The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-08-23
Pitted Against Two Gunboats
and a Shore Battery.
WORKING HER ONE GUN
\ STORM OF IRON RAI\ED UPON
HER.
THE MAR NE GAME COCK DIDN'T BULGE
Then Suddenly Flags of Truce Were Dis
played and a Spanish Officer Brought
News to the Mangrove that Peace
Had Been Proclaimed.
Had Been Proclaimed.

pa you ullu q OP0iiot ShiSS 1iOUS"
News TO the Mangroye that Peace
Had Been Proclaimed.
Key West. Aug. 11.-Further details
bardment Of the Port of CaIparlen, ,n
the north coast of the Province of san
I'll Clara, Cuba. last Sunday, by the
Nangroye.
The Mangrove left here last week -
protect the landing of an expedition un-
der Colonel Bozls, which had gone
ahead on the schooners Adams and
Deilie. When the Mangrove reached
Santa aria Key, near Caiharicn, Sll'
| found the Cuban party had safely diSem-
banked but feared to advance because
OF the presence Of the Spanish @unbolt
Herman Cortes and Il smaller Gunbo1t.
which were evidently making Cllbarlel
their base.
Sunday morning Captain Stuart. the
| commander Of the Mangrovc, decided to
| have Il shot at the gunboats. Sounding
| her way. inch by inch the Mangrove
crept along the channel. drawing eight
feet Of water in an average depth OF
eight and Il half, until about > O'Clock
She sighted both the Spanish g%lnboatS.
tn Herman CorteS WAS anchored near
the shore, about 4 thousand yards I"
the right of the town, with her hro1i
side 10 the sea. The small gunboat lay
at the wharf.
! The Standards evidently We're an
ticipating Il battle. The shore was
crowded while the roof Of every building
that commanded 4 view Of the harbor
was covered With people anxious to see
! the fight. The Herman Cortes carried
two IL inch runs and four o~ne-poundcrS,
while her smaller companion was armed
) With three One-pOunderS and 4 Hotcll-
kiss rapid-fire gun. The crew Of bofh,
numbering in all between % and loO
mon. could be seen on the decks. Ashore
were several one-pounder field pieces,
while the Spanish troops were armed
with MauSer rifles.
The MangrOye. whose entire battery
J consists Of only two X~pounderS. work
, cd into il range Of 5000 yards. The
channel was so narrow that only one gui
could be fired at Il time. At 1913 4. n.
she cot M her port gun at the Herman
Cortes. The shot fell short. Instantly
the whole shore line burst into flame
both gunboats and the field pieces pour
inc in Il heavy fire upon the American
vessel. Every shot Of this volloy struck
the water ahead of the Mangroyc. which
continued pumping away with her port
S~iy-DounderS She concentrated -cl
fire on the Herman CortcS. and the next
five or six shots fell Oh the SpaniardS'
dcck between the bow gun and mid
ships. scattering 4 body of men. Some
I Of the latter must have been killed. al
though the Spaniards later denied that
they suffered any loss.
For 4 while no Spanish gun was fired.
but soon the Snaniards got the Man
grove range. and Il vcritable avalanche
Of shot and shell was hurled If her. II
was nothing less than l miracle that
her loss of life was not heavy.
In the midst of al this. and while
the MangrOvc was swinging cautiously
around to bring her starboard 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 small gunboat and two from
the Government houses on shore.
The Mangroyc acknowledged the sig
nails and presently Il small BOAT came
ont with 4 Spanish officer who clam
bercd aboard the Mangrovc and in OK
cecdingly nervous tones announced:
Peace is proclaimed. and ! have in
Hfi w i''iIH i'I N'ti
! from the military commander of this
district
He added that during the engagement
the Spanish authorities III Caibarien hAe
wired the military commander Of the
district that the American ships Were
bombarding the port and that immediate
response had been received informing
them tina peace had been restored and
the firing should cease.
The Spanish crew of the small hor1
when brought the officer to the Man
grove said the Spaniards had not lost 4
man. but the officer himself made nC
alluSion to the fight. which nd LASTED
an hour and ten minutes.
As the Mangrove was creeping ont OF
the channel she went aground and lay
there five hours. Had the same mis-
hap hefallen her during the eagn@emen-
the chances are that she would hav
been sent TO the bottom with all aboard