The New York herald., 1879-11-23
THE HUASCAR.
Chilean AccountSo of the Great t
Naval Fight.
HONORS TO HEROES.
Present Condition of the Per-
uvian Iron-Clad.
HOW ADMIRAL GRAU WAS KILLED.
HOW ADMIRAL GRAU WAS KILLED.

the Lima, arrived this morning III Caao from val
paraso having left the latter port the 18th inst.
As was to be presumed the rejoicings in Chile
the capture of the Huascar most enthusiastic;
for several days the people gladly gave themselves
mp to festivities of all descriptions. since this the
first real and tangible victory their side
was really worthy Of commemoration. With the
Huascar in Chilean hands the is at the COM
mand of the victorious vessels. But it must be
said that. from the tone Of the journals published
in Santiago and Valparaiso, irreverence was
offered to the memory of the brave men who so
noby defended their ship, and the loss of such
commander as Grau is universally deplored. Hon.
ors were tributed to his memory in Mejllones de
Bolivia by his conquerors. The prisoners from the
Huascar were disembarked in Valparaiso amidst the
respectful silence of vast multitude. and the
valiant deeds Of the Nelson Of the Pacific received
homage from the nation contending against him.
These data are taken from Chilean sources, but
the official reports to be expected from the sur
vivors of the Huascar have not yet been received.
Captain Carbajal. the flag officer. who held command
for moment after the death of Aguirre, the second
in rank, partially blinded by the fragment Of
flying SHE'LL Palacios. with his jaw shot away. and
with eighteen wounds from rifle shots and cutlasses
in boarding the ram. died in Iquque on the Pacific
Steam Navigation Company's steamer Coquimbo
while his way to Lima. released by the Chileans
family after promise Of exchange had been given;
and the other prisoners have probably had no oppor
tunity to transmit definite intelligence regarding the
valorous fight to the government here The Coquimbo
may possibly arrive tomorrow with further news.
CHILEAN ACCOUNT.
Meanwhile transcribe the following excerpts from
the correspondence of tho Mercurio OF Valparaiso.
leading newspaper. evidently sent home by spec
tator Of the combat-"When the ships were fight
ing at about three hundred metres distance the gal
liant Admiral Grau lost his life. 1t nearly ten
O'Clock A. M.-that is, after the battle had lasted
half hour-when heavy shell from
the Cochrane struck against the tower of
the Huascar's commander. about half metre
under Sits middle height. entered with the
pieces of broken iron and wood it carried
with it, exploded within the tower and the
fragments Of iron. mingled with quivering mass
of human flesh, fell the other side of the deck,
filling the whole ship with the smoke and debris Of
the destroyed bulwark. The gallant Admiral always
held his place in this tower during action. In this
decisive conflict he the first to be in his station
Only shielded by the tower from the waist down.
the shell cut his body completely in two leaving the
feet aud legs in the tower and carrying off to the
his head and bust. What could be recovered Of his
remains We're buried by the Chileans i'll Mejil-
lones with all due honors." further state
ment published in the Chilean journals,
serts that the sailors. dcafened and blinded by the
explosion but aware that their com mander had been
killed sought for his body, and finding the
alleyways of the ship. underneath the place occu-
pied by the turret. the corpse Of man horribly
mutilated, carried it to the surgeon. 1t then
discovered that this poor piece OF humanity. blown
out OF shape by the fatal SHE'LL was in life the body
Diego Ferre. the Admiras aide, killed at his side.
Grau died without suffering. but God only knows
the sadness and profound grief experienced by his
loving country and family over his loss.
REFUSING DOWN THE
Another incident First Lieutenant Pedro GareZon
predecessors had been killed and two desperately
wounded. According to the Chilean account the
flag or the Huascar was shot away at twenty-five
minutes past ten and it was supposed that the
had surrendered. Much to the surprise of Captain
Rveros. however. whose ships had stopped nrng
and the were cheering over the victory.
the Peruvian colors again appeared. and the
gallant Huascar, battered to pieces, with the
better part of her people dead. hoisted the
dag which had been entrusted to her valor. firing
blank cartridge to announce that the flag still
there. And there it was. Some OF the foreign
sailors and nlachinists on board the ram at least
it is stated in the correspondence to which am
referring. thought that the time had arrived for
render and that further loss of life would simply be
u sacrifice. Indeed. did they insist upon this
idea, to endeavor to force Lieutenant Garezon to
strike the coors. But this brave officer, putting "a
good guard the flag, and seeing tnat the end
approaching, descended to the engine room, opened
une watf the shn TSen 70 a m
boarding. The Chileans by main force took the
ram. and according to the -hercarto's account
it u hecatoElb of dead. dying and wounded.
The people who came off from Mejillones after the
battle state that the sight horrible. than
horrible, board the Blow decks the sides
incrusted with human remains. hair. flesh.
nails. pieces of shell. fragments of furniture clothing
aud indescribable debris awful to behold aud dis
NAL to imagine Of the noble vessel She slightly
repaired aud ut last accounts was being towed down
10 Valparaiso.
THE HUAscARs CONDITION.
Later dates from Chile supply additional items
gardipg the condition of the huascar. Her rudder
repaired in Mejillones and she then able to
proceed under steam to Valparaiso. as her engines
being below the water line escaped any damage a
correspondent of the Standard thus describes in
juries:-
had completely passed through her armor-four of
these at short distances from the poop, and the
other penetrated the part occupied by the engines
but these below the surface or the water they
suffered no injury. The part OF the bow with tho
hgurehead was carried away. The gun turret. which
is the strongest part of the snip. being protected
by five and . half inches OF iron. has been
traversed in two parts. cutting out pieces rs clcanly
MS scooping out q piece of cheese. One struck on
the starboard side and passed through diagonally.
traversing seven inches instead OF fiye and half,
bending two of the side plates and lift
ing up the ono above which forms the roof.
The other went through in the forward part of the
tower. cutting out large piece OF the plate. striking
and bursting on one OF the 3OO-poundcrs, killing
eighteen persons inside. In addition to these two
shots the turret has marks of five others, two of
which, in consequences OF striking very obliqucly.
did not enter but scooped out large pieces OF plate
while the others simply indented them. On tho
port side Is distinctly visible the mark left by tho
shot from Her Britannia Majesty's ship Shah.
TERRIBLE DAMAGE.
little aft of the gun urrct is the watchtower OF
the commander, hexagonal, and composed of plates
of three-inch iron outside. then eight inches or
teak, and inside hafnch OF iron, leaving Just room
in the interior for the easy OF the person
placed there. This tower WAS not only literally
knocked to pieces. but the wood work took fire in
side. and. instead of being protection OF poor
Grau, served simply trap for his
destruction. Two 3o0-pound balls passed right
through. knocking on the deck two of the
large plates of which it is composed. bending and
twisting the large masses OF iron like bits OF card
board and ripping the teak into thousands of large
and small splinters. We're this tower simply COM
posed OF iron ball might. by chance. pass through
the side of tho person inside without killing HIM.
but tho effcct the wood is such that
death must instantaDe eously cnsuo from tho
large splintcrs forced about in all direc-
tions OF the capstan only small
bit remains, the rest being carried away by shot.
Tho funnel was travcrscd in four parts by large
balls, besides being riddled by balls from the nitra
leuse and rifles. On the port and starboard sides.
amdships, are two small cannon. each OF which
struck by a separate shot That the port side, Of
Steel was cut in half. while the the starboard