The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-05-05

Capt. Grau again attempted to ram the
CHILEAN ship, and again the engines stopped
too soon. But Pratt's spirit fingered as a
wrath on the deck Of the Esmeralda, and
his successor, Lieut.. Serrano, an unmistak-
able son OF the tropics, headed the board
ers and gained the Huascar's deck. But
the vessels parted too soon, and the brave
bOarderS persisted to man under the bull
lets fired from the turret and pilot tower
OF the Huascar. Half Of the Esmeralda s
crew were dead or disabled, her machinery
useless and her hull leaking so that she
was settling rapidly.
Capt. Grau hailed to surrender, but get
ting decided No! in answer, he rammed
again, stopping the engines at only 20 feet,
and struck the starboard beam of the Es-
meralda blow that sent her down, her
deck guns firing and her flag flying in it's
place as she disappeared in the waters
Out of 200 Chilians so escaped
The attempt to win by boarding was not
SO reckless as it seems at first thought.
The Chilians were good seamen and good
lighters; Grau's crew was poor one, as
Pratt had time to learn from their bad
firing during the cannonade. Besides, his
| men had driven all the Peruvians from
| the deck, and if 20 men had succeeded in
| crossing the Hauscar's bulwarks the YES
| sci would have been at their mercy Had
the Hauscar rammed with force enough to
catch the Esmeralda and hold her, the
Chll1ans would have had a chance. Had
Pratt been one of the kind who say go
ln!' instead& "Come on!'' he would sim
| ply have lost man OR two and spared his
own life for a second and it may be a.
successful attempt. Capt. Grau sent the
effects OF the fallen hero to the widow, say
ing, Capt. Pratt died victim to his
excessive intrepidity in defense of and for
the glory of his country"
Meanwhile Pratt inspiring example was
not lost On the companion ship Covadonga.
When the Huascar singled out the Esmer-
aida Capt. Condell. Of the Covadonga.
trled to draw his antagonist, the indie
pendencia, to shoal water. The Peruvian
gave chase, firing often and attempting to
ram. Her first 150-pound shot entered the
starboard of the wooden ship, raking her
whole length Condell turned, and with
one shot dismounted the gun that had done
MS snip such damage, and his sailors drove
the Peruvian crew below with their
splendid rifle practice. In this way the
running fight was kept up for ten miles
along the indented coast, the Covadonga
hugg1ng the shoals and slipping by her big
adversary at every projecting point At
last they reached a reef at Point Grueso.
Condell took his vessel over where it was
SO shallow that she dragged on the rocks,
the Independence following in excited
chase.
The Peruvian helmsmen saw the danger
and tried to put their ship to port, when
the ready Gillian riflemen shot the man
whose hand was at the wheel and the vessel
drove ahead upon a rock. Then Condell
turned, and hauling up out of range
poured in a fire that set the Independence
aleak and in flames and her flag was quick
" hauled down. Before he could secure
his prize, however, the Huascar hove in
sight, and knowing that his vessel had
been damaged in her speed, he didn't risk
another fight but escaped to the feet in
northern waters. The Independencia was a
total loss. Capt. Pratt is honored by a
granite pyramid and two statues in Chili's
chief cities, and May 81, the anniversary Of
bis death and of the wonderful battle Of
lquique, is national fete day for the hero.
GEORGE L. KILMER.