The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-05-16

between Chilean and Peruvian iron
clads off the coast of Bolivia in 1879.
Mr.. Wetmore says:
From the first battle the encourag-
ing 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
Huascar's sides as regularly as the
blows from battering ram. the or
ders of the commander were no long
er heard.
A shell had struck the coming tow
er. and had taken off Grau's head as
if the decapitation had been by the
guillotine This shell also killed Lieu
tenant Ferre, the admirals aide. And
there was only time to push the two
corpses aside, and the new command
ing officer pulled back the tube-tiap
to give his directions: but as he did
so, the Huascar staggered. keeled ov-
err, then shook in every plate. while
conclusion more terrific than any so
far told that shell had entered the
turret and had burst there. When
the fumes had cleared away. so that
person could speak. a midshipman
called out that one of the great guns
had been dismounted and twenty men
killed. The survivors tumbled the
bodies through the hatch that opened
into the deck below, thus releasing the
clogged machinery, and as the corpses
raddled down, other men rushed up,
! throwing off their clothing as they
| jumped into the pools of blood to
| seize hold of the gear and swing the
remaining gun into position that it
might be trained upon one of the
ships. 1t was discharged, hauled in,
| loaded and discharged again.
Once more all was silent in the con-
ming tower. Lieutenant Palacios has
| tened there, but before he could emit
er he was compelled to push three
bodies out of the way. He had bare
" given his first command when
bullet from the well aimed rifle of
marine in an enemy's top lodged be-
tween his eyes. Then the fourth to
command the Huascar that day. Lieu
tenant GareZon, took the place, and
as he did so he called through an APP
erture, telling the quartermaster to
put the helm to port for he had de-
termined to ram one of the anversa-
res and sink with her if necessary.
Over and over spun the wheel, but the
Huascar's head still pointed between
the Chileans.
"a shot has carried away the star
board steering gear, sir" reported the
ensign: and he dropped dead as the
words left his mouth.
The Huascar now lay drifting in n
hell of shot and flame, but all the
while the red, white and red futter-
ed from the peak One by one, in
in, ha n
turret dropped at their posts: and
at last the remaining great gun was
silent, its tackle literally choked with
dead. The turret could not be turn
ed for the same reason. Corpses hung
over the military top; corpses clogged
the coming tower
With coats and waistcoats off, the
surgeons had been laboring in the
ward room upon the wounded, who,
shrieking in their agony, had been all
tumbled down the companionway like
so much butchered beef, for there
was no time to use stretchers, or car
nv a stricken comrade to a doctors
care. Steam and smoke filtered in
through the doorways, and the apart
ment became stiffling. While they
were saving, amputating and bandg-
ing, shell tore into the ward room,
burst and fragments wounded the
assistant surgeons, the chief of the
medical staff having been killed ear
ler in the conflict Those unforru-
mates who We're stretched upon the
tables awaiting their turn under the
knife, and those who lay upon the
floor, suffered no more pain they
were killed as they lay grooming.
This shell tore away ward room and
stern cabin. and hardly a trace was
left of the bulkhead. After that
what little surgery was done was per-
formed in the coal bunkers.
Suddenly there was crash follow
ed by the rending of the deck, and
the little ironclad swayed as if she
had struck reef. Some one passed
the word that the mainmast had been
shot away. AS it came down it also
brought living men to be dashed to
death, also corpses that had been han
ging over the sides of the military
top.