Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-07-18
A FIGHT BETWEEN IRON.CLADs.
Details Of the Naval Engagement or the
Coast Of Peru.-.The British Ship Shah
Fails to Satisfactorily Punish The Rebel
Ram Huascar.--A Spirited Battle.

$3.50 " Il ietokt
Ram Hnascar---A Spirited Battle.
The Panama Star and Herald of June
p furnishes further particulars of the
naval fight between the ram Huascar
and the British iron-clads, the Shah and
AMETHYST The HuaScar was COM
manded by Don Nicholas de Pierola,
who had not only rebelled against the
Peruvian government but had seized
the ram, and with her had bid defiance
to the president and his party. On May
2S his ship had an encounter with the
government squadron, consisting of the
Independence, an iron-clad trigate, and
two wooden covcttes named the Union
and the Pilcomayo. The latter was of
little importance, and at nightfall the
Huascar steamed away toward the shore,
and was soon lost to sight in the heavy
fog. The next day. May %, says the
Lima correspondent of the Star and Her
aid, when close to Pacocha, a little port
in the neighborhood of Ilo, two large
vessels were seen some distance out ut
sea, and the Huascar, imagining they
We're part of the government squadron,
stood out to meet them with view Of
fighting But 1t was soon discovered
that they carried the British flag, and
We're in fact her Britanic majesty's ships,
the Shah and Amethyst, the former fly
ing the broad pennant of Rear Admiral
De Horsey. The Huascar, although
somewhat surprised at the appearance
of those vessels, was by no means pre-
pared for what followed. \ gun was
fired by the Shah for the ram to lay to.
and boat from the Amethyst was soon
pulling toward the Huascar. Coming
alongside, the officer was invited aboard
but refused, and then informed the COM
mander that Admiral De Horsey gave
the Huascar just two minutes to haul
down the Peruvian flag and surrender to
him in the name of the queen that in
case of refusal he would do all possible
to sink the ram. The people on board
the Huascar could scarcely credit their
senses, but Pierola, who is a man Of ac-
ton, speedily comprehended the situa-
ton, and replied to the British officer
that the Huascar was national man
of-war, carrying the national flag, and
that he might tell his superior that that
emblem would not be lowered while the
Huascar had gun to defend it. With
this reply the boat returned to the Ame-
thyst Pierola instantly beat to quar-
tiers, and in few words assured his
men that his own personal pretensions
now disappeared i'll the face of this new
emergency which threatened the honor
Of their common country. He was
loudly chcercd and the ships company
to man, even including some prisoners
taken on shore at Pisagua, evinced the
most determined spirit of resistance
The English opened fire ut about six
hundred yards, the first shots cutting
away the flag of the Huascaf, but which
was Immediately replaced. The Huas-
car replied with her heavy three-hun-
dred-pound Blakcleys III the turret and
the Amethyst lying off and on, steadily
persisted in her attempts to rake the
ram The Shah fired her broadsidcs.
which are discharged by electricity, and
in few moments everything on the
Huascar's decks, except her masts, tur-
ret, and smollc-stack had disappeared.
Her standing rigging, boats, steering
gear, and capstan We're destroyed in the
hot fire from the English vessels The
Huascar, however, continued her fire ut
regular intervals, sometimes from her
turret guns A shell from the Amethyst
entered one of her forward ports, en-
ploding inside, killing one man and
woundng several For moment fire
was apprehended, but fortunately was
prevented. After the fight had lasted
about an hour and half the Amethyst
was seen with Il thick smoke issuing
from amidships, and Stoned away out of
action, not returning for twenty minutes,
leaving the Huascar and the Shah alone.
The former now attempted to ram her
adversary, but the splendid handling of
the Shah prevented any successful man
euver of this nature. On approaching,
as the Huascar's officers state, the Shah
appeared to move as if by instinct and
her heavy batteries were brought to bear
on the assailant. 4 small Gatling gun
stationed in her tops very seriously in
cOmmoded the combatantS on board the
ram and her smoke-stack is riddled with
musket bullets. One three hundred
pound shot struck the tuwet of the
Huascar, penetrated the iron for two
inches, and then reboundcd. On the
side she was hit twice by the same class
of shot and with precisely the same re-
suit The Pcruyians now adopted new
mode Of attack, first advancing on the
Shah and then on the Amethyst, but the
superior speed and superb management
of these vessels prevented her running
them. The battle lasted for three hours.
Then the Huascar slowly retired, the
shell from the Amethyst having destroyed
all the primers for the turret guns, and
she headed toward the land, for which
she had been maneuvering for some
little time preyiously. The enemv did