The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-12
4 BLOODY BATTLE.
tn, r.m.".s SEA r,s.. During IN. ehi,...

tn. Famous Sea- Fight During the ch,iia"
peruvian Wsr-rI,r D,cks OF h o.
.sIs . yvsr.tsLie shamblss-Four Cent.
,nnsndrr Ieiii.d.
In a vivid article on the Chile Peruvian
war OF 1879. which was the result OF q
quarrel over the nitrate beds near Anto-
tagasta, bolivia, Claude II. wetmore, In
the Century Magazine for April. gives a
graphic account Of, one OF the most fam.
Gus sen fights OF modern times. Admiral
Grau, an able officer, who was a graiu-
ate OF the French Naval Academy, and
Captain Moore. q hnif-breed, was In
command OF the Peruvian turret-sh!p
lIuascar and the Union.
on the night OF October 7. 1s79, when
only four days from home, they cncoun-
tered the Chillan Almirantes Cochrane.
from which they attempted TO ny. hav-
Ing been ordered by President Prndo not
10 risk a conflict with one OF fhe ene-
my's battle ships. When this proved
useless, Grau knew that It meant sur
render or fight, and he prepared for bat
lie. What followed Is best told by Mr..
Wetm0re, who writes: ~
AT 0 o'clock the Cochrane was within
1900 yards, and Grnu, having given q
last glance around, and having slgnalled
the Union to keep out OF the enemy's
way, entered the coming tower that was
10 prove his tomb. Not q shot had yet
been fired. These modern ships. carry
ing guns that could throw a shell from
four 10 five miles, reserved their fire for
closer quarters. Five minutes later
Grau gave q command to the officer In
the turret and a shot from one OF the
Huascar's 10-lnch guns whistled over
the water. The commander OF the Coch-
rane evidently wished for still closer
range and did not reply until three shots
had left the turret of the little ship.
Finally the answer came In the shape OF
a broadside and a SHIELD cnted the Huas-
cars protective belt Just above the
water line. A moment later the Calling
guns in the tops Of both ships were
brought into action and a leaden hail
began to patter, while great p~rojectiles
we're hurled from the large deck cannon.
The rapid firing pieces of the Chilians
were trained upon che Huascar's turret
apertures, while the one in the military
top OF the latter vessel was aimed at the
gun ports OF the enemy. Many q man
dropped dead or wounded hit by one Of
these small shot. For fifteen minutes
not much was accomplished by the great
gun fire: the heavy ehot either fell short
OF the mark or were buried in the ar
NOR. BY this time, when the ships were
within 1900 yards Of each other. q shell
,rnr, tho Tnrbr n a optaraI 4hn Ht,og
cars turret, exploded and killed twelve
men. But the places of the dead were
quickly taken by men from below, the
chamber was cleared OF the corpses, the
guns were loaded again and the action
was renewed. Then the Huascar Sc
cured an advantage. One Of her 10-lnch
shells forced its way through a case
mate. exploded on the deck, dismantled
a gun and killed several men. For q
few minutes the enemy was in such con-
fusion that not a cannon was fired, and
It became almost a panic on the Corh-
rane when the Huascar edged In closer,
her SAILORS cheering as they again dis
charged the twin pieces.
Eat this stage OF the combat victory
perched for q moment on the red, white
and red, but even as 1t did so the COM
mander Of the Cochrane saw relief
which Grau had not prece4ved. In fact
q shot that plowed into The Huascar's
side was the first warning the Peruvian
Admiral had Of assistance coming to the
Ch!llans, and looking to starboard
through a peep-hole in the coming
tower he saw the Blanco Encalada
bearing down, while veering seaward,
only a.few cable lengths astern OF the
rapidly approaching iron-clad. were the
Hatlas Cousino and the Covadonga, evil
IDENTIFY starting of TO give chase to the
Union. by this time well in the ofing,
and fitted. because.of her superior speed,
TO take care of herself. Grau, therefore,
turned his attention 10 his own ship,
which, indeed. was in sore straits.
Seeing aid at hand the men on the
Cochrane had redoubled their efforts,
and when the Blanco had ranged along
to port the horror Of it began and the
engagement resolved itslf into a marine
carnage, for the Huasoae lay between
two fires-the Cochrane to starboard.
the Blanco to port and both so near that
the gunners in the turret OF the little
ship could see the faces OF their adver-
sar!es as the latter sighted the pieces on
the Gillian boat. - . "
From the first Of the battle the en-
couraging voice of Grau had come to
the men in the turret through the speak,
Ing tube from the coming tower, but
when the Blanco crowded into the thick
OF It. and great shot struck the Huas-
cars sides as regularly as blows OF a
battertng ram, the orders Of the COM
nander were no longer heard. The Off
Ger In charge Of the turret called to HE
superior. There was no answer, and
then Commander Elias Aguerre ran up
the narrow little ladder that led to the
tower he stumbled over the dead body
OF his admiral. A shell had struck the
coming tower and had taken Grau's
head of as neatly as II decapitation had
been by the guillotine. This shell also
Killed Lieutenant Ferre, the admirars
aid. There was ony time to push the
oorpses aside, and the new commanding
officer pulled back the tube flap to give
MS directions, but, as he did SO, the
Huascar staggered, keeled over, then
Shook In every plate. while q conclusion
more terrific than any so far told that a
shell had entered the turret and had
burst there. When the fumes had clear
Cd away SO that n person could speak a
midshipman called out that one OF the
great guns had been dismounted and
twenty men killed. The survivors tum-
bled the bodies through the hatch that
opened into the deck below. thus releas-
Ing the clogsed machinery, and as the
corpses ratified down other men rushed
up.
Once more all was silent in the con-
ning tower. Lieutenant Palacios has
tened there. but before he could enter he
was compelled to push three bodies out
or the way. He had barely given his
hrst command when q bullet from the
~ell.aimed rifle Of a marine in an en-
emy's top lodged between his eyes.
Ihen the fourth to command the Huas-
car that day, Lieutenant Pedro Care
ION. tAnk tho nlacn ana ac ha did 90 ha