davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

ated Press dispatch boat Dauntless reached
Jamaica with the thrilling story several
hours ahead of any of the other boats, but
the exuting correspondents aboard found
the cable to New York via Halifax, which
was the most direct route, jammed with
press dispatches for hours ahead. The
cable tolls via Halifax were so cents
word. The other Jamaica cable touched the
mainland at Colon on the Isthmus of Pan
anna and the rate to New York over that
route was s169 a word. Previous to this
time this latter route had been used only IN
emergencies for brief bulletins. The cor
respondents however, made up their minds
at once. They were in possession of the
first big story of the Cuban campaign, and
without hesitation they filed the whole ac-
count of over 5000 words via Colon. That
single dispatch cost the Associated Press
and it's clientele almost $1,000.
Telegraphic Difficulties.
The troubles which the correspondents
experienced in Jamaica and Haiti in revolu
tionizing methods down there would fill
columns. Some of them were humorous
but the majority were enough to drive the
energetic Yankees, accustomed to having
things done, to evaporation bordering upon
despair. The telegraph operators on the
land lines were women whose speed in
sending was not in excess of fifteen words
a minute
To newspaper men accustomed to code
operators capable of sending 100 words a
minute only the sex of the operators pre-
vented actual murder. Besides the tele
graph offices at first were only open from
to II in the morning and from to in
the afternoon. Heroic measures had to be
employed-heroic measures and Yankee
gold-with the result that before the war
was over the telegraph offices were never
closed and even the railroad lines had been
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

respondents came tumbing down the hills
in their mad rush to reach the dispatch
boats. The surf was booming and it was
almost impossible to get a row boat ashore.
A correspondent of the Associated Press,
finding that the yawl sent for him could not
make landing, plunged into the breakers
and was half drowned when he was hauled
aboard. At San Juan and Ell Caney in
the first days fighting before Santiago,
many of the correspondents, regardless of
the fact that a dead correspondent is not
an available asset for a live newspaper,
pushed along with the advance lines in
their eagerness to obtain information, and
several of them were wounded. That night,
while the soldiers rested, the correspond
ents, footsore and weary as they were, mad
to plod about through the dead and dying
in the hospitals write their stories and then
trudge ten miles to Siboney to turn them
over to the dispatch boats. Only a favored
few of the correspondents had horses at
that time, and those night tramps over
trails knee-deep in mud and across streams
swollen by torrential rains will live forever
in the memories of those who performed
them. Every half mile or so they were
forced aside into the cactus thickets that
lined the trail to allow the passage of pack
trains Oh mules carrying VI
regiments of reinforcements houndering
through the mud to the firing line By day
light they themselves had to be back at the
front. For forty-eght hours many of The
correspondents did not sleep, but worked on
without thought of self, intent only upon
60 tting the great news to the cable In
such times of stress it is not too much to
say that no set of men will endure more
in the enthusiasm of their profession than
newspaper men.
After Santiago fell the situation was re-
lieved somewhat by the opening of the cable
there. On the day Gen. Shafter entered the
city and the Spanish flag over the palace
was hauled down to permit the American
banner to be hoisted in it's place, the seven
newspaper correspondents out of over a
hundred in Cuba who accompanied the victo-
rious general were in high spirits over the
prospect of having a cable at their dis
posal upon which to file descriptions of
that wonderfully impressive scene. But
when the cable office refused to accept a
single message collect (the rate was $1.0S
world their spirits fell Cash scarce.
and there time to cable for author
ity to send collect messages. Money must
be found. The army officers were besieged
for loans, but none could be found with
more than few dollars in his pocket. The
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

dangers to which they would have been ex-
posed had the enemy's fleet been encoun-
tered in the open sea. They scaled the
steel sides of the big battle ships from
miserable little dingeys, often in rough
weather. at the imminent risk of life and
limb to obtain information from the COM
manding officers. A dozen times, proving
through the fleet at night with lights out,
their tiny ships were mistaken for torpedo
boats of the enemy, and fired upon or
brought up standing, as it were, by solid
shot across their bows
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16
The Government Censorship.

