Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1898-05-19
WINSLOW DISABLED.
Five of Her Crew Killed in an Un-
equal Conflict.
ATTACKED BY A MASKED BATTERY.

nj aShLD IA u mnShh1 DhA Ian -
The Vessel Became Uncontrollable, but
Continued the Fight Until Towed Out
of Range-Great Punishment
Inflicted Upon the Enemy.
KEY WEST, Fla, May 13.-America's
first dead fell Wednesday in fierce
and bloody combat off Cardenas, on
the north coast of Cuba. Five men
were blown to pieces and five were
wounded on the torpedo boat Winslow.
The dead are;
Worth Bagley, ensign.
John Varvers, oiler.
John Daniels and John Meek, both
frst-class firemen.
Josiah Tunnell (colored), cabin cook
The wounded are:
r. E. Cox, gunners' mate.
d. McKeon, quartermaster.
j. Patterson, fireman.
F. Gray.
Lieut.. J. B. Bernardou.
The battle lasted 35 minutes. It was
between the torpedo boat Winslow,
the auxiliary tug Hudson, and the gun
boat Wilmington on one side, and the
Cardenas batteries and four Spanish
gunboats on the other. The Winslow
was the main target of the enemy and
was put out of service. The other
American vessels were not damaged,
except that the Hudson's two ventila-
tors were slightly scratched by flying
shrapnel.
The enemy's loss is largely conjec-
tural. One of their gunboats caught
fire and the men of the Hudson think
it sank. The flames spread to the bar
racks and swept away several small
warehouses and for time the whole
water front seemed to be ablaze. The
Hudson's crew also believe that two
Spanish torpedo-boat destroyers were
disabled, but they admit that their
estimate of the damage is largely
guesswork as the action was too sharp
for outside observations to be made.
The Winslow was within 2,500 yards
of the shore when the shells struck
her. How she came to be SO close
was told by her commander, Lieut.
John Bernardou. He said:
I'VE were making observations when
the enemy opened fire on US. The
Wilmington ordered us to go in and
| attack the gunboats. We went in un-
der full steam, and there's the result. "
He was on the Hudson when he said
this, and with the final words he
pointed to huddle of American flags
| on the deck near by. Under the Stars
| and Stripes were outlined five rigid
| forms.
The story of the fight, as told by the
Hudson's men, Is as follows:
THE Winslow, the Hudson, the
Machias and the Wilmington were
| among the ships off Cardenas on the
| blockade, the Wilmington acting as
| flagship. The Machias lay about IL
| miles out, the Wilmington 500 yards
| and the Winslow and Hudson, being
small boats, were stationed close in,
| on what is called the inside line.
| At s:45 o'clock yesterday morning
the Hudson, under Capt. Newton, was
| taking soundings in Diana Caypars
and Pomero bay, just outside Cardenas,
| so close to shore, that she grounded,
| but foated off easily into the shallow
| water.
| At half past IL O'Clock the Whining
ton spoke the Hudson and the Win
| slow and assigned them to duty, the
| Winslow to start to the eastern shore
off Cardenas bay and the Hudson to
| the western shore, while the Whining
| ton took her station in midchannel.
This work occupied two hours. Moth
| ing was discovered on either shore
and the boats were approaching
each other on their return when a puff
| of smoke was observed on shore at
| Cardenas, and shell whistled over
side, nearer the shore. The Hudson
and the Winslow reported to the Will
mington and orders came promptly
to go in and open fire, but the Span
| iards had not waited for a reply
| to their first shot. The Cardenas
harbor shore had already become one
dense cloud of smoke, shot with flashes
| of fire, and an avalanche of shells was
bursting toward the little Winslow.
| This was 2;05 O'Clock, and for 20 min
utes the firing continued from the
shore without cessation, but none OF
| the shots had at that time found their
mark, though they were striking dan
| gerously near.
| Meanwhile the Hudson's two six
Founders were banging away at 6
| terrific rate How many of the tor
| pedo boats shots took effect Is not
known. The first two of the Hudson's
shells fell short, but after these two
| every one hoated straight into the
smoke-clouded shore. The Spaniards
| aim In the meantime was improving
and 1t was presently seen that two
| empty barks had been anchored of
shore as ranges. 1t was 25 minutes
before three o'clock when a four-inch
shell struck the Winslow on the star
board beam. knocking her forward
boiler and stsrboard engine and crippl
ing her steering geas, but no one was
injured
| Lieut.. Bernardou was standing g
watching the battle with calm inter
est and directing his men as coolly as
if they were at target practice. BY
the one-pounder amidships stood I'm