Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-05-19
THE FIRST DEFEAT.
The Enemy's Fire Knocks the Tor.
pedo Boat Winslow Helpless.
an ENSIGN AID four YEy KILLED.
A Four. Inch Shell Strikes the Winslow's
Boiler and Another Shell Carries Death
to the Five Msn-Ths Hudson
Pulls tho Winsl0w ~ Safety.

KEY WEST. Fla, May lS-America's
first dead fell Wednesday in fierce
and bloody combat of Csrdenas, on
the north coast OF CUBA Five men
were blown TO pieces and five were
wounded on the torpedo boat Winslow.
The dead are: Worth Bagley. ensign;
John varveres, oiler; John D-netee and
John Meek, both frst.class fremen,
and Josiah Tunnel, colored, cabin
cook. The wounded are: R. E. Cox.
gunuer's mate; D. McKeown, quarter
master; J. Patterson, fireman; \. Gray,
and Lieut.. J. II. Bernardou. The bat
tie lasted IS minutes. II was between
the torpedo boat Winslow, the auxil.
iary ting Hudson and the gunboat
Wilmington on one side, and the Car
denas batteries and four Spanish gun
boats on the other The Winslow was
the main target Of the enemy and was
put out OF service. The other Ameri-
can vessels were not damaged, except
that the Hudson's two ventilators were
slightly scratched BY flying shrapnel.
The enemy's loss is largely conjec.
tural. One Of their gunboats caught
fire, and the men Of the Hudson think
1t sank The flames spread to the bar.
racks and swept away several small
warehouses, and for time the whole
water front seemed to be ablaze. The
Hudson's crew also believe that two
Spanish torpedo boat destroyers were
disabled. but they admit that their
estimate of the damage Is largely
guesswork, as the action was too
sharp for outside observations to be
made.
The Winslow was within $500 yards
of shore when the shells struck her
How she came 10 be so close was told
by her commander, Lieut.. John Der.
nardou. He .said I'VE we're making
observations when the enemy opened
fire on us. The Wilmington ordered
us to 20 in and attack the gunboats
We went in under full steam, and
there's the result" He was on the
Hudson when he said this and with
the final words he pointed to hubble
Of American flags on the deck near
by. Under the stars and stripes we're
outlined five rigid forms.
During the battle four-inch she'll
struck the Winslow on the starboard
beam, knocking her forward boiler
and starboard engine and Gripping
her steering gear, but no one was in
jured. Lieut. Bernardou did not stop
for an examination. He knew his boat
was uncomfortable. The Hudson was
short distance away, still pounding
away with her guns. She was hailed
and asked to take the Winslow in tow.
A group of sailors on the Hudson was
making ready to heave line to the
Winslow and Ensign Bagley and his
four men stood on the port side Of the
latter vessel waiting to receive it.
There was momentary delay in heav-
ing the tow line and Ensign Bagley
suggested that the Hudson's men hur-
ry. "Heave her." he called. LET her
come; it's getting pretty warm here"
The line was thrown and grabbed by
the Winslow's men. Almost at the
same instant another four-inch shell
shrieked through the smoke and burst
directly under them. Five bodies went
whirling through the air. Two Of the
group were dead when they fell En-
sign Bagley and Fireman Denefee.
The young ensign was literally dis.
embowled and the entire lower por-
ton Of the firemans body was torn
away. The other three died within a
few minutes A flying piece Of
shrapnel struck Lieut. Bernardou in
the thigh cutting an ugly cash, but he
did not know it then. With the ex-
plosion of the shell the hawser parted
and the Winslow's helm went hard to
the starboard, and with her steering
gear smashed the torpedo boat Aoun-
dered about in the water at the mercy
Of the enemy's fire which never re-
Taxed. The Hudson quickly threw an.
other line to the Winslow, and the
hapless torpedo boat was made fast
and pulled out Of the Spaniard's range.
The tug then pulled her to Piedras
bay, little island u miles of, near
which the Machias lay. There she
was anchored for temporary repairs,
while the Hudson brought her CHASTITY
cargo into Key West with DR.. Rich
ards, OF the Machias, attending the