The Portland daily press., 1898-08-16

h6Y NScty ~ 3&te NAt6 "Ss 49, ''>S r. -
TO the torpedo boat Cushing, command
ed BY Lieut.. Albert Cleayes. will doubt
less go the distinction of having had the
last naval engagements of the Spanish
American war Had the peace negoti-
ations been protractedaa little longer the
Cushing would unquestionably have
ended the conflict by avenging its begin
ming. when Ensign Bagiey and his four
comrades of the Winslow were killed at
Cardenas. At the very moment the or
ders for raising the blockade reached the
Cushing, she was making for Spanish
gunboats which wrecked her sister ship,
intent on sinking them or. herself going
down in the effort. They were the
Ligero, A lerta and Antonio Lopez. A
few days previously the Cushing de-
stroyed SIX small sloops and two mast
ed schooner, the Triumph, of rs tons.
After some brief service at the very
opening of the war, the Cushing's ma
chinery was disabled and although she
was entirely repaired within six weeks
she was kept here until a week ago,
much to the chagrin of Lieut.. Gleaves
and dispute his urgent appeals TOR active
service. Eventually, Commodore Howell
allowed the Cushing to go to the block
nde and on August 4, she went over to
Sagua la Larade with orders to stop the
inside traffic in the shallow water be-
hind the keys, where the gunboats could
not enter.
Reaching Cardenas, the next day, she
was Joined by the torpedo boat Mckee,
under Lieut.. Bneppes, and both proceeded
to Sagua. Learning that there were two
gunboats in that harbor. the Gushing
tc see If any steamers were anchored in
side AS they got under way the con-
verified yacht Viking, with the senior OH
Ger of that blockading station on board,
came up and halted the two boats, which
were obliged to return and anchor under
the light house.
That night however. the Viking left,
and Lieut.. Gleaves being then the rank
ing officer, took the Cushing and Mckee
across the shoals to the Booa Cristo chan
mel and there captured SIX small cargo
BOATS of about four tons each wnlch
were lying at anchor and had been aban-
ioned by their crews. This was done in
full view of the gunboats, which, from
a distance of two miles, contented them
selves with firing on the torpedo boats
without coming out. The shots were not
returned.
The sloops not being worth towing to
Key West were burned the next day.
On the sth the Siren arrived with the
torpsdo boats Gwyn and Rogers and as
sumed command of the blockading at that
port.
The .Cushing again sasked permission
to go in and engage the gunboats, but
was again refused and was ordered, with
the Gwyn to Cardenas ito fprevent inland
traffic between that place and Santa
Clara. They left the next morning, and,
after chasing and holding up the hos
pitalship Solace the American schooner
Dollite, which, with the consent of the
authorities was carrying Cuban expe-
dition; the Mangrove and the schooner
Anna E. Krans from Baltimore for Gal
Thursday. Here the two-masted schooner
Triumpho was sighted at anchor on the
east side Of Rio Key, about a mile dis
tanG. The torpedo boats could not en-
tes the shallow water, SO a cutting out
expeGItion. composed Of boat from each
OF the torpedo boats, both commanded by
let David Boyd of the Cushing, who
is a survivor of the Maine was sent in.
As they approached the schooner. her
crew abandoned her. She was anchored
ON lee shore and fresh wind made it
impossible to get her off, SO Cadet Boyd,
acting under orders, set fire to and de-
.iroyed her. On Friday both of the little
ifs hters again went into the bay. further
70 the westward, and found few sloops
standing out, all the other vessels having
sourried back toward the town. The
fsSyn gave chase to one sloop, and after
firing many shells hove her to. The
Gushing was met chasing second YES