we had.
and that smothered the enemy's fire
completely.
"Stone had been knocked away from
the Nordenfeldt gun twice (he was
captain of it,; then | made him leave
the gun. Mr.. Wood was firing the
FOUNDER. and Powers was firing the
Colt gun. Just as Stone was shot and
left the Nordenfeldt Mr.. Wood left the
FOUNDER with Herbert as captain.
and he came aft to take the Norden-
feldt. He fired the NordenfeIdt five or
ten minutes; then he was hit in the
stomach. and the bullet went through
him. He did not bleed very much.
Prior to this Stone and Gray had been
hit Stone had his ear knocked off and
another wound in his head. Gray was
hit in the left shoulder by the first vol
ley, but he continued firing a rifle /
was also firing rifle. | saw Powers
kill man with a Colt gun, and he had
10 holes in him. We saw this mans
body when we We're prisoners. When
Mr.. Wood was hit our Colt was red
hot"
All this time the enemy kept we'll
under cover. and Greene ordered firing
to cease. Wood was still living and
ordered boat lowered for escape This
was done under fire and Wood and the
other wounded placed in The strong
swimmers kept alongside. Wood died
in the boat; Stone, already twice
wounded. was shot dead out of the
boat; Gray was killed in the boat. and
.,kM