The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-27
CAPTURE OF THE URDANETA.
Vivid Picture ola Red Hot Fight With
the Filipinos.

Washington. Jan. 26.-Thc Navy De
partment has made public reports from
Coxswain Greene and Apprentice Pow
ers, members of the crew of the Inflated
UIdaneta, describing the capture Of that
boat by the Filipinos last September.
In endorsing the reports Admiral Wat
son says that they show that the little
gunboat. under command of late Naval
Cadet Wood, was gallantly defended and
only captured because she was hard
and fast aground. Captain Wilde adds
TO his endorsement the following:
The condut, Of Mr.. Wood and of the
entire crew under the terrible fire is
praiseworthy to the last degree and re-
fleets additional lusre upon the brilliant
record of the United States navy
Greene in his report says that the
Urdaneta grounded about a quarter of
Il mile below Batanga. on the OranI
river, about 10 o'clock a. M. Sunday,
September 11th All hands were sitting
around the deck liaying cards or reading
waiting for the tide when at $3.50 o'clock,
Ewo volleys wee fired from the shore al
most raking the deck. Most of the ann
pmunition was below. but at Cadet
Woods order the men manned the guns
and SmCthered the enemy'S fire i'll about
fifteen minutes. Stone, the man at the
Noldenfeldt had been shot twice, when
he was relieved by Mr.. Wood who had
been firing the one-pounder. Within
five minutes Wood was shot through the
stomach, Gray had been hit, Stone had
his ear knocked off and received another
wound in his head. Gray continued to
fire Il small rifle after receiving his
wounds. Powers put fifteen holes in one
man with II Colt gun. The FiGpinos
were invisible so the saio-S fired where
they thought they were When Wood
was hit the Colt gun was red hot, the
two firing pins of the One-poupder were
broken 50 that the gun could not be
used: one barrel OF the Nordenfeldt
would not fire. and three or four of the
Lee rifles had broken eXtract0rs Wood
revived, and ordered out the boat. Green
advised that they stay by the ship tul
dark, but Wood insisted on trying to
reach the ether bank. The insurgents
had reopeped fire from concealed places,
and the bullets were flying like hail when
the boat got away, carrying the sailors
who could not swim. while those who
could hung on the gunwale. The t1llplnoS
doubled their fire. and rushed into the
river after the~-b0at. The oars were hit
until finally only one was left, so the
men started to swim ashore, leaving
Wood dead in the bottom of the boat.
Stone and Drummond were shct close
to the boat, and Gray had been killed i'll
the boat. Greene was helping Herberts
ashore and Powers was trying to save
himself. AS soon as they reached the
beach twenty-five bolomen rushed at
them. but their Captain prevented them
from killing the sailors. They killed the
Chinese servant Wy lee. and Mitchell
was shot while in the water. The Ameri-
cans were confined in a stone convent for
several days and then sent to Porac.
Within two days that place was attack
eed by he American troops and then the
prisoners were carried from one point
to another until in the mountains, five
of them made their escape and reached
the American lines.