Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-11-05
Tho EuRScar'S Fate,

The Euascar's Fate
| Very mesgre are the details whioh have com
to hard of the combat at Mejilloues de Bolivis,
10 which the Peruvian iron clad ram Huascar
was captured. The Information of the cruise
Of tho Huascar and Unon south and Of their
meeting with the two divisions of III, Chilean
navy is learned from tho official report of Capt
Aureio Garcisy Garcia, the commandant of
the U0iou. Ol September 3o;h tho Ua-
icn aud Huscar sailed from Aric, for the
west OF Cbilo to cndeavor to capture some of
toe la,gs fest of transports which at that sino
was be!isved 10 be engaged in the work Of
transporting the Central division of tho
Chilean srmy ftori Valpsrsi,o to Auto
fagas:a. Tho two Vessels called a. Iql:1u, and
then stood south, arriving of Ssuo, Chilean
port, 90 The 4.h inst, whera they clp.u.ed O
they visited Ccq limbo Harbor and reooon0itred
tic boy, fadios 40 eaowy's vessels there. Ga
1.-THE mor1ng Of the 5:h they entared the har-
b9r OF TougOy, faw miles south CT Ctquim-
| be, which they found deserted. Here they
learnad CT M attempt to bo mado to land
| srJpg Chill au ig5cc 1t luu;que, or som6
other ponL On the cGssL OF Peru. when
| Admiral Grau determined to retura to All.
| Gu. Proceeding bo,th, they visited Aut1-
tagasta on the night Of the Ith, Wher. no lraps.
ports or war vessels we're fouod, the whole
Chilean fleet having visited Arcs on the 5,h,
and Was Ut ttst moment bound south, io two
jiviscus, makibg most dlligcnt ssslcl for
tho two Peruvian vcsssls. The search Wnd sue.
| cessful, and the meeting was not long to be do.
Iayed. The two Peruvian steamers ca thcic
voyage north. and at half past four q. III. q II
the S:h, sigttoi the first division OF tho Chill
ean fleet. The iluascsr aod uoioa at oDce
Sut about and made of as fsst as possible to
! the sou,hwC;ss, and ran for about three hours
on this course.
They had drawn out away from tho land, the
Chilean fleet iolloeDg directly after them. 4
stiff bretZ; wss boHios from the Souih, which
decreased the Iuascar'S speed peIc !ptib!y,
| when Grau resolved to sie.r ptr.h and Gu
des7or to run between the Chilean A,et and
the shore. 10 this mar G lvro he succeeded
| aud swept by tho Gneuy's first division with
out firing gun. The superior speed Of the
! Peruvian ships vas UsD!tcst rs they rapidly
steamed away :rJm their cuemiej-thc Blaoco
lI1cslada and the three wooden steamers-snd
they though; their escape was GRAIN, whom
suddenly they sighted the second Chilean divis-
ion, composed oil the Almirante Cochraue aud
several smaller vessels comiug down upon lhom
aud COW Gi!c,tly ahead. 10 teg mioucs
Gran saw that be had no opportunity OF es.
cspiog from this iron clad. whose speed WIS
tuuai to his oTp. aud he sccGr5icey steered
tor shoal water, vi c:e, 0n account OF his light
ness OF traught, he might lead his huge coo.
mics on the rocks or be- abio TO out marO1Vro
ho hn.O q tor
and escaped to the westward. ccssly followed
by ueveral of the smaller vessels of tho enemy.
These could not como up with her, and sha
proceeded north to hiica withou! having fired
q shot during tho disastrous fight. Ths fsht
vas beguu BY the llusscsr discharsng her two
800 FOUNDERS at close range at tho Almiraple
Cuohrope, which Grau followed up by an at-
tempt to ram his aptagsnist. This was un.
successful, ss tho Chilean lroo ciaGs are double
sctews ard can present any front they chose to
stack By rammiog. As the Huas,ar swept by a.
su,h cose range she received broadside trou
the Cochrane, aud beior, she had proceeded far,
tae other battery was poured toto ber. At the
same time the other Chilean i:oa cad oano
down upon her, AID Grau, undisnsyed by tho
odds against hiu, boldly placed himself bs
vented from firing so rapidly On account Of
L
no doub; prolonged tho tight. which is
said to lava lasted two hours before
the Peruvian flag was hauled down. For about
90 boar the oticeIs of tho U5ion were able to
obserse the deadly combat. and speak iavorabiy
of the mapner 10 which all three iron ciads wero
handed 1t is not kDoWn whether the Husscar
was tukeu By bosrdi0g or that, after tho death
Of Grau. which is said t, have Occurred early ip
the action, aud the wouodipg Ct he executive
officer and several suboroiuatc', tho remaining
ofioers uubuyt, ooly ious 10 number, hauled
Gown the h.g
The Huasoar Lest large uumber of officers
and men, olrcuGs:aDce which was afterRarj
reported at Iquiquc by the Chilean vessels
lO'Hlggius and LA. The hull of the Huascar
vas said to have tc,n riddled, her EGG oes
damaged 30 that sho wss atterwsrd toWed to
Aptoiagssta. the turret janmed 40 that it would
not rsvoIvs and everything swept from her
decks by the terrible tire from the iron clads.
} l. is SAID, indeed, iha. tho turrtt is renderei
completely useless Tho Chilean iron claG
which went FIRST toto action fred her broadsdes
very rapidy, as with ber tWiue S,reW she was abb
4 to present to her adversary, u a few mlnutee
= any battery she wished to use. The Husscar's
guns ware we'll served. Thsy are muZzle-losd
= ers and in the space # an hour shs discharged
., twenty FIVE ehots. Her gunners were foreigners
q principally hnRusn ana OcolCa' atGohB Hnou
Il the mortality must have been considerable. He
: engineers were all foreigners, twenty-five of tht
8. crew in all being Europeans. The damage dob,
to tho Chilian iron clads is inconsiderable. Th
y Almirante Cochrane, which sustained the brun
l. of the battle was somewhat damaged. bat To
3. Blanco Encslsda escaped almost entirely. TD
unequal character of the fight may bu under
stood when is is known that the Husscsr hs
- but Two 3o0.pounders 10 oppose 10 twslvc OF IN
- same cslibre, and her armor WAS four an1 hs
~ Inches against nine inches, which the iron clad
- carry.
A melancholy result Of the desth of the hero
- Grau is reported from Lima. Mrs. GIsu, Q
at receipt of the sad intelligence, is said to hsV
e. been 30 seriously affected that ske died sbol
L.. time afterwsrd. The poor lady was In deiica'