Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1898-05-18
THE CARDENAS FIGHT
A Hot Shower of Shot and Shell
 Rained on the Little Torpedo Boat.

Rained on the Little Torpedo Boat.
 Key West, May 12-The gun boat Wilmington, the torpedo boat Win
 slow and the gun boat Hudson were
 the only vessels engaged. They
 entered the harbor for the purpose
 of attacking some Spanish gun
 boats known to be there. These
 latter, however, were not seen by
 the American force until the Span
 iards opened fire. The land bat
 teries of the Cardenas supported
 the fire of the Spanish gunboats.
 The engagement commenced at POS
 p. m., and lasted for about an hour.
 The wounded are: B. E. Cox, gun
 ner's mate; D. MeKeon, quartermas-
 ter; J. Patterson, fireman; F. Gray
 and Lieut.. J. B. Bernadou. All are
 slightly wounded except Patterson
 whose condition is serious. Ensign
 Bagley was appointed from North
 Carolina on Sept. ', 1895, The bat
 tie while 1t lasted was terrific. The
 Wilmington and Hudson fired on
 the Spanish boats that were lying
 at the dock. The firing began at a
 range of $500 yards. A few min
 utes later the Winslow came up and
 also opened fire. In an instant the
 entire attention of the Spanish gun
 boats and land batteries were di-
 rected at her. From all sides shot
 and shell poured in on the lite tor
 pedo boat. The Wilmington and
 Hudson kept up their fire but they could not turn aside the terrible
 fire and death pouring in upon the
 torpedo boat. The crew of the
 WiDslow, however, never faltered
 for a second. At 2:3C a solid shot crashed into the hull of the Win slow and knocked out her boiler.
 In an instant she began to roll and
 rock helplessly. There was a mo- ment of awful suspense. After a cheer of triumph went up from the Spanisrds on the gun boats and in the batteries, again the storm of fire was opened up on the helpless boat. The gun boat Hudson which was lying near by started to the as- sistance of the Winslow; she ran alongside the torpedo boat and tried to throw a line to the imperil- ed crew. Up to this time, with the exception of one shot which dis abled the boiler of the Winslow the firing of the Spanish gunboats had been wild, but as the Winslow lay rolling in the waters the range grew closer and shells began to explode all sboRt her. It was difficult for the Hudson to get near enough to throw line to the Winslow crew so terrible was the fire all about her. Finally about twenty minutes after the Hudson approached near enough to throw a line. Ensign Bagley and six men were standing in a group on the deck of the Win slow: "Heave her, heave her." shouted Bagley as he looked at the commander of the Hudson and called for line. Don't miss it." shouted an officer from the Hudson, ! and with a smile Bagley called back, ct her come it is getting too hot here for comfort" The 1 line was thrown and about the same l instant a shell burst in the very midst of the group of men on board l the Winslow, Ragley was instantly | killed and a few others dropped l about him. Half dozen more fell | grooming on the blood-stained deck. l One of the dead men pitched head | long oyer the side of the boat but | bis feet caught in sn iron rail and . he was hauled back.
 Bsgley's body was stretched on the deck with his face completely torn away and the upper part eff his body shattered. It was a terrible The torpedo boat, disabled and helpless, swaYed and rolled uu- der the fury of the fire from the Spanish gun boats. When the shell burst in the group on board the Winslow another wild shout of triumph went up from the Spanish boats and batteries and again a heavy fire was opened on the tor Pedo boat. Finally the Hudson succeeded in getting line on board the Wnslow and was towing her from the deadly range when the line parted again and both boats were at the mercy of the Spanish fire. At S;O5 p. m. the Hudson man aged to get another line on the deck of the Winslow, but there were only | three men left at that time to make it fast. The line was finally secured . and the Winslow was lowed up to ! Pedras Island, where she was an ehored with her dead and wounded . on her deck.