The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-13

fou7 others. of the crew of the torpedo boat
Winslow, who were killed in an engage
ment in Cardenas harbor yesterday after.
noon. The bodies were covered by the
Stars and Stripes. In the cabin of the
Hudson was Lieut.. John B. Bernadou
of the Winslow, who is slightly injured
in the left leg and several others of the
WinsIow's crew who are slightly wound
| ed.
The dead are Ensign Worth Bagley
John Varvorls, oiler; Joseph Tunnett,
cabin cook; j. Y, Meeks and j. Daniel
fremen.
The engagement took place inside thu
harbor.
The gunboat Wilmington, the torpedo
boat Winslow and the gunboat Hudson
were the only vessels engaged.
| They entered the harbor for the purpose
of attacking some Spanish gunboats
which were known to be there
| But the latter were not discovered by
| the American force until the Spaniards
opened fire.
| The land batteries of Cardenas sup
| ported the fire of the Spanish gunboats.
| The engagement commenced at 2. 05
p. M, and lasted for about anshour. The
| battle while it lasted, was terrific.
The Wilmington and the Hudson were
| ahead and opened fire on the Spanish
boats which were lying at the docks.
The firing began at range of $500
yards. A few minutes after the firing be.
gan the Wlnslow came up and also
opened fire.
In an instant the entire attention of the
Spanish gunboats and land batteries
was directed upon her. From all sides
shot and she'll seemed to pour in upon the
little torpedo boat
The Wilmington Fand the Hudson still
kept up their fire. but they could not
turn aside the terrible storm of fire and
death pouring in upon the torpedo boat,
The crew of the Winslow, however, never
faltered for second.
But at z 30 p. M, solid crash into
the hull of the Winslow and knocked out
her boiler. In an instant she began to
roll and drift helplessly. Then there
was moment of awful suspense A
fierce cheer OF trlumph.went up from the
Spanlards on the gunboats and in the
batteries and again a storm of fire was
opened upon the helpless boat.
The gunboat Hudson, which was lying
near by, started to the assistance of the
Winslow. She ran alongside the torpedo
boat and tried to throw line to the i'm.
perilled crew.
.Ur to this time, with the exception
of the one shot, which disabled the boiler
of the Winslow, the firing of the Spanish
gunboats had been wild, but as the Win
slow lay rolling in the water the range
grew closer and shells began to explode
all about her. 1t was difficult for the
hudson TO get near enough to throw a
line to the Minslow's crew, so terrible
was the fire all about her,
FINALLY after trying for 30 minutes, the
HUDSON anQTOanhQd noo ~ -
q line.
Ensign Bagley and six mon were
standing in group on the deck of the
"Heaye her, heave her." shouted Bag
ley as he looked toward the commander
of the Hudson and called for a line.
Don't miss it," shouted an officer
from me hudson, and with smile Bag
icy called aae hd naGk: Let her come; it's get
The line was thrown and at the same
instant a shell burst in the yery midst
OF the group of men on board the Win
slow. '-e
Bagley was instantly killed and a few
others cropped about him. Half a dozen
more fell down. on the blood stained
deck.
One of the dead men pitched bead,on.
over Ine s.ue VI the boat, but his feet
aboard.
Bagley lay stretched on The deck with
his face completely torn away and the
upper part of his body shattered. '''A 'ne
It was terrible moment. The tornoso
boat, disabled and helpless, rolled p aug
swayed under the fury of fire from tha
Spanish gunboats. ''-o
When the she'll burst in the gro,,n IN
board the Winslow, another wild short
of triumph went up from the Spanish
boats and batteries and again heavy fire
was opened by the battery.
Finally the Hudson succeeded in getting
a line on board of the Winslow and was