The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-05-14
OUR FIRST RBPUISl /!
The Blocaading Boats at Car
denas Attack the City and
are Repulsed.

On Wednesday the blockading squadron off
Cardenas, on the north coast of Cuba, about
seventy miles east of Havana, attacked the
forts and were forced to retire. The topeGo
boat was disabled, and number of persons
were killed and wounded. Commodore re
mey, at Key West, made the following report
to the Navy Department
KEY WEST, May u.
Secretary Of the Macy:
In action in Cardenas harbor yesterday be-
tween Spanish gunboats and shore batteries
and the blockading vessels the following
named men were killed on the torpedo boat
Winslow:
Worth Bagley, ensign, United States Navy.
John Varveres, oiler.
John Denfee, fireman, first class.
George B. Meek, fireman, first class.
Elijah B. Tunnel, cabin cook.
The wounded are
j. B. Bernadou, lieutenant, commanding
| Winslow.
William Patterson. seriously, but not fatal
| ly hurt.
Daniel W. McKeown. quartermaster, first
class, slightly hurt.
Dead and wounded arrived on United States
steamer Hudson this morning. Dead will be
| buried today. REMEY.
WERE LOOKING FOR SPANISH GUNBOATs.
KEY WEST. FLA. May 12.-The three YES
sells that took part in the attack on Carde-
nas-the gunboat Wilmington, the converted
revenue cutter Hudson and the valiant but
| luckleSs WinslOw-stood in for Cardenas yes
| terday morning, threading Diana pass.
| Astern of them came the gunboat Machias
but this vessel took no part in the affair at
| Cardenas, although for twenty minutes her
guns were at work on another part of the
coast defenses.
So far as were known. there were no bat
teries guarding the harbor, and the purpose
of reconnaissance was to learn if any Spanish
gumboats had taken refuge there, and to de
stroy them if any were found.
SHORE GUNS OPEN FIRE.
Torpedo boat and cutter proceeded in ODE
dence to signals, and had approached within
$500 yards Of Cardenas, when battery, APP
paremtly in the centre Of the cty's wafer
| front. opened fire. This was at five minutes
past o clock in the afternoon.
The Wilmington, feeling her way over the
shallow water. 1000 yards in the rear,
promptly returned the fire. The Winslow
and Hudson also opened with their guns. di-
recting them at the pufS of white smoke
seen on shore. These two boats were then
heading courses that conyerged and which
brought them near the shore. Ahead of
them were two deserted barks anchored.
The men of the Hudson did not know
then-but they know nOw-that these banks
were put there for the purpose of showing
the range. With her two six-pounders hot
at work, the Hudson drew beam on one of
these barks just as the Winslow, with her
one pounders going at their full capacity.
ranged abreast of the other.
wINSLow STRUCK IN MANY PLACES.
Up to that time the SpaniardS' shooting
had been wild and neither vessel had been
struck But the moment the two American
vessels entered that danger space the condi
tons were changed and shells came whizZing
all around them.
One shell struck the Winslow ON the star
board beam and exploding in the boiler room
disabled the Starboard boiler and engine.
The steering gear was carried AVA / moment
later and within five minutes the boat was hit
i'll twenty places.
HUDSON TO THE RESCUE
Unable to use the engines or to steer, Lieu
tenant Bernadou, commander of the WinSlOw,
himself bleeding from Il wound in the thigh,
made signal to the Hudson for assistance.
That vessel promptly responded and headed
for the crippled boat, with shells whizZing all
about her and splashing into the water ON
every hand The gun crews were still at their
places busiIy banging away at the shifting
smoke dots ashore.
HAVOC FROM \ SHELL.
As the two vessels came together Lieut.. }.
H. Scott, commanding the after siX-pounder
of the Hudson. ordered his men 10 cease firing
for moment and told one of them to stand
by with Il heaying line to throw to the Wins
low Several of the crew Of the Winslow were
clustered around the midship one-pounder.
Scott hailed them, ''Look out for the line"
As one of the Winslow's men turned to
catch the coil shell cut through the vessels
after smokestack and exploded in the group,
killing three men outright and mangling three
others, mutilating them so terribly that two Of
them died within half an hour
\ SPANISH BATTERY SEIZED.
While this action was taking place the
Machias was Smelling the battery and barracks
at Diana Cay twelve miles distant. The
building was demolished. An armed boats
crew under charge of Ensign Willard, pnlled
ashore and took possession of the ruins, hoist
ing the American flag on the pole of the block
house.