The Washington times., 1920-05-07

The sea was calm as the yacht
steamed along the coast the next
day past. the wrecks Of the spanish
nset Three were still visible. one
man-of-wsr lifting high it's desert
ed decks. We ran in close to shore
TO get a better view OF the battered
hullss. then. not content with that,
got intoi small boats and rowed
around the Colon to see moro close
ly the marks OF our shells. An
American naval. officer who took
: part In the battle gave us a much
prized souvenir OF the trip-the
4 Colon's fiagpole.
N Virginia, lay all this while in the
( open sea where CeEvera had rushed
his ships out in q headlong attempt
20 give swift battle ahd escape. Be
hind US cleaned the Diamond
Shoal (which they crossed then
they turned sharply west and
poured shot and shell In dense vol
leys that tore the blue waters into
snowy foam. But the steady, rapid,
and accurate fire OF our gunners
was more effeotive." The Maria
Teresa turned and fled, TO, sink, a
burning wreck, upon the shore at
Nina Nina. The Oquendo. a mass
OF flames, hastened to beach herself
before IL was too late. The Vizcaya
struggled on, only to be driven
landward an hour later. like her sis
ter ships. while the commander OF
the Colon hauled. down her flag
and ran full speed ashore. The lat
ter was not badly hurt, but after
surrendering, the 'Spaniards secret
ly opened and bfoteft the sea valves
so that the sank In shoal water
The tides were washing her bar
nacled sides as we rowed about. i"
With al the, new and dainty
1t makes one proud to Eemember
that American OFFICERS and men
took on the Spanish crews, in the
midst of exploding. batteries and
ammunition. saving them at a far
greater risk to their own ltyes than,
they had endured alt dAy'ln battle.
IT was, as Lodge has said "a very
noble conclusion TO . tyery perfect
victory" ~.,- "a so s1 -,
.I.iand of Hundred FIRES -
.Cienfuegos, our next port, had,
like Santiago, a. narrow passage
leading into great bay--as coast
formation that seemed character
istic OF Cuba; bat the hills In the
distance were lower, and the land
about the bay more level. The har-
Dor was filled with ships lying in
port ready to load with sugar for :
the United states whenever pro-
crastinating Congress should say
the word. -. ."t,,.>,'
A railway crossed the island to
MatanZas. seven hours journey
through the center OF the island
with endless fiat stretches of sugar
cane. Occasional feathery palms
broke the monotony. but no other
trees were to be seen. 1t was ter
ribIy hot day, and the car crowded
with sick people and babies. and
dirty Cubans and dirtier Cubans, all
shaken up together and humping
over one of the roughest lines in the
world. The resulting profusion OF
assorted noises, smells and sights
made us quite ready to find the
hotel at Matanzas very comfortable
and to enjoy the good dinner. -.
Matanzas had a Spanish plaza and
a fine drive along the bay leading
to the new American barracks The
carriages-called volantes, sort Of
clumsy chaise with enormous wheels
and shafts IA feet long-were ex-
ceedingiy comfortable. They were
drawn by two horses hitched tan
dem with a position sitting on the
second ono I recall a particularly
pleasant ride to Ballamar. q beauti-
full cave with galleries running for
a distaAcet of nearly three miles.
and great piIfared halls and endless
narrow passages with wonderful
crystals.
N An early train next morning took
tps to Havana Perhaps because we
had been SO long in funny little