The government maintained a most vigor-
Gus censorship of all press matter at Key
West to prevent news of the movements of
fleet from reaching the enemy, and it
is a credit to the patriotism of the news
paper correspondents that except in the
earlier stages of the war, when the full
gravity of the situation was less under
Stood none of them ever attempted to
send news which could serve Spain's pur-
pose. But when Sampson sailed for Porto
Rico some of the correspondents stationed
al Key West, driven to desperation by their
inability to get within eighty miles of the
blockade, resorted to all sorts of ruses to
elude the vigilance of the Key West CEN
sOr, who, at that time, was Lieut.. Col. Al
len of the signal corps. He had placed an
embargo on everything relating to Samp-
sons departure for San Juan. In his eff
fort to get the news through to his paper
one of the correspondents filed a message
saying that Sampson had sailed with his
fleet for Havana. This, of course, would
have been unobjectionable because it was
untrue. An hour later he filed another mes
sage to his paper to strike out Havana in
his first dispatch and insert San Juan. Col.
Allen penetrated the scheme, and the cor
respondent was highly Disguised when. at
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

pressed into service. The lavish fashion
in which money was spent to accomplish
results convinced the English on the island
that if every Yankee was rich every news
paper correspondent was a veritable .Croe-
SuS
Besides these difficulties due to inefficient
and insufficient cable and telegraph facili-
ties the correspondents had an immense
amount of trouble with certain dishonest
cable operators who looked upon the war
as an opportunity to fortune not to be ne
elected. They accepted brides right and
left, but the sorriest feature of it for the
newspaper men was that they would not
stay bought" The brazen dishonesty of
some became SO notorious that the corre-
spondents, after several heart-breakng eX-
periences, Stunned their place as if it had
been infected with the plague Even after
cable communication was established at an
other place by the lines of the same com
pany their questionable practices were con-
tinued and upon at least one occasion
newspaper correspondent. who had beaten
his rival to the wire, was obliged to stand
over the operator with loaded revolver to
persuade him to send his dispatch. filed
first, ahead of that of his rival in whose
pay the operator was.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

dinner time, the censor in the presence of
all his newspaper associates stepped up to
the correspondents table and handed back
both dispatches. The only correspondent
who really managed to get the information
through was baked by the stupidity of his
managing editor in New York. He wired
him personal message as follows:
Tell my father to send my valise to
San Juan" Finding it had been sent the
correspondent had visions of big beat on
his rivals The next day his chagrin was
sulphurous when he received the following
reply from his managing editor: Cant find
your father send better address" But by
this time Col. Allen had ''tumbled'' and the
correspondent was not allowed to try again.
Before Santiago.
When Cervera was bottled up in Santi-
ago harbor the correspondents, with their
fleet of newspaper boats, went around to
the south side of Cuba and for a month
stood guard with our naval heroes before
Santiago. During this time they used the
English island of Jamaica. which was
touched by two cables, the neighboring
island of Haiti, which had one cable, as
their base of communication and supply.
Whenever bombardment occurred they
raced with their stories to Jamaica or Haiti
fast as steam could drive them. Some of
these races between the dispatch boats have
become famous in the newspaper annals of
the war. On one occasion the correspond
,nts aboard tug, which was falling be-
hind, descended into the stokehole to relieve
the exhausted stokerS. Cable facilities were
so limited that many times a correspondent
reached Jamaica with an important story
only to find the cable blocked with other
matter When the Merrimac was sunk in
the mouth of Santiago harbor the Associ
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

Associated Press correspondent, however,
managed to find a quartermaster who had
$500. This was promptly borrowed, and it
paid for the longest dispatch sent out of
Santiago that day. The next day cabled
authority was obtained to send messages
collect.
The sea fight outside of Santiago afforded
another great opportunity for the corre-
spondents. AS ill-luck would have it, of all
the dispatch boats on the south side of
Cuba. that time but two were present to
witness the smashing of Cervera's fleet.
This is accounted for by the fact that the
idea that Cervera would come out of the
hole in the WALL had been practically
abandoned and all attention was centered
on the exciting event ashore. The story Of
the race for the wire in Jamaica on that
occasion is thrilling in the extreme, but is
too long to be told here
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16
Battles Ashore.

When the actual fighting ashore began
first at Guasimas and later before Santiago
the correspondents who had come with
Skaters army and who were working in
conjunction with the dispatch boats sent
their stories down to S!boney from the
front, whence they were conveyed by boat
to Jamaica. After the first brush between
the Rough Riders and the Spanards at
Guasimas, where young Capron young Jim
Fisk and many others were killed, the cor
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16
With Miles in Porto Rico.

