The morning call., 1891-05-23
A FAMOUS SEA-FIGHT.
How the Huascar Was Captured by Two
Chilean ATmor-C1ads.

Chilean Armor-CIads.
The reports of the attacks of the Govern
ment torpedo cruisers on the insurgents
ir0nelad Huascar off the Chilean coast
brings to the mind Of the naval officers who
served on the Pensacola in 1879 and 1880
some interesting details of the famous battle
between the Huascar and the Chilean
armor-cladS Blanco Encaada and Almirante
Cochrane. October s, 1879.
On the morning of the battle the Huascar
was surprised to see herself surrounded by
the hostile Chilean fleet, which was divided
into two divisions, says a writer in the New
York Times. One of these was composed
of the Blanco Encalada, with the CUva.
donga and the transport Matias C0uSino,
and the other consisted of the Almirante
Cochrane, the cruiser OHiggins and the
transport Loa. The Huascar had but one
attendant vessel, the wooden consort Union,
As soon as she sighted the Encalada she
made off for the south at full speed, and her
boilers being superior to those OF her pur-
suer, she stood good chance OF escaping
had not the division headed by the C0eh-
rane suddenly appeared.
Escape being then cut off the Huascar and
the Union ran close inshore where the lat
ter escaped. The Cochrane bore down on
the unfortunate Huascar at 10 o'clock in the
morning, the first shot being fired at dis
tauee OF mile and three-quarteTs. Admiral
Grau OF the Huascar then dIew his yeSS
close to the enemy and attempted to ral
her. but the enemy was possessed of a PAL
of twin screws that enabled her TO Yeer of
at very close range. Within half All hOar
the Encalada arrived and poured shot into
the Huascar at distance OF less than 1000
yards
One of these shots struck and demolished
the Huascar's coming tower. killing Adj
mIral Grau, who was stationed therein. An
other shot struck the PeruVian'S most Vul-
neTable pOint-the stern - disabling her
steering gear and rendering her unmanage-
able. The COchrane succeeded, at very
short range, in sending a shot from her
1212-ton Armstrong directly through the
forward gun port Of the HuaScaT, breaking
Off one of the 12-ponnders and killing the
two officers nextin authority to the Admiral
AT this point the Chileans sent off
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, IL
than an hour, which proved more suceeSSIuI,
and in two hours after the first shot was
fired the Huascar was in the hands Of the
Chileans
Those of US who visited the capturers and
captlyeS soon after the engagement learned
that nearly 100 prOjectieS, weighing some
thing like 800 pounds each, had been fired
from the Cochrane and Eneaada. AT least
CWtull live VI tuGS6 SuOlo StIuCh the IudS-
car. Those that struck the hull, which was
covered with but AZ inches Of armor, pene-
trated the covering and exploded IN the
backing, dung great damage. The steering
gear. as has been stated, was completely
demolished, and the engine-TO0m was
pierced. although the machinery escaped.
Several shots struck the tuTTet, which was
plated with 81 inches of armor, penetrating
1t ami doing untold damage to eyerythn
within. Ali the upper works Of the shi
We're carried away, together with the con-
ming tower and the iron mast singular
coincidence was that, although the Huasear
fired fifty shots, only three struck the Coch-
rane, while none at all struck the Encalada.
Neither vessel was injured.
Il was good practical lesson to US OF the
American fleet on the necessity for careful
handling of guns in an engagement. Nothing
could have been more unskillful than the
firing Of all these ships, the HuaScar In par
ticular. 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 2000 feet of each other through
out the engagement.