The age-herald., 1898-08-18
COMMANDMENT OF
 PORT OF CAIBEREN The MansrOYe Had a Hot Fight With
 the Land Batteries. ATTACKED TWO GUNB0ATS Either Of Which Mas More Than the
 Vessels Match. SPANIARDS ANTICIPATED BATTLE In the Midst of the Fight Flag of Truce Was Raised By the Ene-
 my When News ofPeace
 Was Received.
ATTACKED TWO GUNB0ATS
sPANIARDs ANTICIPATED BATTLE

Key West, Fla, Aug. H.-Further de- tails have been received here as to the bombardment of the port of Caiberen, province of Santa Clara, Cuba, last Sunday by the Mangrove.
 The Mangrove left here last week to protect the landing of an expedition under command of Colonel Bozas, which had gone ahead on the schooners Adams and Dellie. When the Mangrove reached San ta Maria, near Caibiren, she found the Cuban party had safely disembarked, but feared the advance because of the pres ence of the Spanish gunboat Herman Cor tez and smaller gunboat.
 Sunday morning Captain Stewart, com mander of the Mangrove, decided to have a shot at the gunboats. He was alone and the odds against him heavy, but he did Q bold thing. Sounding headway, inch by inch, the Mangrove crept along the chan mel, drawing eight feet of water in an average depth of eight and a half until about o'clock she sighted both the Span ish gunboats.
 Anticipated Battle
 The Herman Cortez was anchored near the shore about a thousand yards to the right of the town, with her broadside to the sea. The small gunboat lay at the wharf The Spaniards evidently were anticipat- ing battle. The shore was crowded with Spaniards, citizens and soldiers, while the roof of every building that commanded a view of the harbor was literally covered with people anxious to see the fight. The Herman Cortez carried two AT guns and four one-pounders, while her smaller com- panion was armed with thred one-pounders and a Hotchkiss rapfd-fire gun. The crews of both, numbering between seventy-five and one hundred men could be seen on the decks. A shore were several one-pound field pieces, while the Spanish troops were armed with Mauser rifles.
 Shot Fell short = The Mangrove, whose entire battery con- sists of only two six-ponders, worked into a range of 5000 yards. The channel was so narrow that only one gun could be fired at g. time. At 10:45 a. m. she got up her port gun at the Herman Cortez. The shot fell short. Instantly the whole line of shore burst into flame, both gunboats and the field pieces pouring in a heavy fire upon the American vessel. Every shot of this volley struck the water ahead of the Man. grove, which continued pumping away at
 
 her fire on the Herman Cortez and the next five or six shots fell on the Spaniard's deck between the bow guns and amid ships, scat terng a body of men. Some of the latter must have been killed, although the Span- iards denied later that they suffered any loss.
 Avalanche of Shot
 A few moments later no Spanish gun was fired, but soon they got the Mangrove' s range and a veritable avalanche of shot and shell was hurled at her. It was noth- ing less than miracle that her loss of life was not heavy. Shells from the big guns of the Herman Cortez dropped within twenty feet of the vessel, several bursting and the fragments chipping bits off her hull Others went whiZzing through her shrouds, and Mauser bullets peppered the surrounding waters like summer shower. Tn the very midst of this and while the Mangrove was swinging cautiously around to bring her starboard guns into play the watch shouted flag of truce, and sure enough not only one but three white flags could be seen, one flying from the sma gunboat and two from the government houses on shore. The Mangrove acknowl- edged the signal and presently small boat came out with Spanish officer, who clambered aboard the Mangrove, and in exceedingly nervous tones, announced:
 News of Peace
 ..Peace is proclaimed, and have instruc- lions from your commanding officer and from the military commander of the dis trict."
 He added that during the engagement the Spanish authorities in Caiberen had wired the commander of the district that inc American ships were bombarding the port and immediately the response was made that peace had been restored, and that the firing should cease.
 The boatman said that the Spanfards had not lost a man. but the officer himself made no allusion to the fight, which had lasted an hour and ten minutes.
 As the Mangrove was creeping her way ont of the narrow channel she went aground and lay there five hours. Had the same mishap befallen her during the en- gagement the chances are that she would have been captured.