The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1895-01-16

" lean tars, the Gre
III alton Of the white
squadron and the
competition among great naval powers
for superiority in equipment, together
with the unknown destructive power Of
modern inventions and appliances, COM
bine to sharpen the appetite for contests
that shall decide something and prove
who and what rules the wave. Is it the
nation with the swiftest ships, or the
toughest armor, or the most powerful
guns, or the one that can command the
best fighting men? A very modern au-
thority, trained to the deck, says that
it all depends finally upon the imam
behind the gun. "
This battle ON the Yalu has been call
cd by Europeans the greatest of the GEN.
tury Some of its incidents, it is wide
ly claimed, have not been paralleled in
modern times except in the Paraguay
river in the war between Brazil and Par
aguay. If so, there are more points than
one Of similarity between the Yellow
war and that in South America in the
sixties Brazil invaded Uruguay in 1864
to close the Paraguay and its outlet, the
Rio de la Plata, to the interior coun-
tries, and Paraguay declared war.
1t was like the challenge Of David to
Goliath. Brazil, vast in territory, was
also rich in material, men and ships.
Little Paraguay had nothing except
some money, few patriots and cause.
Ships, guns and ammunition, ordered
from Europe while the conflict was inn
pending, did not arrive until Brazil had
a feet in the river and Paraguay under
blockade. In hopes of raising the block
ade by destroying the Brazilian ships
anS possibly capturing them for his
own nsa President Lopez, ruler of
Paraguay, instituted two separate at
taoks, which, because Of their boldness
and the desperation Of the fighting, have
become notorious in naval annals. The
stories have not been told in this coun-
try and readers who have followed the
course of the war in Japan may COM
pare tho naval events of these wars with
those of the civil war.
The first great battle ON the Paraguay
took place ON the Riachuelo, an inlet
near the southern border of Paraguay,
In Juns, 1865. Early in April Brazil
ian feet of nine seagoing steamers had
assembled the Paraguay and anchored
below the mouth Of the Parana. Lopez
decided to capture the vessels by board
ing attacks and gathered force of 800
men, which embarked on river steam
ers, rugged out and manned as gunboats.
An English engineer on board the flag
ship advised Lopez to run his vessels
down at night close to the Brazilians
and at daylight send each of them, nine
in number, to lie alongside an enemy's
were the bravest men known to modern
war and would fight to the death every
time, but Lopez ordered his fleet COM
mandant to run past the Brazilians,
then turn and attack. After numerous
delays the nine ships steamed past the
Brazilian anchorage ground, effecting
complete surprise. The Brazilians had
no steam up and could easily have been
run down and overpowered. The gun
ners of the anchored ships. however,
opened fire upon the dauntless enemy
sailing past, exploding a shot in the
boilers of the Igurey which killed 30
men, and also one in the Jejui, which
left her helpless. In passing the Para
guayans returned the fire as best they
could with their small cannon. The
feet of Lopez carried 81 guns, while the
Brazilians mounted so.
The experienced fighting men who
Witnessed their maneuvers concluded
that Lopez would lose his own ships In
place of capturing new feet. One such
spectator was General Bruges, Para
gpayan commanding some land batter
les opposite the Brazilian feet Al
though astounded at the sight Of the
fleets recklessly plunging into Brazilian
waters. he did not lose his head, but
rightly inferred that the enemy would
pursue, and in pursuing run tho gantlet
past his guns. The Brazilian admiral
mistook the plan Of the Paraguayans en-
tirely and believed that they had run
the lower fleet and friendly forts. so he
made all haste to run through the feet
which had got between him and his
base. In the haste and excitement Of
the passage two OF the ships took side
channel under the range OF General
Bruges' batteries. which speedily rid,
died and sank the Jequitinhonha, Of
eight guns The other, the Paranahyba.
In trying 10 escape the fire Of the bat
teries. struck a bar. and having lost
her wheel by shot was caught by cur.
rent and whirled around, 80 that she
drifted wildly and collided with the
"CHIOKAMAUGA"