Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-11

In the JOY over the NEWS VI TIC w
struction Of Ceryera's fleet. off the har-
Dor OF Santiago, a brave naval battle,
fought in the harbor OF Manzanilio,
against great odds, reported the same
time, has been generally overlooked.
This naval fight, which is, in fact, the
second of the war. was bitterly con-
tested. and had it not been overshad-
owed by Schley's victory, would have
certainly been heralded widely and pro-
yoked generous enthusiasm. The
Americans engaged were the convert
ed yachts Hist and Hornet and the
converted tug Wampatuck.
These three small boats, much under
800 tons each, entered the harbor OF
Manzanillo for the purpose of destroy
ing four Spanish gunboats, said to
be there. after they had entered they
found, not four, but nine vessels, IN
Guiding torpedo boat and cruiser
waiting to give them battle. They also
discovered that they We're flanked by
armed pontoons and land batteries, As
we'll as a heavy battery of field artli-
lery and a goodly array of soldiers on
the shore, waiting to give them warm
reception. Under the circumstances the
commanders of the three little Ameri-
can boats might readily have retired
without having their courage impugn-
ed. but such a course never seemed to
have entered their minds, for they i'm
mediately began fighting, and for two
hours engaged all their adversaries,
and received their fire without finch
ing. During the fight the American
boats sunk one of the gunboats and one
pontoon, disabled the torpedo boat and
vessels. They might have continued the
fight to a conclusion, had not a shot
from one of the Spanish boats az
length disabled the Hornet by striking
the main steam pipe. This incident
forced the three boats to retire, but,
according to the despatch. they fought
all the way out of the harbor. The Hist
did not appear satisfied with this per-
Torrance, for a few hours after she en-
tered another bay, where she found,
attacked and sunk another gunboat.
and subsequently chased and disabled
Spanish troop ship before returning
to her station at Santiago.
All this was done in the face of the
fact that the Hist, as We'll as the Hor-
net. was hit several times, and without
a single American being wounded. The
commanding officers of all three OF
these boats have made enviable rec
ords for themselves since the war be-
gan, but one of them. Lieutenant Lu-
Glen Young, of the Hist, although his
career as a naval officer began since
the Civil War, succeeded in making for
himself such brilliant record in times
of peace as to cause congressional &C
ton, and his advancement thirty num-
bers, and also to lead the Legislature
| Of Kentucky to pass ringing resolutions
in his honor, and to present him with a
gold huted sword. This splendid record
Of Lieutenant Young was made
through jumping overheard in chop
Ply sea to the successful rescue Of a
sailor, and in swimming a long dis
lance to shore from the wrecked ship
Huron, and SO making the saving of
the crew possible.
When one reads the life of Lieuten-
| ant Young there is no longer wonder
that his little boat, the Hist, has been
heard of several times as being in the
thick of the fight since the present wa
began, and when one reflects that our
navy is fun of such men it IS obvious
why Spain makes so poor a show
against IT, The naval battle in Man
zanilio harbor deserves more notice
than it has received, for none who
reads the account of the gallant fight
against great odds can help feeling an
added pride that he is fellow coun-
tryman with those who were on the
Hist, Hornet and Wampatuck.
The conjecture that Camara 5
squadron will neither ro IN thp Phil