Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-05-21
SOON SlLENCED THE BATTERIES
Burning Town Lighted the Heavens
For Hours Demonstrating
Work Well Done.
DISPATCH BOAT WITH PARTICULARS


Key West, May 1G.-Thc Associated
Press dispatch BOAT Kate Spencer fur
nishes the following in relation TO the
engagement at Cardenas in which the
torpedo boat Winslow was so badly
used:
Cardenas bay, in which the encoun-
ter took place, is a picturesque harbor,
seventy miles west Of Havana. II is
broad and shallow, with two jutting
fangs Of land close at the mouth and
a picket line of coral keys outside, and
its surface is studded with other green
crowned keys through which the tor
tuous channel scarcely we fathoms
deep winds and twists It's way TO where
the city Of Cardcnas lies nestled i'm the
sloping hills, fully seven miles from
the entrance. The Spaniards. since the
blockade was inauguratcd, have grad
ually withdrawn, abandoning their
lighthouse at the entrance 10 the bay
and destroying all the Duuys and other
aids TO navigation rs they went.
Two sloops whose naked spar>
emerge from the water were sunk in
the main channel TO prevent the en-
trance of invading ships, but the Span
ish left enough space between the OBJ
structions TO allow the passage Of a
friendly vessel If such could get
through the blockade, provided ii was
guided from the signal station in oper-
alton on Diana bay. Until Wednesday
il was supposed also that mines had
been planted.
When Captain Todd, of the Whining
on, and Commander Merry, of the
Machias, decided 10 run into the har-
Dor on Wednesday il was with the in
iention of destroying the signal sta
ton and rounding up the three little
gunboats which had chased the Wins
low to the mouth of the harbOr on
Sunday. The American ships went in
with the Winslow in the van. the Ilud-
son next. followed 10y the Wilmington
and the MachiaS bringing mp the rear.
The MachiaS. however. which draws
thirteen feet, % found the water toe
shallow and gave it mp. The Whining
ton, which draws but a fraction over
nine feet, steamed to within $500
Yards of the water front OF the city.
when her keel scraped and she could
90 no further. The Winslow. followed
closely by the Hudson. was then 800
yards ahead of the Wilmington. The
three Spanish gunboatS which had
been sighted sneaking about among
the keys when the ships entered the
harbor. considering discretion the bet
Wien MT The CT nIimafhRRaq6ans EF4FadFh riR4NSaay, ' w AHa
huddled. like storm driven sheep. to
the shelter of the wharveS and NOES
which line the water front.
Ordered the Winslow to Proceed
Captain Todd signaied the Winslow
TO proceed and she moved forward un-
til within less than 1000 yards OF the
guuboats and some Of the Whining
tons officers say that the distance was
less than 500 yards. IL was then that
the first shot was fired, whether from
one of the gunboats or a gun mounted
i'm one of the warehouses on the shore,
reports conflict. 1t may have been the
first shot-it certainly was among the
first three that carried away the steam
steering gear Of the Winslow. and n
minute later, while the quartermaster
was engaged in hooking mp the hand
gear, il too was shot away. the explO-
sion of the shell severely wounding the
quartermaster in the breast. The
Winslow ar the very outset Of the en-
gagement. which lasted over an hour.
was therefore almost helpless. at the
mercy Of the gunboats and shore bat
%teries, whose firing was -earching her
vitals. But the intrepid commander.
severely wounded in the leg though he
was, from a shell that exploded i'm the
forward coming tower. gamely stop
ped the flow Of blood by means of a
tourniquet frightened with a loaded l.
pound shell and remained pluckily at
his post, directing the firing of the
Winslow's ~1-pOunders and maneuyer-
ing his little craft as best he could by
means of her screw propellers. With
the fire from the gunboats. the guns
mounted in warehouses aud the fusil-
lade Of mauser rifles the air was as full
Of lead as a shot tower. The Whining
ton steaming back and fourth across
the line of fire. over q radius Of 1000
yards, was smashing i-PouHd shells
into the warehouses and dropping
them over the moles behind which
were the gunboats. As her b~roadsides
swung she let go s%tarbOard and then
port. Her machine guns were useless
Mt the distance.
The little Hudson, with her G-pound-
ers, stood Loyalty by the Winslow
throughout the action. but the Spanish
fire was almost entirely concentrated
On the Winslow.
Pierced by P~rojectiies.
a perfect death hail fell upon her.
The projectiles from the Spanish guns
went through her several times, put
ling both her forward boilers and en-