Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-08-04
Our City'S NameSake Helps Gamely in
the Fight Off ManZanillO.
TEN SPANISH SHIPS DESTROYED
And Not One American Vessel
Was Touched.
A SUCCESSFUL NEAR SHORE BATTLI
Now York Herald Correspondence.


tar Maurjpg has arrived with orders |
that we proceed westward, calling at
all likely places to reduce their works
ana destroy oil armed shipping which |
thew may contain, take this oppor-
tunity Of sending full account of our
victory in this harbor and the incl
dents which lad up to it.
The Helena called at Tunas on July
LIST, and, sighting gunboat openad
fire on it. The auxiliary gunhuat
Peoria, conveying the transport Florida.
was endeayoring to land a. force OF
Cuhans and ammunition there, but
had been driven of. Our fire was re-
turned from shore hatteries, aud the
screech of flying shells as they passed
over and struck around US made good
accom- nan iment to the Numbering OF
our guns.
The batteriea wero silenced. and an
grsenal and gunbnat destroyed, and
what was not intended - though an
almust inevitable sequence to lombard
ment--we left half of the town in
flames from bursting shells.
None of our men was injured, ami
neither OF our ships damaged, Though
the Helena was struck in several places
by nieces of bursting Fhrapnei.
Meanwhile tho Hornet, Wampatuck
and Oaceola had been adding few rays
TO their stars, for these shins have all
seen hot work. After numerous minor
| engagements these ships bad corrnlled
aeyen gupbuats in the harbor OF Man
zaniIlo. They forthwith formed line OF
brittle, the Hornet leading, and atarted
in for what they considered would prove
comparatively easy work.
Hardly had they got. within hvs
miles OF the town when shore batteries
| opeped ON them. The shots all fell
short and our ships steamed Uu in the
face of it. Getting within range Of our
guns, firing wac begun anu kept up
for some tins, but the henvy batteries
| on shore, in the rear of and fauking
the Spanish gunhoats, were too much
for our small auxiiaries, and they
Withdrew, having been able to do only
slight damage, the greater range of the
shore batteries keeping them at a
respectful Distance
WILMINGTON TO THE SCENE.
While the three ships were struck in
many places the Hornet. the most. reok-
less OF the lot. in her eagernesa TO plant
her sting had drawn upon herself the
concentrated fire OF the shore batteries,
| anu OUb SlOt ubu hs. SHSefS
room. bursting one of her main steam
pipes and scllding three OF her men,
though not seriously. Her engines
we're disabled and she was towed out
of danger ny the .Wampatuck.
} Reports of this engagement reaching
Admiral Sampson, he dispatched thu
! gupboats Wilmington and Helena, Will
the auxiliary gunbpats Hist and ScOr
MON, to combine with the three in
y vincihles to destroy the armed ships il
the harbor of Manzanillo and alonl
the coast. ~,
Spaniah armed ships in Manzanill'
: harbor comprised a formidable fore
without the forts and batteries, whicl
were finely situated on the bills OF
either side Of ana above the town.
: Hostile ships in the harbor will
which our ships were to contend in
t oluded seven gunhonts; two pontoons
mounting six-inch guns: one larg
quart ship, mounting several guns
! and several smaller craft.
D As our vessels had no charts of tn
very shoal waters in and around th
Gulf of Guacanayabo. on which Man
zunillo ia situated, they took Cuba
. pilot, whose work was very satisfactory
. Commander q. O. Todd of the Viii
mingtop, having charge of the expedi
, ton, assembled his ships at Caynmns
I about % miles to tina northward au
r out OF sight If Manzanillo, on SUNDAY
o July l7th. There all the commandin
0 officers wsre' called into consultati9r
y and Commodore Todd gave the order
o for what it was thought would be
. hard battle.
Tba Wilmington and Helena were [
~ I 4 a N hunanl
o and Hornet from the west, and tn
y Wampatuok, Scorpion and Hist by th
b south channel. This would cover III
v fire of all the forts and vessels 10 til
!. harbor, and at tho same time give enc
+ shin free action and prevent the escap
Ir of any Spaniard. This plan wns ca
o rad out to the lsttpr.
% Having left all their boats but one
Y aurhor otf CuyRmas. which ia IN I'll
n hands of the CubHns, the ships wei
Il under way MT 3 O'Clock in the mornin
IL of July 18th, and started for Maj
10 zanillo, getting within extreme rapf
:. about O'Clock, having to fcol the
o way over the shoals.
10 Firing began at once, being concel
10 trated on the shipping, three OF Il
d largeat vessles of which were set on b
e by the explosion of our ahells within
I'd few minutes.
Tn TO thia time there was very lit
ID firing from the shore batteries. and Of
l. shipa moved closer in. Then the d
3 struction at our shots became more al
IS parent, the inrge guard ship, made
In iron. almost as big MS the Vermont,
st the BROOKLYN Navy Yard, was struc
IL repeatedly, and, enc OF the shots o
m ploding within her, gava fresh fuel
the flames.
~ Two gunbonts were next set on Fl
8 by shells, aud they also were burned
the water'a edge. We had gradual
worked closer in, mannuvring as
went to disconcert the enemy ami allie
of the batteries ON board our ships to
used alternately.
10 just as ths Helena was getting dov
ct to aharpshooter range-2. COO yards
or almost every ahot striking one Of I
le few gunboats remaining ahove t
It. water, the Wilmington, about l,0
til yards further out. and the other abi
n neppering away with their small CUR
90 ali doiug excellent work, several mask
Ia batteries, hitherto unnoticed, open
it. on US, making very good fnrksd shut
GO ing, some shots short and some goi
or over ua.
Ono shrapnel exploded directly oy
n the forecastls of the Holena, and all 1
lis sh ips had pretty close shnyea.
if Fire was at once concentrated M
he Theses batteries, they being the pcsr'
be and most dangerous. Within shi
minutes all but one of tho masked NJ
teries were ailenced, but that one
is was almost impossible to silence, FRI
| Al - 60 ,atn nj mi 1