Mesa free press. [volume] (Mesa, Ariz.) 1892-1901, 1898-06-17
CARNAGE IN NAVAL BATTLE.
What an Engagement with Modern
Fighting Machines Means.

well-known st. Louis newspaper
man, has an article on "a Famous Sea
Fight" describing the engagement be-
tween Gillian and Peruvian ironclads
of the coast Of Bolivia In 1879. Mr..
Wetmore says:
"From the beginning Of the battle
the encouraging voice Of Grau had
come to the men in the turret through
the speaking tube from the coming
tower. but when the Blanco crowded
into the thick of it and great shot
struck the Huascar's sides as regularly
as blows of battering ram, the orders
of the commander were no longer
heard. The officer in charge Of the tur-
ret called to his superior. There was no
answer, and when Commander Elias
| Aguerre ran up the narrow little ladder
that led to the tower he stumbled over
the dead body Of his admiral. A shell
had struck the coming tower and had
taken Off Grau's head as neatly as If
the decapitation had been by the guillo-
tine. This shell also killed Lieutenant
Ferre, the admirars aid. There was
only time to push the corpses aside,
and the new commanding officer pulled
back the tube flap to give his direc-
tons, but as he did so the Huascar
staggered, keeled over, then shook in
every plate, while a concussion more
terrible than any SO far told that a shell
had entered the turret and had burst
there. When the fumes had cleared
away SO that person could speak, q
midshipman called out that one of the
great guns had been dismounted and
twenty men killed. The survivors tum-
bled the bodies through the hatch that
opened into the deck below, thus re-
leasing the clogged machinery, and, as
the corpses ratled down, other men
rushed up, throwing off their clothing
as they jumped into the pools Of blood
to seize hold of the gear and swing the
remaining gun into position, that it
might train upon one Of the ships
they could no longer make out which,
nor did they care-and 1t was discharg-
ed, hauled in, loaded and discharged
again.
ming tower. Lieutenant Palacois hast
ened there, but before he could enter
he was compelled to push three bodies
out Of the way. He had barely given
his first command when bullet from
the well-aimed rife Of marine In an
enemy's top lodged between his eyes.
Then the fourth to command the Huas-
car that day, Lieutenant Pedro Care
zon, took the place, and as he did so
he called through an aperture, telling
the quartermaster to put the helm to
port, for he had determined to ram one
Of the adversaries and sink with her II
necessary. Over and over spun the
wheel, but the Huascar's head still
pointed between the Chilians.
sport! Port, say! screamed the
commander.
"'She won't answer came back the
sullen reply from the only one Of four
quartermasters alive; the bodies Of the
others were lying upon the grating at
his feet.
"a shot has carried away the star
board steering gear, sir reported an
ensign; and he dropped dead as the
words left his mouth.
"The Huascar now lay drifting In q
hell of shot and flame, but all the while
the red, white and red fluttered from
the peak One by one, in twos and
threes, the men in the turret dropped
at their posts; and at last the remain
ing great gun was silent, Its tackle lit
orally choked with dead. The turret
could not be turned for the same rea-
son. Corpses hung over the military
top; corpses clogged the coming tower.
with coats and waistcoats of, the
surgeons had been laboring In the
wardroom upon the wounded, who,
shrieking In their agony, had been
tumbled down the companionway like
so many butchered beef; for there is no
time to use stretchers or to carry
stricken comrade to a doctors care.
Steam and smoke filtered through the
doorways, and the apartment became
sitting. While they were saving, am
putating and bandaging shell tore
into the wardrOom, burst. and frag-
the chief of the medical staff having
been killed earlier in the conflict. Those
unfortunates who were stretched upon
the table awaiting their turn under the
knife, and those who lay upon the
floor suffered no more pain; they were
killed as they lay grooming. This shell
tore away wardroom and stern cabin,
and hardly trace was left Of the
| bulkhead. After that what little sur
| gerry was done was performed in the
coal bunkers.
"Huddled in a pasageway near the
engine-room were score or more of
on-combatants-stew pantrymen
and stokers. They were in place that
was lighted only as flashes came from
the guns; 1t was filed with powder
smoke, and clouds Of steam that drift
ed from below told that the Huascar
had been struck in vital spot-her ma
| chinery. Suddenly they heard crash,