Over in Porto Rico, when General Miles
arrived there for his well-planned campaign
against General Macias, the situation was
much better from newspaper standpoint
Ponce, the first point seized after the land
ing was effected at Guanica, had cable
connection, and as the columns of Miles in
vading army were pushed out into the
island the field telegraph kept up with their
advance, and the correspondents were per-
mitted to use these lines sparingly to get
their stories to Ponce, whence they were
cabled to the United States One of the
most ludicrous contretemps of the war, SO
far as the correspondents were concerned,
occurred in Porto Rico, when General Jas.
H. Wilson fanked the enemy out of Coamo
on the Ibonito road. This is the IA
nous military road across the island The
night before the movement began the five
correspondents with the column were in
formed of the plan of battle. Two regi-
ments, under the command of Col. Huling
of the 14th Pennsylvania, made a long
night march to the rear of the town to cut
off the retreat of the enemy when the main
body should make the front attack upon
the town. Early the next morning Wilson's
column advanced under cover of several
batteries, which were used to shell the
Spaniards out of the block houses to the
right of Coamo.
The correspondents, all of whom were
mounted, waited until they saw the Span
iards decamp and heard the rattle of mus
kerry in the rear of the town. Thinking
Coamo had fallen into Huling's hands, and
not desiring to wait for General Wilson's
slow moving column to enter it from the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-09
SEVEN NILES BY END OF YEAR
W. b PARSONS MAKES THAT PREDIC-
TION FOR THE SUBWAY

Before he sailed for Europe, on Tuesday, VIII
lam Barclay Parsons chief engineer ~ the
Rapid Transit Commission, gave out a state
ment concerning progress on the subway.
The end is in sight" he said. we shall prob
ably begin laying rails in December, and by the
end Of the month expect TO have about seven
miles Of four track road ready for business
BY that time. too. the steel framing and the
concrete work will he finished. We hope 70
open the main section by next October, fifteen
months within the contract time limit.
There viii he three classes Of stations. and
we have plans for one Of each kind finished and
the contract let one kind viii be for the resi-
denoe district north Of Forty-second-st. one
for the shopping section. and the third for the
commercial district. below Fourteenth-st We
have adopted distinctive color scheme for each
section OF the road. as well as an automatic
device I'm each car which announces the name
of the next station. there will he no excuse
for a passenger getting carried past his stat'h-
The stations themselves viii he artistic There
viii he panels outlined in colored thing. WIN
friezes 10 correspond. Electric lights hehina
ground glass shields recessed in the ceilings
viii give light without glare. At most stations
no artificial light will be required during the
day. as we have employed vault lights as much
as possible. Little wood viii be used walls
and partitions win be Of yitrhed brick ana
white glass tiles with decorations and the sta,
ton names in Colored thing The ceilings VIII
he Of glass tiles, suspended from the rooi 'eails'
At most stations there will be telephone hoolhs'
and at the most important ones telegraph sla
tions. There viii be elevators al one hunatso-
and siNty-seVenth-st One-hundred na-elshlN-
hrst-St.. and AT Central Park West ana one
dred-and-fourth-s EVerything VIII ne H9ie
to provide comfortable and claanly accomh''a-
tions for the public.
The stairways viii be wider than ihose u
the elevated railroads and about twice as hu-
merous. Those for outgoing and incoming pas
sengers will be entirely separate FROM 'le
street 10 the station platform Will he about I'"t-
teen feet"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-09
GENERAL HUGH H. ABERNETHY.

