Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-03-23

explosion came from within the ship
this cement filling would all be on the
bottom of the bay. If the explosion
came from without the ship much of
this cement was blown in the air, and
as there were plenty of vessels in the
harbor, some of it must have alighted
on their decks. Sailors of these
ships had probably swept it over
board, but there was a chance that
Cheney would find out. The Ward
line steamer City of Washington was
there the night of the explosion, and
was still in the harbor Cheney
boarded this ship and found not one
piece of this cement but a dozen,
some of them as large as mans
head.
One piece he took with him. In his
own mind he was satisfied; but he
wanted proof beyond peradventure.
If the Maine had been torpedoed
her keel would be bent up; if, how
ever, the explosion of one of her own
magazines caused the harvest of
death and destruction the keel would
be bent downwards. Cheney secured
a crew and, putting on diving suit,
went down to see. 1t was a new eX-
perience to him, but he was equal to
it. Sigsbee had carefully explained
to him the location of magazines, etc.,
of the vessel, and went with him to
the ship. The waters of Havana har-
Dor are black as night and the bottom
is soft mud All one afternoon Che
ney worked around this sepulcher of
the American sailors. He came up
only when he had to, and on his last
ascent he brought up piece of cleo
trio cable. That night he sat down
and drew a diagram of what he had
discovered The keel was bent up
the explosion had come from the
outside, Spain was responsible. The
true story of the blowing up of the
Maine has never been told, but it is
known, and some day in the future
the country will know how it hap
pened-and who touched of the tor
pedo.
Cheney returned to Washington,
made his report and from then on was
! actively in the government service.
In April, when the volunteer army
| was authorized, he was commissioned
a colonel and given charge of the Sc
cret service Here his splendid men
tality and energy came into play. His
sedentary, abstemious life rendered
him physically fit for anything. His
headquarters were with the army in
the field, but he operated solely under
the direct orders of the president.
His command over his department
was absolute, and he ran things with
an iron hand. Among his other duties
he was required to take charge of and
entertain all the foreign military at
taches who Joined the army to wit
ness its maneuveEs. They came from
every quarter of the globe, and were
given the best of everything. Padget,
of the Royal British navy, and Lee,
of the British artillery; Won Goetzen,
of Germany; Enver Pasha, OF Tur-
key; Shiba, of Japan, all were there,
and one morning Cheney heard ia
miliar voice say:
1T am looking for Col. Cheney"
CHANGING up he beheld his Russian
friend, Count Yarmoleff.
'T am Col. Cheney, Count. How do
you do?'
-Colonel-Cheney?" said
the count, slowly. ''Why-the last
time I saw you was at Yarvahar Rus
sia-and your name was Bradley"
oil DVrf
was then busily engaged trying to
keep out of the way of your Third
Section.
''You succeeded. 1 see," replied the
count
Eyes, but it was a close shave -
| Cheney and YarmoIeff thus resumed
| their very pleasant friendship.
Information was wanted by Spain
as to just what the American army
was going to do. and numbers of
| spies were turned loose in Tampa and
other points Of concentration 1t was
Cheney's duty to prevent this, and
he and his men wore kept busy. His
organization was perfect. and not a
man or woman arrived in Tampa that
Cheney did not know about Many
arrests were made and the prisoners
sent to Fort Mcpherson, Atlanta, for
safe keeping. Tomas Estrada Palma,
afterwards president of Cuba, report.
ed to Cheney and assisted him in his
work. Many other Cubans reported,
but they were generally all title and
no work.
One night Cheney heard OF the ex
istence of Spanish club at Ybon
City and. taking one man with him
went over and broke it up. There
were about 40 Spaniards in the club
when Cheney and his man broke in
the door. Quick as a fash Cheney
covered them with his six-shooter
His man did likewise and they drove
the Spaniards into a corner and held
them there. With one hand holding
a revolver pointed at the crowd, Che
ney 'phoned to Gen. Eppinger foI
troops. In Is minutes a company OF
| regular infantry arrived and marched