The Delta independent., 1917-05-11

From the battleship came the signal
for the gunbOat to close in. Now the
Gloucester was not a gunboat, but
Wainwright, with no plan but fight
plan in his head, was willing that 1t
should pose as one for the time being.
He felt that 1t was his duty 20 look
after the torpedo destroyers OF the
enemy. which, he feared, because OF
their speed and comparatively small
size, might get within striking distance
unseen of the great battleships, the
attention of whose commander was in
large part directed to the greater craft
of the Spaniards.
His Exploit at Santiago.
The cruiser Infanta Maria Teresa
came out ahead of the destroyers Plu-
ton and Furor, for which Wainwright
was watching. Not willing to lose
chance at any enemy, great or small.
the American commander opened on
the Maria Teresa, and, as later exam
ination showed, he succeeded in hitting
that vessel several times before it got
out of range. The Pluton and the
Furor, when they did come out, made
straight for the Gloucester, and the
Gloucester was there, not waiting for
them, but making for them, with VAIN
wright on the bridge and the six
Founders and the three-pOunders
pumping out shells as fast as the men
could feed them.
The destroyers opened a terrific fire
on the yacht. If the dons had been
better marksmen, the Gloucester in
less than five minutes would have been
in Davy Jones' locker. and. all its crew
with it. But the froth of the sea ap-
parently had got into the eyes of the
gunners of the Pluton and the Furor,
and while the missiles from their guns
clipped the waves all about the
Gloucester, only few took effect.
In Maclay's history of the Santiago
fight 1t is said that Lieutenant Cabal-
lero of the Pluton declared somewhat
naively, after the battle was over, that
the Americans continued to fire very
rapidly, which made il extremely diff
ficult for us to serve our guns" The
truth was that Wainwright's gunners
not only were firing rapidly, but were
simply peppering the, Pluton and the
Furor with shot.
Here was mere pleasure craft en-
gagged in fight with two steel-armored
destroyers armed with guns and tor
pedo tubes, the projectiles from any
one of which properly planted would
have put the puny antagonist out of
the fight. Wainwright knew all this
and his crew knew all this. and yet
the Gloucester bore in on the enemy's
vessels as though they were mill-pOnd
boats of playing boys.
Destroyed Both Destroyers.
1t was not long before Wainwright
from the bridge saw that the Pluton
was In trouble. She began to limp,
then actually to stagger. and finally
the head of the vessel was turned
sharply and she was run ashore. full
of holes and sinking as a result of less
than half an hours conflict with a
yacht whose crew knew how to shoot.
When the Pluton was disposed of
Wainwright turned his whole attention
to the Furor. He smashed her with
steel. The Spaniards were cut down
at the guns, each crew being succeeded
quickly by another, for the Spaniards
were game in the face of destruction.
The Furor also began to limp and then
to jstagger. Smoke burst from her and
then her fire slackened. In few
minutes white flag went up from the
deck of the Spaniard and Wainwright
knew he had won a second victory.
The slaughter on the two torpedo
boat destroyers was nothing short of
horrifying. From the official report of
Lieutenant Huse. one of Wainwright's
81 officers and men only 10 survived
the ship. In the Pluton lieutenant
commander, one lieutenant and "a pet
ty officers and men were saved. All
the remaining Al men. including the
commanding officer. Captain villaamil,
perished.
Volunteers More Than Welcome.
Every opportunity exists today for
n man to volunteer in his country's
cause. The sharp debate in congress
as between the measure calling for
volunteers and the measure for con
scription affects the additional army
Nhich is to be raised and has little or
nothing to do with the methods of Sc
curing recruits for the regular army,
the navy and the marine corps.
Any young American who really
wants to be n volunteer can enter the
regular service or the National Guard
today. There has been a considerable
response to the volunteer call, but 1t
is not as great as the authorities de-
sire, nor is It anything like as great
as one would expect it to be II the
young men of the country are so bent
on volunteering that they dislike to