Evening journal., 1898-05-13

cp Tviraaepg The reports speak in high
ans OF the mnna cement Of tho vessels
lad the conduct of the men, Command
pr Todd referring particularly to the
e9ndllng Of the Winslow In the hot fire
~ highly meritorious."
Lieutenant Bernardou's report indi-
rates that the Winsow was riddled
~ the enemy's FIRE. but he believes
Rat she can be so repaired as again 10
ender her efficient.
Appended Is the text OF the dispatch
| received by the department from Com
mander Merry The dispatch is dated
Key West May 12. and was received at
he department Mt 9:40 last night:
"The arrival OF the Wilmington and
he Wnslow off Cardenas this morning
induced me to confer with Commander
rodd OF the Wilmington on the subject
,f attacking and cutting out three small
Eunboats in the harbor.
"The Machias. Wilmington Hudson
and Winslow proceeded In as far as the
distractions would allow. The Machias
look position 21OO yards northeast OF
! Diana Caya. The Wilmington, Hudson
and Winslow entered the inner harbor
between Romero and Blanco Cayas,
where there were no mines, and were
soon stearning into Cardenas bay At
$40 p. m. fire opened from these vessels
ind continued until 3 ,. m. when they
Itarted TO return 10 tho outer anchor
lga. / lncloso reports Of Todd and Ber-
lardOu."
Commander Todd reports:
1T was impossible for tho Wilmington
10 approach nearer than 1000 yards.
The Spanish gunboats could not be
seen from this distance and tho WINS
| l0W was directed to go nearer 70 sec
Il sho could determine whore they were
! lying She had gone only 700 yards In
yido the Wilmington when she was hred
1pon from gunboat. The Wilmington
and Winslow returned the FIRE After a
rapid exchange OF shots for Is or 20
| minutes In which n shore battery iH
supposed 20 have been engaged. II be-
came evident that tho Winslow could
not steer At this time the Hudson
camo up and opened fire, and the
Winslow asked to DO towed out, as she
was disabled. Tho torpedo boat Seem
ed TO be the only target at which the
enemy fired. Sho was struck several
| times. ono engine was disabled, tho
steering gear shot away, and one boiler
Was disabled. Her commanding officer
was wounded, but not seriously. Ensign
Bagley WAS fatally wounded and died
before he could be brought on board
the Wilmington. John Varvares. o4ler,
and John Deneefe first class fireman.
were killed on board the Wlnslow. Two
other men wcro fatally wounded. one
sf them, ]. V. Meek. first class fireman.
lied In "a boat whilo being transferred
| from his ship. The other. Josiah Tunell,
ships cook. first class, died after being
brought on board the Wilmington. He
was struck twice. No other casualties
occurred except on the Winslow. The
| landing OF the Winslow In the hot FIRE
ras highly meritorious. The command
lng officer OF the Winslow desires
through me to commend n the depart
ncnt the general conduct of his crew.
specially that OF Chief QunneSs Mate
f'rady."
Lieutenant Bernardou q the Winslow
reports:
II was directed by Commander Todd
20 approach a small steamer alongs dc
tho wharf at the eastern end Of the
town and examine her character. We
gsamed toward Moal az full speed. on
tbpro0ohins within 1 800 yurds a gun
A0at and battery on ahoco opened fire
Pho Winslow returned and maintained
ghe fFe until the end ~ the action. She
was r1ddled by shells of calibcr Of 2h
b. , inches. She was finally towed out
a. range by the revenue cutter Hudson.
Casualties IA reported this morning.
3eslre 20 express my thanks 10 Lieuten-
amt Newcomb. commanding officer Of
he United States revenue cutter Hud-
SON. When under heavy fire, he tow
ed this vessel out OF action My
jpniun is the Winslow can be repaired
so as to render her again efficient Full
report mailed
The Wilmington was the most for
midahle vessel in the American line of
attack, and yet ahe was nothing more
than a gunboat OF moderate size, being
Of 1899 tons and carrying n battery OF
sight 4 inch guns and some smaller
gums Tho Hudson was not long age
employed az a harbOr revenue cutter al
New York. As ono OF the officers put IL
she Is nothing more than big launch
"a rect long by q feet beam, drawing
feet 10 inches and with a speed OF Il
knots and tonnage OF ia. Her bat
terry IS insignificant. being made up OF
two 6 Founders and a machine gun. Tn,
Winslow Is one OF the newer torpedo
boats OF the navy built at the Colum
bian Iron works. her tonnage being Ia
and her speed 24is knots. She is IFS fee
long by II feet beam and feet inchel
depth. She is a torpedo boat pure an,
simple. for besides her torpedo tubes he
anly weapons OF defense are three
poundr guns.
This statement shows that three boat
. were ridicul0usly inadequate IN tn
J matter OF battery power. with only
, | few 4 inch guns, to contend with an.
| kind uf shore batteries much less tn
Z rather egfc0ttvo and modern works "a
Cardenos.
Lieutenant BernaTdou. the commando
1f the Winslow. who was wounded. /
one OF the very few men who have re
, ctived the thanks of the secretary O
the navy for gallant conduct and goo
! iudgment He started with the Wins
low from Newport last February to jl
the squadron at Key West. lie ha
' scarcely disappeared from sight whe
one of the most terrific gales eXperienc
od for years swept over the Atlanti
coast The torpedo boats are not goo
I sea boats and the Wnslow was jus
4 out of the builders hands and had no