The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-05-17


north coast Of Cuba. Five men
were blown to pieces and five men
were wounded on the torpedo boat
Winslow. The dead are Worth Bagley.
ensign; John Varveres, oiler; John
Daniels and John Meek, first-class
tiremen; Josiah Tunnel (colored) cabin
cook
The wounded are r. E. Cox, gun
ner's mate; D. McKewon, quarter
master; j. Patterson, fireman, 4. Gray
and Lieut.. j. B. Bernardou.
The battle lasted thirty-five minutes.
1t was between the torpedo boat Wins
low, the auxiliary tug Hudson and the
gunboat Wilmington on one side and
the CardenaS batteries and four Span
ish gunboats on the other. The Wins
low was the main target of the enemy
and was put out of service. The other
american vessels were not damaged
except that the HudsOn's two ventila-
tors We're slightly scratched by flying
shrapnel. The enemy's loss is largely
cOnjectural. One Of their gunboatS
caught fire. The flames spread to the
barracks and swept away several
small warehouses, and for time the
whole water front seemed to be ablaZe.
The Hudsons crew also believe that
two Spanish torpedo boat destroyers
were disabled, but they admit that
their estimate of the damage is large
ly guess work as the action was too
sharp for outside observations to be
made The WinslOW was within $500
yards of shore when the shells struck.
How she came to be so close was told
by her commander, Lieut.. John Ber-
nadOu. He said: I'VE were making
observations when
The Enemy Opened Fire
on u.s. The Wilmington ordered us to
go i'll and attack the gunbOats. We
went in under full steam and there is
the result" He was ON the Hudson
when he said this, and With the final
words he pointed to huddle Of Amer
lean flags on the deck nearby. Under
the stars and stripes were outlined
five rigid forms. The story of the
fight as told by the Hudson's men is
as follows:
"The Winslow, the Hudson the Ha
ehias and the Wilmington were among
the ships of CardenaS on the blockade,
the Wilmington acting as flagship.
The Machias lay about twelve miles
out, the Wilmington 800 yards and
the Hudson and WinsloW being sta
toned close i'll, on what is called the
inside line At $40 ia the morning
the Hudosn, under Capt. Newton, was
taking soundings in Diana Caypars
and Romero Cay, just outside Carde
mas, so close to shore that she ground
ed but fioated off easily into the shall
low water. At 1880 the Wilmington
spoke to the Hudson ana the WinSloW
and assigned them to duty, the Wins
low to start to the eastern shores Of
Cardenas bay and the Hudson to the
western shore, while the Wilmington
took her station in the middle channel.
This work occupied two hours. Moth
ing was discovered on either shore
and the boats We're approaching each
other on their return when a puff OF
smoke was observed on shore at Car
Henas and a shell whistled over them.
The Winslow was on the inside, near
est shore The Hudson and the Wins
low reported to the Wilmington and
Orders Came Promptly
10 go in and open fire, but the Span
iards had not waited for a reply to
their first shot. The Cardenas harbor
Ehore had already become one dense
cloud Of smoke Shot with flashes Of
fire and an avalanche of shells was
bursting toward the little Winslow.
This was five minutes past o'clock,
Ind for twenty minutes the fire con-
tinued from the shore without cessa-
ton, but none of the shot had at that
time found their mark, though they
were striking dangerously near.
Meanwhile the Hudson's two six
Founders were banging away at a ter
rife rate How many Of the torpedo
boats shots took effect is not known.
Th9 first two of the Hudson's shots
tell short. but after these two every
one fioated straight into the smoke
clouded shore. The Spaniard's aim in
the meantime was improved and it
was presently seen that two empty
parks had been anchored off shore as
ranges. 1t was twenty-five minutes
before three o'clock when a four-inch
She'll struck the Winslow on the star
board beam, knocking out her forward
boiler and starboard engine and Grip
ping her steering gear. but no one
was injured. Lieut.. Bernardou was
standing forward watching the battle
with calm interest and directing his
men as if they were at target practice.
By the one-p0under amidShips stood
Ensign Bagley the Oiier the two fire.