Brigsdier General Hugh Fl Abernethy died in
Jersey CITY yesterday from consumption and liver
trouble He had been m since last July. when he
was obliged 10 resign as Finance Commissioner.
consumption having attacked one Of his lungs He
went Mount Pocono. Penn. but his physical
condition became more serious. A generous
growth developed in the liver. and he removed
10 hts Jersey city home. No. rs Mercer-st He had
been unconscious for nearly a week He leaves
widow and two daughters and his brothers Max
we'll. William and Henry.
General Abernethy was born in Easton Penn.
about sixty years ago His ancestors on his
mothers side were military leaders under General
Washington While still a hoy. his father Or. II.
a Absruarhy. removed % Warren County. y. J.
IN 1850 he was graduated from Blairstowu Prssby
terrain Academy, after which he taught school for
tH1 years He went 90 Jersey city IN ls6'. and
was employed by a coal hrm- Later he became
superintendent OF the tommunipaW Coal company,
which Office De held up % the time Of hle death
Hs was "a general by bravet having risen from the
ranks Co the coloUelcy ~ the an Regiment. y O.
y j. retiring iu lstb
General At.ruerhy was a stanch Republican. and
was successfully alderman. Police Commissioner,
president of the Police Commissioners and Finance
trCmrn.Ssiru+r While tn the National Guard Gen
sral AberUsthy Won the CTeedmooU decoration OF
N.v--Novk and the silver cross OF honor OF New
Jersey FOR Workmanship
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-09
EAST NEW. YORK LOOP STAYS
THE COURT OF APPEALS AFFIRMS DE
CISION OF APPELLATE DIVISION
TO THAT EFFECT.

A decision has been handed down by the Court II
Appeals IN the East New-York loop litigation.
which sfirms the judgment 81 the Appellate D-
vision in Brooklyn, and permits the BROOKLYN
Heights Railroad Company 10 continue the opera
tion Of It's junction station az Manhattan Junction
in the Twenty-siXth Ward.
Edward = Linton started the fight against the
'loop' lie headed d citizens movement 10 have
the loon abolished. and 10 compel the elevated
railroad 20 operate its trains they had been
operated before the opening OF the Manhattan
Junction
When a lease az tho elevated lines ~ Brooklyn
was secured by the BROOKLYN Heights Railroad
Company the '1oor" was built ~ the junction on
iis openinC on April T. 1900. the residents OF the
Twenty-siNth Ward declared that the loop"
dangerous. and an Inconvenience 10 every body who
travelled on either line beyond the junction and
toward Cypress Hills Public meetings were held
and committee was appointed 20 fEht the railroad
in the courts. ON am application Tor a writ Of man
damus the case Was brought before the Supreme
Court. which found that public necessity or con-
Nenience requires that rho defendant operate its
elevated road between the termini an the BROOKLYN
Bridge and Broadway ferry and that Of Cypress
Hills IN the same manner as n operated prior
20 April y. 1900 An appeal was taken by the rail-
road company 10 The Appellate Division OF the
supreme Court. which reversed tho lower "rr'~-.
and the Court OF Appeals has now affirmed the de-
Cision OF tht Appellate Court
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-09
CITY NAY GET 900 N BACK RENT
CORPORATION COUNSEL EXPECTS TO SET
TIE OFT OF COURT a SUIT OVER
POSSESSION OF A PIER

A likelihood Of the city's recovering $4,000
in back rent is the result of Corporation Coun-
sci Rives's recent mention Of the suit with the
Mutual Gas Light Company over the possession
Of the pier al East Eleventh-st- This matter
was referred 10 by Mr.. Rives al meeting u
the Board Of Estimate and Appointment
When asked about II yesterday. Mr.. Rives said,
Il have received a visit from the counsel 81
the Mutual company He said 10 me that his
clients had no defence. and that n was simply
case Of how much back rent was due. You
see that while there was one dispute about the
title an the outset Of the suit, which dates hack
least ten years certain decisions Of the court
have cleared up the matter entirely. and our
position is unassailahle. ] think We shall settle
the matter out Of court. and that our collection
for back rent viii he al least $4,000. 7 do not
regard the failure in the past 10 collect this
auyb0dyS fault. 7 told the board n they would
give me q stiff hacking ] thought ] could get n.
little sitter backing than before was an 1
asked Sow I think il is all over.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-09
r. r. T. AGAIN AFTER PLAZA.
,,p rJNnFNTHAL WOULD GRANT THE
RIGHT IF CITY WERE RECoMPENSED-

