Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-06-05

MAS a duel With al Tho t,t!d9 against Esie
American ship, but L,.wrence boldly Or
bfered his antagonist d fair yardarln ana
$yare:arln battle. Flight Ler till slio
strikes OF. sinks!'' was his command as bio
vent below nortally wounded. His ap-
peal, Dent give up the ship!' Was lnade
when she WAS already lost for tho action
lasted only 1b minutes. Out Of Il crow Of
about zoo Americans, who stood to tho
guns, 146 were killed or wounded.
Steam power naturally developed tho
idea Of using war vessels as battering
rams as we'll rs 1onting batteries. Then
came the metal shield for close fighting.
The Merrilnac and Monitor fight stands
easily ut tho head OF duels betwco1 from
cu.!s. 1t lasted three hours and half,
ending III draw.
Ii the Kearsarge and Alabama duel
there was no closing, both ships depending
upon gunncry. 1t was a duel Mt long
range. The ships moved In circle several
kurdrod yards apart. Shells were used
chiefly, the object being to explode them
inside tho oneny's ship. On board tho
Alabama tho havoc caused by tho shells
was awful and destroyed both ship and
crew. IL
Twice during tho Chilean war with
Peru single ship duels took place, once
between first class ironclads. The famous
ptixuyian ironclad Huascar won her lau-
rels iii duel with the wooden ship Es-
,nernlda which lasted two hours. The
Huascar disabled tho Esmeralda with a
800 pound shell which wrecked her en-
gines and machinery and then attempted
to ram tho helpless ship. She struck
fcebly, and the Chilean ridemen used their
chance to drive the crew of the ironclad be-
low. Headed by the Nelson of their ambi-
tious navy, Captain Pratt, the Chilcans
boarded. Prat was killed on the dock of
Huascar. The vessels separated and sec
onl time the Huascar struck, with suffl-
Gent force to send the Esmeraldn to the
bottom. She sank with her flag in place
and all her guns blazing at the enomy.
Another day the Huascar encountered
the Blanco EncRlda and COchranc, sister
ships Of treble the tonnage and several
times the power of the Peruvian. They
were also better armed and more heavily
armored. After some long range work,
in which the, Huasoar was outdone, hel
commandericlosed with the Cochrane and
tried to ram tho monster. The ships were
within 80 to 800 yards at times, but the
Chilean kept clear. Of her pluoky antago-
mist and finally exploded two shots IN her
turret, which destroyed the brave Captain
Grau, several officers and the guns crows.
These two vessels fought alone for an
hour, during which time the Cochrano
planted several shells in the vital parts OF
the Peruvian ship. The third commander
was oil, the deck Of the Huasoar, which
had lost heavily in her crew both from
shells and small arms. Her machinery and
speaking tubes had been destroyed, but
when the Blanco Encalda steamed up to
old her big consort the Peruvian fought
both monsters right and left. The fight
was ended by terrible bombardment.
Finding his case hopeless, the only surviv-
ing officer Of the Huascar ordered the valves
opened to sink his gallant ship. Before 1t
was accomplished Chilean boarders stop
ped the work with drawn revolvers and Sc
cured she prize, which Is an ornament to
| their navy today.
Five years ago the Blanco Encalda
went down in true torpedo attack, SIN.
gle ship against two. The cruiser Comiell
! struck the Blanco with one torpedo at 110
yards and another at G5. She was struck
amidships by one from the Lynch. and
| two minutes later foundered and carried
Z, down 200 people.
! GEORGE L. KILMER.