The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-29
THE TOPEKA'S VICTORY.
Battle of Nips Described by One of
the Marines


Marlboro. Mass, July 29-George T.
Lynde, a marine on board the United
States ship Topeka has written to his
father, Michael Lynde. The letter de-
scribes most wildly and in detail the
battle of Nipe, in which the Topeka
played the leading role. He writes as
follows:
United States Ship Topeka, Off the
Coast of Cuba, July p, 1S98.-Dear
Father: We have met the enemy, and
they are ours, after one of the easiest
and sharpest fights on record. The tug
Leyden, the yacht Wasp, the gunbOat
Annapolis and the cruiser Topeka fore
ed an entrance to the harbOr of Nipe,
and destroyed the cruiser George Juan.
We cleared the ship for action at d.
m, while we were waiting for the
abOve-named ships to come up to us.
After our captain returned to the ship
from the Annapolis we had dinner, and
then started to enter the bay of Nipe,
the Leyden and Wasp leading the way,
so as to find the channel for US, as we
draw II feet of water. The two smaller
vessels were abreast of the fort when
the Spaniards began to rain down shot
on them, and a few mines blew up just
after they had passed over them. We
were about one mile away at the time
the fort opened fire, but we got the
range on it after a shot or two, and the
boys returned the fire like demons, and,
by the time we were abreast of the
forts, either there were no Spaniards to
work the guns or there were no guns
left to work.
LAS soon as we got inside the harbor
we saw the Spanish ship firing on the
ships that went in ahead of US. She
was nearly two miles away from us
After shooting a couple of times we
found the range, shot after shot went
through her, and by the time we were
within one-half mile of her she was
more than half submerged and sinking
rapidly. We stayed lowering around
her until she sank, sending a shot now
and then around different parts of the
shore and to the fort up in the town
until every Spanish flag was down. Be
fore she barely sank to the bottom we
gave three cheers and the whistles be-
gan to blow on all the vessels.
There was never happier lot of
boys went into battle than they who
fought at Nipe. They watched every
shot, and there could be no greater in
centive to bravery than the accuracy of
every shot we fired. But the poor Span
iards, they took to the boats after get
ting few of our shots. The nearest
We came to getting hit was when going
past the fort, and a mine was blown up
about so feet in front of US.
After the Juan had been sunk, our
ships lowered their boats and pulled
over to where she went down. We
could not find any SpaniardS dead or
living, so We brought back relics One
of the men from the Leyden secured
the pennant the Juan was hying,a piece
of which you will find enclosed in my
letter; also a piece OF lead taken from
the vessel, which L nave made into a
cross.
1.-THE time we entered the harbor was
exactly 1915 p. m; at 1888 the Wasp
signalled that the enemy's vessel was
in sight; at 1880 the Annapolis passed
this vessel bearing the signal, FOLLOW
me in;'' at :05 the Wasp began action;
at ITO we opened fire on the shore bat
teries' signal station, Spanish ships and
forts in the town of Nipe; at 1872 the
Wasp and Leyden signalled that the
enemy had surrendered; at 1877 we
ceased firing, lowered our boats, and at
Pill boarded the George Juan, after
she had sunk. We exploded from the
Topeka SO three-pounders and 90 four
inch cannon Shots"