The Brooklyn Rapid Transit company nag -.
bridge Commissioner Lindenthal lot peTin.ss.oi'
,,se the Bridge Plaza and Lherty-st broohlSh' loi
tracks on which 70 keep empty cars Tor use !" '''
r,,sb hours The company feels so sure OF ''e a.
oentsnoe Of this plan that large part Of the me-
essar,. construction material has been ORDERED. IL
-. s,i5 Yesterday that this work could he com
,,eted An two months after the plan had been aP-
proved. , -,
the Corporstion Counsel gave . decision las'
z,.h~,,v,, that the Bridge Commissioner had no
jurisdiction over the Plaza or Liherty-st
-re,s MA, 10 use the Plaza the company seems 10
consider a prerequisite 20 building -FOUR extra
looms al the Manhattan end OF the Bridge.
commissioner Iindenthal said that Il the Wansl'
cor,narv had necessary facilities 10 carry the
crowds from the Brooklyn end Of the Bridge the
4ariaee crush might be relieved. II the company
could bv recompensing the city, obtain the use 81
15hertvst il would lay tracks there and take tour
lines on the Bridge ne asserted. This would make
necessary a chance of cars for passengers al
Rrooklyn but he thought they would be Wiling 10
do this Compensation and all other lesal que
tons involved have been referred 20 The corpora
ton Counsel
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-09
KILLS ALLEGED HIGHBINDER
ONE ITALIAN SHOOTS ANOTHER VII"
HAD HELD HIM Up N RROOKLYN.

Salvador NncenZo, riceer. employed az re
Morse Iron Works. in South Brooklyn. Yesterday
shot and killed Vincent Ceualo. = Milanese who.
Nincenzo declared, was an Italian highlander Nln-
cenzo's story was that he walking In Ham
ilton-ave. about m. yesterday Cenalo held MIN
M and demanded s. when NinCenzo refused 20
give up his money the pulled out revolver
Nlncenz7 however. was quicker. and nred three
shots an OF which took effect
The shooting took place IN front Of a saloon
kept by a man named jameson az No. G. Hamil-
ton-ave.. and when the shots were fired Cenalo
rushed through the swinging doors Of the saloon
and fell dead in front of the bar. Nincenzo fol-
lowed his victim, and. standing over him. fired
three more bullets into him. Nncenzo then threw
his revolver The bar and shouted
Il ought 20 have medal for that performance''
Soon after the shooting Nincenzo vas caught by
Roundsmau Hayes and Pstrolman Irwin, Of the
Hamilton-ave. station. When arraigned IN the
Butler-st. police court he refused 10 make any
statement, but before he was arralEned ne vas re-
ported as saving that re was satisfied with the
lob he had done He asserted that ttua-o -aC
been IA the habit Of holding up Italians m Brook-
lyn and getting what money he could from them
Ninceuzo declared that the dead man had tried 20
get money from his wife, Mrs Aincenzo- before
holding him up yesterday morning
Cenalo's body was taken 10 the morgue
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-09
TUNNEL" ORPHAN TO GET $4,000
SUIT AGAINST CENTRAL BROUGHT BY
GUARDIANS OF GIRL WHOSE PAR
ENrs WERE KILLED SET
TIED OFT OF COURT

The NeW-Hork Central Railroad COMPANY YES
teroay settled the action brought bv Csutsir
Woodward and the Mutual Trust Company a.
Port Chester, as guardians OF little Ada Howard
known IN Mestchester courts as the .'tunnel or
phan," tor 10000 damages for the kfrinc Of the
chiids father. William Howard. in tho Parl-sve
tunnel wreck
The suit was on the calendar with hslf q 5oze,
other claims against the company before Tus,tcs
Garretson, an the supreme Court al White Flsf,s
but an agreement was reached betueen Gren,3lla
T. Emmet. representing the guardians and The
lawyers % the railroad company. n was arre,s
that the company give SiseoO 20 settle the s,,,,
and pay the costs OF the action. 5ur,, IN a.
Supreme Court az White Plains last Deoerhe,
gave verdict for Sl5000 against the COMPANY Cor
the death Of Mrs Howard Both the child's fs,h.-
and mother sitting IN the same seat Vvbs1
the Harlem local crashed INTO the New Haven -
commodation train IN the tunnel and killed ana
manned many.
The SUIT OF Mrs Jessie MeyroNitz Of New
Rochelle. against the New-Nork Central Railroad
company Tor So co. damages Tor the death 81 her
husband. Oscar ". MeyTOWitz 2 NeW-York omit
cian IN the tunnel crash, begun before Justice
trdfleleOu yesterday a.. 49,
BE- finished this morning. Ia proved bv Cor
pOrafon Counsel Harmer, OF New Rochelle. rem
resenting the widow. that Mr. MeyrONitz at the
time OF his death was forty-siN years old and
earned $500 year. The company admitted lis
Sns.nty for ~ death