River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-06-03

of his active duty cruise, and is in
the port of retirement Rear Admiral Bowman Hendry
McCalla American sailor who has been obliged
by the fixed law of the service to seek land berth for
the of his life He is active enough to go through
more storms battles for his countrys sake,
but the youngsters must be given chance and so Nc
away within earshot of the noise of
the sounding which he loves. Heroism during the
Spanish war and hero1sm at Ten-tSn during the nVa-
of China brought honors to McCaa to be added to
the accumulation of honors earlier and worhily Won
Years ago Admiral McCalla then commander, went
ashore at Colon the Isthmus of Panama and backed
by $50 jackets and Marines thrashed regiment of
Panama insurgents who erecting barricades and
attempting interfere with the Central and South
American cable offices 1t was SAID tnat McCaHa
thrashed the insurgents He hrashed them without firing
a shot He did not to involve his government in
possible farreaching trouble, he took of
own to teach the troublesome lesson without
shedding their blood Veracious history has it that the
commander after showing of force captured
the insurgent leaders and spanked them.
The cablecuttng operations which Admiral McCala
conducted while in command of the Marblehead during
the Spanish among the most notable achieve
mens of that conflict being carried under the heav
of fire only from the great guns of the forts
but from the small and deadly firearms in the hands
of hidden Spanish sharpshooers who lined the shore
During the second week in May, 1885, the Marbehead's
commander made his mind that there was chance
that the cables of the submarine company in Cuba lead
ing from Cienfuegos harbor might be cut if daring
plan which he evolved could be carried out successfully
The plan carried successfully, and it brought
only to the who conceived it, but to the
younger officers and to the seamen who dared death
to the letter.
The Marblehead and the Nashville were brought within
range of the shore Notifications Their commanders
stood where for hours they were fair marks for the
enemys guns. On that day McCalla of the Marbehead
and his colleagues of the Nashville gave their
example of herosm that to-day shines on the pages
history If they heroic their juniors
less heroic and two boats of
that day the recognition of their being
men ready to dare anything for the flags sake.
Lieut. Cameron McRae Winslow of the Nashville took
of the outfit consisting
from the Marbehead and its sister ship
The orders of the launch commanders to run in
close to Colorados Point and there grapple for the
cables and to cut them Just back of the launches
ing close they could and to avoid grounding
the Marblehead and the Nashville with the at the
guns ready to the work of the heroes,
Commander McCalla directed that because the in
the launches probably going to their deaths,
should be ordered to the duty but that
should be asked for. Every both ships volun-
teered for the service. The sailors and
told by Lieut. Anderson under the orders of Commander
McCalla that it extremely likely that those who
went would back and that it must be dis
tinctly understood that to go unless he
wanted go. They all wanted go, each
boat but not all returned
McCalla the AIarblehead into favorable position
and opened fire the rife pits of the Spanards which
right angles to face of the cabehouse The
Nashville sheled the chaparra beyond The launches
started toward the beach and reached point only
feet distant from the breaking surf. There
grappled, lifted and after extreme exertion
There yet other cables the launches started
for the point beneath which supposed to lie.
They found it, lifted it and it, suddenly the
enemy, who had been using rifles, opened with machine
guns which had apparently been brought up response
to from the cablehouse that the enemy was
attacking.
There third cable and with the bullets cutting
the about them like hail the sea- the heroic
boat worked Lieut. Winslow shot through
the head; he paid attention the wound, though it
Robert Volz, seaman shot four times
Patrick Reagan, Herman W. Kuchmeister and Harry Hen
erickson mortaly wounded and six other of
the command struck Volz came back to life after
the surgeons said he must die
The work and it costly, but naval author
tiles declare that it worth the price. All the tims
the operations in the launches proceeding
Commander McCalla standing the bridge of his
sell made the target of the heavy guns the small
guns the enemy. He perhaps, greater risk than
in the small boats but passed
him by.
1t was Rear Admiral McCala, who at that time had
been promoted to captaincy, who took personal COM
mand of hundred and marines started for
the walls of Tentsn. His little detachment of sailors
and "saIor soldiers the first the forces of the
arrive at the Chinese city. his services
fight Capt McCaa advanced three numbers
gallant and meritorous the puts it. at the
his naval rank He is living at Santa Barbara
probably regreul that his days of active duty are all
in the past.