The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-11
First Naval Battle to Occur In
Cuban Waters.
WINSLOW AT CARDENAs
TORPEDO BOAT STIRRED UP A
HORNETS NEST.
Three Spanish Gunboats Pounced
Upon the Little American Vessel,
Which Put Up a Plucky Fight and
a Hasty Flight-Machias Drove
the Spaniards Back.

On Board the Associated Press Dis
patch Boat Kate Spencer, off Carde-
mas, May (via Key West, May 1o).-
Copyright. 1898, by the Associated
Press The little torpedo boat Win
slow yesterday morning precipitated
the first naval engagement fought in
Cuban waters. On reconnaissance in
Cardenas harbor, she drew the fire OF
three Spanish coast guard vessels, and
a lively vest pocket sea fight followed
with the tiny gunboats.
AS the Winslow was decidedly in the
minority, she ran for the open sea,
where her big station mate, the sun
boat Machias, which had been called
up by the firing, took a hand in the
game With her 4-inch rifles, and tossed
several shells over The low sand pit be-
hind which the. Spanish boats )were
sheltered. 1t was impossible TO see
whether any of these landed
The Winslow was not touched, but
she claims to have knocked a few splin-
tors out of the larger coast guard boat.
The most important result of the
Nirslow's reconnaissance was the dis
covery that the harbor is mined. If
there were any batteries on shore, the
ST aniards did not think it worth while
to disclose their presence. That there
are mines in the channel is important,
in view of the report that it is Cardenas
and not Matanzas where the landing of
the United States forces will be made.
The fight with the coast guard oc-
CURED yesterday morning. Cardenas is
one of the largest bays along the coast,
the little town of the same name lying
at the southern end. From the western
shore Icicas point reaches out like
long index finger, almost touching
Piedras Key lighthouse, which, in
Peaceful days, beaconed the harbor en-
trance
The lighthouse has been in darkness
and deserted for many nights. Feeling
safe in the desolation of the lighthouse
and the silence ashore, the little Win
slow crept quietly in, under the early
morning haze. for a closer inspection
Of the harbor There evidently had
been lookout among the dunes along
the sand spit, for the Winslow was
allowed to feel her way into the harbor,
taking notes of chained buoys and false
n arks designed to lead a hostile fleet
on to the torpedo fields.
But suddenly there was a puff of
smoke from among the clumos along
one of the inlets, and a six-pound she'll
screeched from the bushes; crack came
another from the shelter of tiny key
in the bay, and third from further
GOWN the coast. Then three coast
guard boats darted from their cover,
under a full head of steam, like a big
pike after a minnow.
The WILSON'S crew jumped to the
two-nounders fore and aft. and let the
Spaniards have it. port and starboard
as they chased in. The little gunboats
came along, shooting, but after the
usual Spanish shion, hit nothing but
the adjacent scenery. Then the Win
slow scudded along for the open sea,
using her after gun as stern chase.
and deiiantly shooting as she went
along.
The Spanish boats fired about 60
shots, and the biggest boat, mounting
a l2-peundel,, kept up the bombardment
as long as the Winslow was in range.
The Spaniards, who probably had
heard the news from Manila. were evil
IDENTIFY as mad as a nest of hornets, and
kept up the chase until all four of the
little crafts were rocking in the swell
past Piedras keys. Just then there was
a crash and a roar to seward, and
the Machias, bearing in under cano-
Ply OF smoke, sent q, shell smashing into
the pursuing fleet. The little patrol
boats spun ABOUT like water spiders and
ran to shelter beyond the sand splits
Fhe Machias sent a few shells skipping
in, but with what effect could not be
seen. At any rate, there are three pros
pective additions to our mosquito fleet
bottled up in Cardenas harbor, await
ing shipment.