The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-22
BATTLE ON THE SEA.
American Captain Saw a Chill
can Naval Fight.
THE iNsuRGENT VESSEL SUNK
Government Boats Poured Terpedoea
Into the Enemy, and All the Rebels
Were Drowned In the Sea.

SAX FRAycrsco, June 21.-Captain r. B.
Nesmith has arrived in this city after an
eight months stay in Chile He was an
eyewitness of the naval battle between the
insurgent schooner Blanco Encaldo and
the government torpedo boats Almirante,
Condell and Animate Lynch. He was on
board the English schooner Sophie May,
which was anchored 500 yards from the
Encaldo, and thus obtained good view of
the fight.
The government vessels entered the
harbor where the Eucaldo was at anchor
early on the morning of April q. When
within 200 yards of the insurgent ship the
Condel fred two torpedoes but both
missed. The Lynch then fired two tor
pedoes at distance of 100 yards which
also went wide of the mark. For nearly
an hour the vessels kept up an in
cessant cannonade without using any
more torpedoes and the government
vessels got the worst Of it. During
this period the insurgent transport Aeon
cagua entered the harbor and Joined in
the fight. 1t looked as if the two torpedo
boats would be defeated, when finally the
Lynch made a rush for the Encalada.
When forty yards distant she fired a tor
pedo, which struck the insurgent ship
amidships. A terrible explosion followed,
and the Encalada CONNIE need to sink.
But her guns kept on firing,
and one of the last shots
demolished the Lynch's smokestack At
least five or six shots were fired from the
vessel after the torpedo struck. Her officers
attempted TO get out of the boats, but
within five minutes the ship sank, and III
of the crew were drowned. The Condell
and Lynch next attacked the Aconcagua,
when the Imperial. which was sta
toned outside, signaled the APP
proach of another warship. The tor
pedo boats Immediately steamed out
of the harbor and made preparations to
attack the new arrival. She proved to be
the II. II. S. Warspite, but the Condell did
not discover it and fired gun to call the
stranger TO account. The Condell soon
discovered the mistake and put about, and
with the Lynch proceeded to Valparaiso
for repairs.
The official report OF the fight made to
President Balmaceda states that the Con-
dell received a charge of canister which
killed two men and wounded five others
Fifty-two tubes in the boilers burst and
the stokers were nearly asphyxiated. The
Lynch was struck fourteen times by solid
shot, one striking below the water line.
Commodore Monte, commander of the
Encalda, was on shore during the fight
Captain Lamton, of the Warspite, in con-
versation with Captain Nesmith, said that
the destruction of the Encalda did not de-
velop any new features in naval warfare, as
it was only surprise pure and simple. The
captain ofthe Encalda admitted that he was
responsible for the loss of his ship. He
had no picket boats out, no torpedo nets
in place, no lookout on board his ship,
and no guns in readiness-no precautions
whatever were made against night attack
or surprise.
At the time Captain Nesmith sailed for
the north, May 4, it was reported that
battle had occurred in Coquimbo, and that
many people had been killed.