Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-06-11

the latter escaped. The Cochrane bore
down on the unfortunate Huascar at 10
O'Clock in the morning the first shot being
| fred at distance of mile and three
quarters. Admiral Grau of the Huascar
then drew his vessel close to the enemy
and attempted TO ram her. buG the enemy
was possessed of pair cf twin screws
| that enabled her to veer off at very close
range. Within half an hour the Encal-
ada arrived and poured shot into the
Huascar at distance of less than 900
yards
lone of these shots struck and demol-
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 IN
manageable. The Cochrane succeeded, at
very short range, in sending a shot from
her twelve and half ton Armstrong d.
rectly through the forward gunport of the
Huascar, breaking off one of the twelve
Founders and killing the two officers next
in authority to the admiral.
As this point the Chileans sent off a
boarding party, but the Peruvian crew
rallied and repulsed The boarders, upset
ting their launch and drowning two men.
Another attempt was made, however, in
less than an hour, which proved more
successful, and in two hours after the first
shot was fired the Huascar was in the
hands of the Chilians.
Those Of US who visited the capturers
and captives soon after the engagement
learned that nearly one hundred projectiles
weighing something like three hundred
pounds each, had been fred from the
Cochrane and Enscalada. Atleast twenty
five of these shots struck the Huascar
Those that struck the hull, which was
covered with but AZ inches of armor,
penetrated the covering and exploded in
the backing, doing great damage. The
stearing gear, as has been stated, was COM
pletely demolished and the engine room
was pierced, although the machinery es-
capped. Several shots struck the ferret,
which was plated with 81 inches of
armor, penetrating it and doing untold
damage within. Ali the upper works of
the ship was carried away, together with
! the coming tower and iron mast.
A singular coincidence was that although
the Huascar fred fifty shots only three
struck the Cochrane, while none at all
struck the EncaIada Neither vessel was
injured.
ut was a good, practical lesson to US of
the American feet ON the necessity for
careful handling of guns in an engage
ment. Nothing could have been more I'M
skillful than the firing at these ships, the
Huascar in particular. The verlest young
ster at the naval academy couldhave made
two hits to their one with the most an
cient of navy smooth-bores. The vessels
were all in smooth water and within 1000
feet of each ether throughout the engage
ment. At one time, when the HUI scar
tried her ramming tactics, the vessels were
not 100 feet apart. Yet of 100 shots fired
by the Chilians only one-quarter struck
the Huascar, and of fifty shots fired by the
latter vessel only three were hits. We
made up our minds, after the engagement,
that the victory was with the Huascar,
for she had been able to- maintain an open
sea fight against twelve 131ato Arm
strong guns, each of which ought to have
driven projectiles through armor twice the
thickness of her, sending her to the bot
tom in two shakes of a lambs tail.
IF the Huascar had been possessed of
two screws, and the gunners retained
their presence of mind, the formidable
lam might have been brought into play
with results altogether different. The
chief engineer of the Huascar at the time
of this battle was a citizen of the United
States, Samuel MacNahon by name. He
escaped unhurt, although scrap ct shell
tore off the back of his coat.