The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-20
A REMARKABLE SEA FIGHT
Vivid Description Of the Charnaral
Naval Engagement By
Participant.
How the Big Magellanes Beat or
Her Three Much Smaller
ASSISTANTS.
6ystem-Number OF Dead and
Wounded.

SAN FnANo1sco, July IA special cor
respondent of the Chronicle writing from
Pisagua, Chill, gives the following vivid
description of the naval battle in Charnaral
bay: When the German settlers first
landed at Charnaral, on the South Chill
coast, they little dreamt that in future
years one Of the worlds most remarkable
naval engagements would take placs in the
harbor at time when the town was just
beginning to lift its head in the commercial
world.
''Yes. was on board of the Magellanes
during the attack at Charnaral," said an
officer of that vessel to your correspondent.
1.-TWO bells had just struck when came on
deck in obedience to summons from the
officer on watch. Everything was quiet,
and there was no apparent sense of danger.
/ performed the duty assigned to me and
returned to my post. I heard the lookout
call that there was sail on the starboard
bow, and shortly afterward saw the first
officer hurrying toward the after part of
the ship.
II came on deck and looked in the dlrec-
tion indicated, and saw the tops of three
masts above the horizon, and could tell by
tho smoke that they were steam vessels.
Four bells struck and the crew were piped
to breakfast, the first officer remarking to
them as they passed aft: Boys, we cannot
fight ON empty stomachs.' We finished our
meal, though somewhat hastily. When we
came on deck the three vessels were heading
toward us in triangle. We hove short on
the anchor and cleared our starboard bat
terry for action.
''The big vessel in the lead ran up her
course 80 as to bring their port batteries
into action az they advanced. There WAS
very little excitement on tho Magellanes
and the crew worked skillfully and in
silence. With roar and crash the battle
commenced. great black ball described
us. We watched it in it's flight for fully
ten seconds. It looked as if it we're going
to strike us astern, but it suddenly ap-
peared to take an outward twist like base
ball from the hands of skillful pitcher and
dropped across our bow, sending regular
water-spout into the air.
I'VE opened up on the foremost vessel,
which proved to be the Condell, with our
heavy eiQht-inch gun. The Magellanes
trembled in eyers joint and cloud of
smoke hung between us and the advancing
feet, obscuring it from view. The tide
caught our bow and swund US around CON
siderably. and our port battery fired almost
bllndly in the direction of the foe.
1--WE could not see the enemy from where
] Stood on account of the smoke but
heard the roar of their guns, and in a few
seconds ripping. grinding tearing noise
and saw our cutter No. go over the side,
split into kindling wood. Almost stimuli
taneously ball struck the protection shield
of our starboard eight-inch gun and carried
it away. killing three men and wounding
half dozen. The Aldea ran up, close to
our stern and delivered u b7oadside which
was answered by our guns. When the
smoke cleared away she was beating hasty
retreat. Her smOkestack was shot away
and her decks cleared of stanohions and
boats Us cleanly as If she had never had
any; .yr,o
pedo tubes busy and launched several of
those missiles at US, which were carelessly
handled and fell short by long way. We
began to suffer from tho shower of small
shot and attempted to swing about 40 as to
get the Condell and Lynoh on our port
bow. In 80 doing the tide carried us closer
to the Condell, and she swept us with
heavy shower of grape and heavy balls.
IA six-inch ball entered through case
ment and killed the gunner of our battery
and six men, and wounded several. One
man fell lust alongside of me. His head
was struck off rs cleanly as though it had
been done with knife. The death dealer
struck an iron brace on the opposite side
of the ship. and glancing Off hit the blind
of our pivot gun. The black demon of
thing kept hopping about like a pea on a
hot stove, while the men lodged behind
gun shields and rushed about in a mad en-
deavor to avoid an unpleasant contact
with it.
THE pivot battery got in its work on;the
Condell and shot away her chain gear and
blew off tho foretopmast, tlinging her look
outs crew and Hotchkiss repeating gun
over her starboard bow. A call for more
men aft was sent up and squad of gunners
were sent astern III time to receive rattling
broadside from the Aldea, which had
craw!ed up under cover of the smoke and
knocked our aft cabin into pie and killed
number of tho men at the guns.
1--WE returned her fire with deliberation
and with such effect that she was obliged
to retire full of holes and badly crippled,
We turned our attention to the Condell,
which was our most aggressive enemy. and
poured in carefully aimed and destructive
lire. We sent an eight-inch shot just over
her amidahips, which. if it had struck low,
would have sent her to the bottom She
ran up her signals and the halyards were
shot away. She sent them up on the main
mast and signaled tho Lynch to engage us
on the po rt side. The Lynch misinterpret-
ed the signals and crawled around astern of
the Condell. getting hor port guns in such
n position that they were useless and afford
ing us an opportunity of raking the Condell
fore and aft. with chance of hitting the
Lynch with stray shots.
'Ihe Aldea's crew displayed great deal
of nerve, and although their ship was the
most seriously damaged of the lot, she came
up to the fight again and engaged our stern
guns. The order was passed about to aim
low. and we changed the elevation of our
guns. We struch the Aldoa twice and she
hauled off toward the other vessels 50 as to
detract our fire.
'The Lynch sent a bali skimming along
the water uncomfortably close to our bow.
She launched Whitehead torpedo at US
which WAS diverted by the tide and struck
n merchant vessel in the hnrbor.
The enemy did not seem to be working
with system. md several times shots from
the Condeil almost struck tho Aldea. We
sent heavy shot into the Lynch near the
bow. aud poured Il slow but destructive fire
into the Condell Gradually the enemy
withdrew, leaving us master of the situa-
tion, with TWENTY-FIVE dead men and a
whole hospital full Of wounded as the ro-
suit OF the attack.
Tho crew of tho Magellanes arc mostly
foreigners"