Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1898-05-19
CARNAGE IN NAVAL. BATTLE.
What an Engagement with Modern
Fighting Machines Means.


man. has an article on "A Famous Sea
Fight describing the engagement be-
tween Gillian and Peruvian ironclads
OFF the coast Of Bolivia In 1874. Mir.
Wctmore SAYS:
Prom the beginning of the battle
the encouraging voice of Grau had
come to the men In the tuvrct through
the speaking tube from the coming
tower, but when the RlanCo crowded
INTO the thick of it and great shot
struck the IIuaScar'S sides as regularly
as blows of n 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
mat led to the tower he stumbled over
the dead body of his admiral A shell
had struck the coming tower and had
taken Oft Graus head as neatly as If
the decapitation had been by the guillo
tine. This shell also killed Lieutenant
Fcrre, the admiral's aid. There was
only time to push the cDrpSeS aside,
ana the new commanding officer pulled
back the tube flap to give his drer.
lions, but as he did so the lIuascar
staggered, keeled over. then shook in
every plate. While IA conclusion more
terrible than any SO far told that Il shell
had entered the turret and had burst
there. When the fumes had cleared
away so that a person could speak.
midshipnan called out that one of the
great guns had been dismounted and
twenty men killed. The survivors tum-
Died 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 1t
might train upon one of the ships
they could no longer make out which,
nor did they care-and it was discharg-
ell. hauled in. loaded and discharged
again.
"Once more all was silent In the con-
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-ailned rifle of marine In an
enemy's top lodged between his eyes.
Then the fourth to command the Huns-
car that day. Lieutenant Pedro Care
ION. took the place, and as he did so
he called through an aperture, telling
the quartermaster to put the helm to
OF the adversaries and sink with her If
necessary. Over and over spun the
wheel. but the IIuaScar's head still
pointed between the Chlians.
Port. Port, l 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 a
hell of shot and flame. but all the while
the red. white and red tluttered from
the peak one by one. in twos and
threes. the men in the turret dropped
ut their posts: and at last the remain
ing great gun was silent Its tackle lit
.h.,l ..,l a
could not he turned for the same rra-
son. CorpSes hung over the military
top: corpSes clogged the coming tower.
with coats and wai>tcoats off. the
surgeons had been lahoring in the
wardroom upon the wounded, who.
shrieking in their agony. had been
tumbled down the conpanionway like
50 many butchered beef; for there is no
time to use stretchers or to carry Il
stricken comrade to II doctors care.
Steam and smoke filtered through the
dourways. and the apartment became
sitting. While they were saving, am
putating and bandaging shell tore
into the Wardroom, burst. and frag
ncnts wounded the assistant surgeons,
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 We're
killed as they lay grooming. This shell
tore away wardroom and stern cabin.
and hardly Il trace was left of the
hulkhead After that what little sur
gerry was done was performed in the
coal hunkers
"Huddled in n pasageWay near the
pnrinc-room We're Il score or more of
nun-comhatantS- stewards. pantrymen
and StolcrS. They were in Il place that
was lighted only as flashes came from
the guns: it was filled with powder
smoke. and clouds of steam that drift
ed from below told that the IIuascar
had been strucl; in Il vital spot-her ma
chinery. Suddenly they heard IA crash,
followed by the rending of the deck,
and the little ironclad swayrd rs if she
had struck reef. Someone passed the
word that the maintopmast had been
shot away. As it came down 1t
brought living men to be dashed 10
lo,tb also rnrbSrs thot had been hang