New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-12
DESTROYING SPANISH BOATS.
THE BANCROFT AND THE MAPLE HAVE
SHARP ENGAGEMENTS WITH SPAN
IARDS-ONE SAILOR KILLED.

| The BANCROFT AND The MAPLE HAVE
SHARP ENGAGEMENTS WITH SPAN
IARDS-ONE SAILOR KILLED.
Key West, Fla, Aug 11.-One more name has
| been added to the small list OF the Nays war
victims. Emanuel Koulouris. coal passer on
the gunboat Bancroft. was shot and instantly
| killed in a sharp engagement with Spanish rifle
| men at a point Of land Juttng into Cortes Bay,
| on the south coast Of the Province Of Pinar del
| RIO on August 2 1t Is not known how many
| Spaniards' lives paid for his but the Spanish
loss undoubtedly heavy.
On the morning Of that day the Bancroft was
| cruising about Cortes Bay. blockade duty.
hen a sail close to the land. about
ten miles to the northward. The gunboat's
steam launch was armed with 1-pounder. and
Lieutenant Henry b. Wilson. with fourteen
men. all carrying rifles sent in to intercept
the stranger. She turned out to be Spanish
! schooner When first observed the Spaniard
lay near the wreck of the santo Domingo. re-
| Gently sunk by the Eagle.
BY the time the steam launch reached that
| point she had worked into port. and party
OF Spanards including body Of soldiers. was
| attempting to haul her ashore. The launch
| stood boldly in and brisk fire from her
| 1-poundcr speedily scattered the crowd. The
| Spaniards took refuge In high grass on the
| right shore: but. in spite OF the fact that the
party in the launch was ignorant OF the enemys
strength. the Americans went ahead with their
work with admirable GOODNESS.
James Munro a frst-class apprentice. swan
to the schooner and made line fast to her. In
order to pull her out. At the same time Valde-
| mar Hohengreen an ordinary seaman, dropped
over the side Of the launch and made for pier
where a small sloop-rigged boat was moored
| The launch then commenced to haul of the
schooner but the line parted. and while another
was being run to her the Spaniards. who had
sought shelter in the woods. poured in a muir
| derous rifle fire.
| SAILOR SHOT THROUGH THE BREAST.
Kououris, who was leaning over the side OF
| the launch was shot through the breast and
fell dead No one else even injured.
Instantly the men In the launch began rapid
return fire with their rifles while Lieutenant
Wilson manpuvred the launch so as to take a
line thrown by Hohengreen from the small boat.
which he had showed off from the pier. Her
| bow was pulled out. and the l-pounder was
| opened the ambuscade with such well-di-
rected aim that the Spaniards were routed with
| out chance to return the American nre
The schooner had in the mean time gone hard
|
| most useless enough shells were sent into her
| to finish her destruction. She was loaded with
| green corn. grain and rum cyl
The launch then returned with the small
| soop to the Bancroft.
| Koulouris buried at sea the same after
| noon. Among his effects was found letter to
his father addressed to the Isle OF Siphanto,
care of the United States Minister at Athens.
| The next morning the Bancroft started for
| SIgunea Bay. where the gunboat Maple had
| gone to blockade and sound out a passage. On
| August 4 Commander Clover who was senior
| officer there transferred his flag to the Maple
| while the Bancrofts boilers were undergoing re-
| pairs He took the launch with him. under En-
| sign Vogesang still armed with her 1-pounder.
They went to the northwest extremity OF the
Isle Of Pines and there saw sloop and large
schooner anchored In shore The launch went
| in after them but soon an she was observed
| approaching the crews Of the Spanish vessels
| took TO their small boats. The sloop was
aground and toward this vessel Ensign Voge-
sang neaaed the launch. As the latter drew
near to the sloop. party Of Spaniards on shore
| opened fire on the Americans.
| CLEARING THE BRUSH OF sPANIARDS
Then the launch's 1-pounder opened on the
enemy But before she had fired many Shells
| the Maple opened fire with her 6-pounder and
swept the brush-lined beach. While the dense
| foliage ashore gave the enemy a decided ad-
vantage no Americans were hit. But 1t Is safe
| n saw that under the Naples heavy fire large
| number Of Spaniards were killed or wounded.
The sloop turned out to be trading vessel
with no cargo on board and. not being worth
| the trouble Of sending to an American port.
| few shots from the Maple put her under water
| The schooner. however proved to be OF value
| She was the Carrnita. loaded with wood and
| charcoal She was hauled out and anchored
until the next morning when the Maple. towing
the schooner and the launch. resumed her
| Journey to Sigunca Bay.
The Bancroft took sixteen tons or charcoal
| frop, the Carmita and the Maple took large
| lot OF wood.
The Naples Cuban pilot said he thought the
scene Of the first fight. where Koulouris was
| killed was either Balen or Carey. The place
| cannot be found on any OF the ships charts
! His information was that there is no railroad
west Of the town Of Pinar del Rio. and that
| goods are landed at Batabano and are carried
| TO the former place by road. The pilot had
| heard that when the steamer Viaverde landed
her cargo some time ago she put most OF II
ashore at Porto Cortes to reduce her draught. and
thence went to Coloma, east OF Batabano. where
the remainder landed.
THE JUNE SUMMARY or COMMERCE..