Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-08-18
Last in the Spanish American
War Made by the Tor
pedo Boat Gushing.
NEWS OF PEACE STOPPED 1T
Tho Boat Had Decks Cleared and Was
Ready to Attack Three Gunboats-
Had just Destroyed Six Small
Shops and n Two-Masted
schooner.

Key West Aug 15.-To the torpedo boat
Gushing commanded by Lieut.. Albert
Glcaves, Will doubtless go the distinction
of having had the last naval engagement
of the Spanish American war. Had the
peace negotiations been protracted a little
longer the Gushing would unquestionably
have ended the conflict by gloriously
avenging its beginning when Ensign Bag
Icy and his four comrades of the Winslow
were killed at Cardenas. At the very mo-
mcnt the orders for raising the blockade
reached the Gushing she was making in
for the three Spanish gunboats which had
wrecked her sister boat, intent on sinking
them or herself going down in the effort
They were the Ligera, Alerta and Anto-
MO Lopez
a few days previously the Cushing de-
stroycd six small sloops and a two masted
schooner, the Triumpho OF 25 tons. Com
modore Howell ordered the Cushing to the
blockade and on August she went over
to Sasua La Grande with instructions to
stop the inside traffic In the shallow wa
ter behind the keys where the gunboats
could not enter.
Reaching Cardenas the next day she
was joined by the torpedo boat Mckee,
under Lieut.. Kneppes and both proceed
I cd to SaGua. Learning that there were
two gunboats In that harbor the Cush-
ing and Mckee cleared for action and
went IN to sec IL any steamers were an
! chored inside. As they got under way,
the converted yacht Viking with the sem
Tor officer of that b!ockading station on
board came up and halted the two tor
pcdo boats. which were obliged to return
and anchor under the light house. That
night. however the Viking left and Lieut..
Cleavcs being then the ranking officer.
took tho Gushing and Mckee across the
shoals to the Bocn Cristo channel and
/ there captured six small cargo boats of
anchor and had been abandoned by their
crews This was done in full view of the
| eunboats, which from n distance OF two
miles contented themselves 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 ST.
rem arrived with the torpedo boats Gwin
ana Rogers and assumed command of the
| blockading at that point.
| The Gushing again asked permission 10
20 In and engage tho gunboats but was
again refused and was ordered with the
/ Gwin to Cardenas to prevent inland traf-
! tic between that place and Santa Clara.
They left the next morning and after
chasing and holding up the hospital ship
Solacc, the American schooner DELL,
which with the consent of the authorities
was carrying Cuban expedition, the
| Mangrove and schooner Anna f.. krase
from Baltimore for Galveston all or any
which they hoped might be ship Of the
enemy and offer fight they put into Car
lenas BAY last Thursday. Here the two
mastcd schooner Trumpho was sighted at
anchor on the east side of Hvo Key, about
n milo distant. The torpedo boats could
rot enter the shallow water, so n cutting
out expedition composed of a boat from
each OF tho torpedo boats, both commanded
by Cadet David Boyd of the Cushing who
iC of he al, Ia,
As they approached tho schooner her
crew abandoned her. She was anchored
on a lee shore and n fresh wind made it
impossible to get off so Cadet Boyd act
ing under orders set fire to and destroyed
hcr.
on Friday both of the dauntcss little
lighters went again into the bay further TO
the westward. and found few sloops
standing out. till the other vessels having
scurred back toward the town. The Gwin
gave chase to one sloop and after firing
many shells hove her to. The Gushing
was meanwhile chasing second vessel
but the latter had too big n lead and aban-
doning the pursuit the Gushing went TO
the Gwin's assistance. The lattcrs prize
had six Spaniards on board and the two
. torpedo boats were about to tow her out
when the three Spanish gunboats which
wrecked tho Winslow were seen getting
under way. a good tight was promised
and to save time the sloop was abandoned.
tho Spaniards on board of her showcring
blessings on their maEnanimous captors
The decks of the torpedo boats were again
cleared for action and although the con-
test would have been unequal one OF the
Spanish boats carrying stronger batteries
all was ready for the daring attempt when
the auxiliary yacht Stranger appeared
with the news that peace had been re-
stored and the blockade raised