The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-05-01
A BLOODY BATTLE.
The Famous Sea Fight barring the
ChiIc-Pcruyfan War.

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Chifc-PcruyiaR War.
In a vivid article on the Chile-Peru-
Wan war of 1879, which was the result OF
a quarrel over the nitrate beds near An
tofagasta, Bolivia, Claude H Wetmore,
in the Century Magazine for April, gives
a graphic account OF one of the most ia
NOUS sea fights OF modern times Tn
May. 1879, Admiral Gran. an able officer,
who was a graduate Of the French Naval
Academy, and Capt. Moore, a half-breed,
in command of the Peruvian turret-ship
Huascar and ironclad Independence, re-
spectively, sighted the Chilean ships
Covadonga and Esmeralda at Iquique
off the coast of Bolivia. In an engage
ment which followed the Huascar. after
Smelling the wooden ship Esmeralda for
two and half hours used her ram,
ana succeeded, after three attempts, In
sinking her rival. The Independence,
Peru's most powerful ironclad, on the
other hand, was coaXed by the Covadon-
ga into shallow water. where she struck
a reef and sank within half an hour Thus
the battle of Iquique was turned from
Peruvian victory into a defeat. the Coya-
donga having made good her escape
Within three months land battle was
fought near Tacua. and then for few
months there was a cessation of hosti
ties while preparations for more act
i've struggle were made by both sides.
Becoming tired Of inactivity, AdmiraI
Grau urged President Prado to allow
him to take to the open again. and fl
nally gained consent to put TO sea, TAX
ing out the Huascar and the Union. For
three months they proved the terror of
the Chilean coast. Grau would steam
| into barber Of a morning with the HUI
ascar leaving the Union to watch in
| the ofiing destroy all of the enemy $ land
! works that could be reached with his
| guns between dawn and sunset, ana
! leave shore before nghtfall The de-
| struction OF unresisting objects soon ceas-
| ed being exciting, however, and as the
| coal supply was low, and there We're no
! fresh provisions on board, Grau decided
| TO return TO Callao
On the night Of October l. 1873 when
| only four days from home, they encoun-
tered the Chilean Amirante CGchrane,
| from which they attempted to fly, hav-
| ing been ordered by President Prado not
TO risk a conflict with one of the enc
my's batsleships. When this proved
| useless. Grau knew that it meant sur
render or fight, and he prepared for bat
| tie. What followed is best told by Mr..
| Wetmore, who writes
''At 8 o'clock the Cochrane was within
5000 yards. and Grau, having given a
| last glance round and having signaled
! the Union 10 keep out Of the enemy's
| way, entered the coming tower that was
| to prove his tomb. Not a shot had as
yet been fired. These modern ships car
| rying guns that could throw a shell from
| four to five miles. reserved their fire
for closer quarters. Five minutes later
| Grau gave a command TO the officers in
| the turret. and shot from one of the
| Huascar's l0-inch guns whisted over the
water. The commander Of the Cochrane
| evidently wished for still closer range
and did not reply until three shots had
left the turret of the little ship. Finally
the answer came in the shape Of broad
side and a shell dented the HuaScar's
protective belt just above the water line.
A moment later. the Calling guns In the
tops Of both ships were brought into
action. and leaden hail began to pat
| ter, while great prOjectiles were hurled
from the large deck cannon. The rapid
firing pieces Of the Chileans were trained
upon the Huascar's turret apertures.
while the one in the military top of the
| latter vessel was aimed at the gun
ports Of the enemy. Many man drop.
ped, dead or wounded hit by one Of
these small shot For fifteen minutes
| not much was accomplished by the great
|
Of the mark or We're buried in the ar
NOR. BY this time when the ships were
within fifteen yards of eacn other, shell
from The Cochrane entered the Huas-
cars turret. exploded. and killed twelve
men. But the places Of the dead were
quickly taken oy men from below, the
chamber was cleared of the corpSes, the
guns were loaded again and the action
was renewed. Then the Huascar secur-
"a an advantage. one of her 10-inch
? shells forced It's way through a case
ment on the starb0ard side of the Coch
rane exploded on the deck dismantleC
a gun and killed several men. For {
few minutes the enemy was in such con
fusion that not a cannon was fired; ant
II became almost a panic on the Coch
rane when the Husacar edged in closer
her sailors cheering as they again dis
: charged the twin pieces.
! "At this stage of the combat victor,
perched for moment on the rcd, whit
and red: but even rs ii did so tn
commander Of the Cochrane saw relic
which Grau had not perceived. In fact
; a shot that piowed into the Hauscar'
. side was the first warning the PcruTia
; admiral had Of assistance coming TO tn
Chilears: and looking to starhoar
2 through a pcep-hole in tn" coming towe
: he saw the Banco Encalada bearin
E down; while veering 5 award, only fe'