Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-06-03

grets that he has come to the end
of his active duty cruise, and is in
the port of retirement. Rear Admiral Bowman Hendry
McCalla is an old American sailor who has been Obliged
by the fixed law of the service to seek a land berth for
the rest Of his life. He is active enough to go through
more storms and more battles for his countrys sake,
but the youngsters must be given a chance, and SO Nc
Gala has slowed away within earshot of the noise OF
the sounding sea which he loves, Heroism during the
Spanish war and heroism at Tien-tsin during the tnva-
sion of China brought honoTs to McCalla to be added to
the accumulation of honors earlier and worthiy won,
Years ago Admiral McCalla, then a commander, went
ashore at Colon on the Isthmus of Panama, and backed
by $50 blue jackets and marines, thrashed a regiment OF
Panama insurgents who were erecting barricades and
were attempting to interfere with the Central and South
American cable offices. 1t was said that McCalla
thrashed the Insurgents. He thrashed them without firing
a shot. He did not care to involve his government in
possible far-reaching trouble, and so he took means Of
his own to teach the troublesome ones a lesson without
shedding their blood, Veracious history has it that the
American commander, after a showing of force, captured
the insurgent leaders and spanked them.
The cablecutting operations which Admiral McCalla
conducted while in command of the Marblehead during
the Spanish war were among the most notable achieve
ments of that conflict, being carried on under the heavi-
est kind of fire not only from the great guns of the forts,
but from the small and deadly firearms in the hands
of hidden Spanish sharpshooters who lined the shore.
During the second week in May, 1898, the Marblehead's
commander made up his mind that there was a chance
that the cables of the submarine company in Cuba lead
ing from Cienfuegos harbor might be cut if a daring
plan which he evolved could be carried out successfully.
The plan was carried out successfully, and it brought
fame not only to the man who conceived it, but to the
younger officers and to the seamen who dared death
in fact, fairly courted death-that they might obey orders
to the letter.
The Marblehead and the Nashville were brought within
range of the shore Notifications. Their two commanders
stood where for hours they were fair marks for the
enemys guns. On that day McCalla of the Marblehead
and his colleagues of the Nashville gave their men an
example of heroism that to-day shines on the pages
of naval history. If they were heroic, their juniors were
none less heroic, and two boats crews of seamen won
that day the recognition Of their government as being
men ready to dare anything for the flags sake.
Lieut.. Cameron McRae Winslow of the Nashville, took
command of the cablecutting outfit, consisting of launches
from the Marblehead and its sister ship.
The orders of the launch commanders were to run in
close to Colorados Point and there to graphic for the
cables and to cut them. Just back of the launches, com
Ing as close as they could and to avoid grounding, were
the Marblehead and the Nashville, with the men at the
guns ready to cover the work OF, the heroes.
Commander McCalla directed that because the men In
the launches probably were going to their deaths, no
man should be ordered to the duty, but that volunteers
should be asked for. Every man on both ships yolun.
teered for the service. The sailors and marines were
told by Lieut.. Anderson, under the orders of Commander
McCalla, that 1t was extremely likely that those who
went would never come back, and that 1t must be dis
tinctly understood that no man was to go unless he
wanted to go. They all wanted to go, and 16 went in each
boat, but not all returned.
McCalla ran the Marblehead into a favorable position
and opened fire on the rife pits Of the Spaniards, which
Aoh a. hAShb uA6lCo " ~ VI LU0 CdDl6-lOuSo, The
Nashville sheled the .%chaparral beyond. The launches
started toward the beach and reached a point only 100
feet distant from the breaking surf. There a cable was
%grappled, lifted and after extreme exertion, was cut.
There were yet other cables, and the launches started
for the point beneath which one was supposed to lie.
They found 1t, lifted it and cut it, when suddenly the
enemy, who had been using rifles, opened with machine
guns, which had apparently been brought I'D in response
to a message from the cable-house that the enemy was
attacking.
There was a third cable and with the bullets cutting
the waves about them like hail on the sea, the heroic
boat crews worked on. Lieut.. Winslow was shot through
the head; he paid no attention to the wound. though Il
was severe. Robert Volz, a seaman, was shot four times
Patrick Reagan, Herman W. Kuchmeister and Harry Hen.
Erickson were MORALLY wounded and six other men ~
the command were struck. Volz came back to life after
the surgeons said he must die.
The work was done and 1t was costly. but naval author.
tiles declare that 1t was worth the price. All the time
that the operations in the launches were proceeding
Commander McCalla, standing on the bridge Of his YES.
sci, was made the target Of the heavy guns and the small
guns OF the enemy. He ran, perhaps, a greater risk than
did the men at work in the small boats, but death passed
him by.
1t was Rear Admiral McCalla, who. at that time had
been promoted to a captaincy, who took personal com
mand OF a hundred seamen and marines and started for
the walls Of Tien-tsin. His little detachment Of sailors
and sailor soldiers" was the first OF the forces Of the
allies to arrive at the Chinese city. For his services
Tien-tsin fight Capt. McCalla was advanced three numbers
gallant and meritorious," as the record puts it. at the
in his naval rank. He is now living at Santa Barbara
probably %regretful that his days of active duty are ali
in the past.