The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-18
THE HUAsCAR's CAPTURE.
An American Officers story Of the Famous
Sea Fight.

10 tne minds OF tho naval officers VIII
served on the Pensacola in 1879 and 1886
some interesting details of the famou.
battle between the Huascar and the Chilian
armorclads, Blanco Encalada and Amir.
ante Cochrane, October 8, 1879. The Pen
sacola, at that time flagship of the South
Pacific squadron under the late Commander
Edward Terry. was cruising off the west
coast whom the battle occurred. She lost
no time in repairing to the scene of the en-
gagement, arriving off Mejillonss dc Bolivia
soon after the Huascar struck her colors
An officer who boarded the Huascar as she
lay at anchor IN Mejillones bay after the
action and who conversed with the officers
OF both the rival ships, gives the follow
ing story of the battle:
"On the morning of the battle the Huas-
car was surprised to see herself surrounded
by the hostile Chilian feet, which was di-
vlded into two divisions, one OF these was
composed of the Blanco Encalada, with
the CovadonRa and the transport Matias
Cousino, and the other consisted of the
Almirante Cochrane, the cruiser O'Higgins,
and the transport Loa. The Huascar had
but one attendant vessel-the wooden con-
sort Union. AS soon as she sighted the En-
calada she made off for the south at full
speed, and her boilers being superior to
those of her pursuer, she stood a good
chance of escaping had not the division
headed by Cochrane suddenly appeared.
Escape being then out of, the Huascar
and the Union ran close inshore, where the
latter escaped. The Cochane bore down
on the unfortunate Huascar at 10 o'clock
in the morning, the first shot being fired at
distance of mile and three-quarters.
his vessel close to the enemy and at
tempted to ram her, but the enemy was
possessed of a pair of twin screws that en-
abled her to veer off at very close range
Within half an hour the Encalada arrived
and poured shot into the Huascar at a dis
tance of less than LOCO yards.
"One OF these shots struck and de1nol-
ished the Huascar's coming tower, killing
Admiral Grau, who was stationed therein.
Another shot struck the Peruvian's most
vulnerable point-the stern-disabling her
steering Gear and rendering her unmanage-
able. The Cochrane succeeded, at very short
range, in sending shot from her twelve
the forward gun port of the Huascar,
breaking Off one of the tweive-pounders
and killing the two officers next in author
ity to the admiral. # A&
AT this point the Chileans sent off a
boarding party, but the Peruvian crew raj
lied and repulsed the boarders, upsetting
their launch and drowning two men. An
other attempt was made however, in less
than an hour. which proved more success
full. and in two hours after tho first shot
was fired the Huascar was in the hands of
the Chiiians.
"Those of US who visited the capturers
and captives soon after the engagement
a1 hot orlv
ing something like 800 pounds each, had
been fired from the Cochrane and Encala-
da. At least twenty-five of these shots
struck tie Huascar. Those that struck the
hull, which was covered with but 4 n inches
OF armor, penetrated the covering and e1-
ploded in tine backing, doing great dam
age. The steering gear, AZ has been stated,
was completely demolished, and the engine
reom was pierced. although the machinery
escaped. Several shots struck the turret,
which was plated with 51s inches of armor,
penetrating it and doing untold damage to
everything within. All the upper works of
the ship were carried away, together with
lar coincidence was that although the HUI
ascar fired fifty shots only thres struck the
Cochrano, while mono at all struck the
Enoalada. Neither vessel was injured.
1T was good, practical lesson to us of
the American fleet ON the necessity for
carelul nanullng OF guns IN an engagement.
Nothing could have been more unsklllful
than the firing of all these ships, the Huas-
car in particular. The veriest youngster at
The, Naval academy could have made two
hits to their one with the most ancient of
navy smooth-bores. The vessels were all
in smooth water and within 1900 feet of
zach other throughout the engagement. At
one time, when the Huascar tried her ram
ming tactics, the vessels were not 100 feet
apart. Yet of 100 shots fired by the Chilli
ans only one-qunrter struck the Huascar,
and of fifty shots fired by the latter vessel
only three were hits. We made up our
minds, after that engagement, that the VIC
tory was with the Huascar, for she had
been able to maintain an open sea fight
against twelve 1875 ton Armstrong guns,
zach of which ought to have driven projec-
tiles through armor twice the thickness of
hers, sending her to the bottom in two
shakes of Il lambs tail.
IF the Huasoar had been possessed of
jwo screws, and had her gunners retained
heir presence OF mind, the formidable
'am might have been brought into play
With results altogether different. The chief
engineer of the Huascar at the time of this
'attle was Il citizen of the United States,
samuel MacMahon by name. He escaped
lnhurt, although scrap of shell tore off
he back of his coat.''