Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-05-21
me out of commission. Forum.


CINE out of commission. Fortu,.
il was tho aft boilers and engine whcih
were being used. The accuracy of the
Spanish gunuers IN this Ease is ac-
counted for by the fact that buoys ia
concentric circles had been located in
The upper bay to give them AN exact
range. When the guns were trained
ON the Wilmington they either over
shot or their shells fell short.
Fragments Of bursting shells, how.
ever, were time and again showcred
upon the decks OF the Hudson and VIII
mington, but not a man was touched
aboard either ship nor n piece OF rig
ging carried away. Two dents were
found in the Wilmington ne"r the port
bow after the action. but Captain Todd
thinks they were made by shells burst
ing in shore. He says he fired over 100
shots before the guns were silenced.
The shore guns used smokclesS pow
der and their location could only be
judged by the flashes. As the fire of
the Wilmington was directed at them
and at the gunboats lying in the shell
ter Of the molcS. many of her shells
piowcd their way through the lower
part OF the city, which was MI ablaze
when the action ceased aud the lIud-
son lowed out the crippled torpedo
boat.
The fire spread through the city and
for half the night the lurid glare of
burning buildings dyed the heavens a
blood ed. Considering the fact that
a perfect storm of shot and shell was
being poured in upon the Winslow, the
officers of the Wilmington consider
her escape from complete destruction
little short Of miraculous. Had any of
her torpedocs cNlOded or had the shot
which penetrated her forward boiler
passed through the one i'm use she
would have been blown TO atoms.
Killing Of Ensign Bagicy.
IT, was practically the last shot that
killed Ensign Baglcy. The firing from
shore had almost ceased. He had gone
up to the forward coming tower,
where his wounded commander lay
still gallantly directing the action OF
his torn aud riddlcd vessel and had
congratulated him.
i am glad we are Well out" said he,
nut am awfuIly sorry you were hit
lie then moved aft to the %1-pouudcr,
where y group of oilers, Scamen and
the negro mess attendant stood, and
was killed.
The engagement seems To havc dem
onstrated the advantage of the use Of
smokclcsS powder in shore batteries in
the present state Of naval warfare.
which involves engagement at long
range. and the further fact that the
SpaniardS. unless their harbors are
mined ~ the range actually deter
mined in advance. as was the casc in
the firing at Santa Clara on the Nicks-
burg, seem absolutely incapable Of ac-
curatc %gunnory. At pot shooting they
have thus far done rs well as Il boy
would with q gun at rest on Il rail
fence. To hit a moving target, like
wing shooting for a small boy, ii is
quite a different matter.
The ruins Of the signal station on Di-
anacay, which was destroyed by a force
of marines from the Machias after an
engagement Wednesday afternoon
were visible from the Kate Spencer yes.
tcrday morning.
Captain Todd expected to destroy The
signal station on Key Blanco yestei.
day. The channel in the vicinity of
the sunken sloOps was examined for
evidences of mines, and a mass of an
gled rope running oil in both direc-
tons was found. evidently laid TO look
like mine wire. When brought to the
surface it proved 10 be a mere bluff.
During the firing on Wednesday two
trains probably loaded with refugees
left Cardenas.
Captain Todd thinks the guns and
munitions Of war brought from Spain
~, urrv -'rvrf,--rfdr viirvri rru,rug~f 49,
get through the blockade into Cien-
fucgos. have been distributed between
tardcnas. Matanz0s and Havana, and
he has also reason To believe that the
Aifonzo XIII. has been stripped of her
guns. The guns of her main battery.
he thinks, have been mounted in old
Queens battery on The bluff back Of
Moro castle. and the guns of her sec.
uudaTy batteries have been divided be
tween MatauIaS and C%ardenas. The
officers OF the Wilmington think the
loss OF life and the destruction OF prop
crty in Cardcnas must have been heavy.
They venture no opinion as to whether
any Of the Spanish gunbOats were de-
stroycd. although the shells fell thick
about them. Some OF the men claim 10
have seen q shell explode aboard the
largest Quuboat Of the three. They
say that when il struck the smoke
stack il went up Ia the air and the
whole vessel was lifted and seemed 10
have been completely shattered. They
believe she must have sunk at her
~moOrings.