Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-06-20

comnandant could not bring on a pitched
battle. even IL he wanted to do so, aud
he grew annoyed that the Cubans did
not try to rush the place. 1t seemed
that mankind was conspiring to keep him
In what amounted to solitary confinement
the rest of his life. The yearning for
news became unsupportable.
| Lieutenant" said the commandant,
take flag OF truce out to those beggars
and tswaElowing large quantities of Cas-
| titan pride) give their commander my
most distinguished consideration as
| worthy brother in arms and ask him to
lend me newspaper. II he hasn't one,
find out something anyway"
The lieutenant went on his mission and
was considerably puzzled by the attitude
| OF the Cuban officers. Ii he had been
conyersant with Yankee slang. he would
have said that they appeared to have
something up their sleeves. They were
not unfriendly. and their commander in
deed chuckled constantly while the Span
ish officer was going through his negotia-
tons for the loan OF a newspaper. Eff
forts to induce him to talk resulted only
in vague intimations that some tremen-
| dous events had been and were occurring.
The lieutenant was forced to 60 back
/
| commandant would kindly give up the
vain although very brave attempt to de-
!, fepd Baracoa and surrender the garrison
he would have all the news he wanted to
digest for month.
The next day the commandant propos-
| ed an armistice. which was cheerfully
| agreed to. and Cubans and Spaniards
fraternzed pleasantly. swapping ciga-
4 Il ,,.tr. I,,N all L.L oh
ments OF the Spanards could extract a
| word of news. mo surrender, no news"
| was the watchword, and the garrison re-
| tired sadly behind their earthworks and
waited patiently for the Mausers to begin
to bark again.
| In these straits there came to the COM
mandant young noncommissioned Off
Ger with proposition. He had discover
| ed a tiny embarcacion chata. dismantled,
| half buried in the mud and like a sieve as
| to her hull. His idea was to try to make
| the crazy craft seaworthy and with three
| or four men round Cape Maysi and make
| Guantanamo. bringing back with him il
not aid and comfort at least news. The
| commandant jumped at the idea.
| On the morning OF Friday, June II,
| 1898. there were lying at anchor in the
| bay the United States battleship first
| classl Oregon. The United States battle
ship tsecond classl Texas. the United
| States cruiser Marblehead. the United
| States cruiser tconvertedb St Paul. the
| United States gunboats Dolphin and Su-
| vance. the United States Golfers Sterling
| and Scnae and the United States dyna-
| mite cruiser Nesuvius. The Texas, SUI
| vance, Marblehead and Dolphin had
| been having n little early morning recre-
| alton in knocking to pieces the fortitica-
| TONS II, liicueai point and Hospital cay.
and the jackies were taking the ease fol-
| lowing duty we'll done. High UP on Fish
| erman's point the stars and stripes float
| ed lazily over the force OF marines occu-
| pyins Camp MeCalia, the first scene of
| American warfare on Cuban soil. The
| lurking Spanish bushwhaekers had been
| pretty well driven out of the underhrush.
| and all was calm.
| The sisnalman on the bridge of the
| Marhlchead suddenly turned to the officer
| OF the deck and said;
| Camp McCalla calling u.s. sir
| Acknowledge" said the officer iHdif-
| fereutiy. Messages were passing back
| and forth from the camp on the hill to
| the commander on the Marbleheal all
day.
The figure of the signalman ut the
| camp stood out sharply silhouctted
against the morning sky. The white flag
| flutteecd violc,tiy.
The Marbichead's signalman easpcd.
"What do they say?" said the officer.
| sharply turning. He had not watched
| the signal.
"Sp-spanish ship approaching, sir" he
| stammered.
| Guantanamo harbor echoed with the
| clash of the great electric alarm gOngs on
| the American ships as the crews swiftly
| beat 10 quarters. There was no tine for
| anybody To wonder what il could mean,
| but it was certain that the Spanish ship
| or ships or whatever or how many they
might be would find warm reception in
| the snnlit. unrppled waters of Guantana-
| mo bay.
Then suddenly. as every nerve was on
| tension. there came calmly rounding
| Point de Barloventa from behind the
| coast hills. not thousand yards from
| the nearest of the American vessels. a
tiny nondescript craft with the red and
| yellow ensign OF the boy king proudly
| flying from her masthead.
A great wave OF laughter engulfed the
| American fleet as the little sloop kept on
| her way in the light breeze. apparently
| all unconscious that she was sailing into
| the muzzles Of enough hostile guns TO
| destroy Cervera's squadron.
Go get him. Pratt" said Captain Nc
| Gala OF the Marblehead. the comman-
| daut Of the station. turning To the ensign
| at his elbow. In moment one of the
| Marblehcad's launches was cutting the
| water in the direction OF the stranger.
| The sIoop still kept on. while 1000 men
| watched her. Shes going to ram the
| Oregon" chuckled a jackie on the Texas.
The ensign on the Marblehead's lapnch
| thought II was time to act. This might
| be some new kind of an Internal machine.
| Bang. went the one FOUNDER from the
| launch. and shot whizzed across the
| sloop's bows. Even then the Spanish
| flag staid up. but the sail came down on