Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1906-07-21

out TO NeWcOmD TO HodVe Iue. AL
officer of the Hudson ran forward
with line and beloved:
Don't miss iti''
Bagley laughed and waved his hand
cheerily.
Let her comet" yelled the boy.
Its getting too hot here for comfort"
Eventually the task was apparent
ly completed. The Hudson started
ahead, her men looking back calmly
at the screaming town of Cardenas.
Thirty seconds later the hawser
snapped. The Winslow swung around
and her men flung another hawser on
board the Winslow. Far rearward the
Wilmington was steaming to and fro,
firing shell after shell into the town,
acting after the manner of an infuri.
ated animal.
Through Storm Of Shells.
The second hawser from the Hud-
son was a five-inch one. They at
tached it to the pilot house under a
rain of ammunition. Then the Hud-
son began to move forward again.
She continued to move forward, firing
her six-pounders as rapidly as the
men could load them. These gun
ners were swearing at their slowness
and the commander kept urging them
to work harder. He strobe up and
down the deck, dividing his attention
among these gunners and the Span
iards and the hawser. His quarter
master walked beside him, praying un-
consciously that the rope would not
part like it's predecessor. They stood
out boldly on the deck of the little
revenue cutter, entirely unmindful of
= a nj he hull OF
the screaming of the shells.
1t was absolutely necessary for the
little Hudson to get the remains of
the Winslow and her dead out of the
zone of fire. Half a dozen times the
Hudson was struck by shells, so that
she also began to resemble a dere-
lict. But she kept steaming ahead
through the treacherous shoals, over
possible locations for mines, now
scraping a coral reef, now dragging
the Winslow off an unseen shallow
place, but always belching forth flame
and smoke from her six-pounders and
always leaving the masked batteries
farther and farther behind, until at
last the nearest geyser was yards and
yards -rearward.
And then the officers yelled to the
men on board the Winslow and
learned of the death of Ensign Bag
ley and of four other deaths. So
great was the rage on the Hudson
that every member of her crew want
ed to have the boat turned around and
reenter the harbor and destroy every
visible object in Cardenas, including
the three gunboats and the masked
battery and all the Spanfards there.
Given Deserved Honor.
OF course they were mentioned in
| the reports of the conflict. Particular
mention was made of the commander
of the Hudson for his GOODNESS and
supreme disregard of apparently GER
tain destruction. Then President Nc
Kinley sent to congress this recon-
mendation:
"I recommend that In recognition
of the signal act of heroism of First
Lieut.. Frank H. Newcomb, United
States revenue cutter service, above
set forth, the thanks of congress be
extended to him and to his officers
and men of the Hudson, and that a
gold medal of honor be presented to
Lieut.. Newcomb and silver medal
of honor to each member of his crew
who served with him at Cardenas"
Both branches of congress united
in passing favorably ON the recon-
mendation and Lieut. Newcomb re-
ceived letter from the treasury de-
partment containing this expression:
Yours is the proud distinction o.
| being the only commissioned oficef
of any service to whom congress
awarded gold medal for heroism
during the war with Spain"