The age-herald., 1898-08-16
NEWS OF PEACE E STOPPED A FIGHT
The Cushing and Guyun Were
 Cleared for Action
10 ATTACK THREE GUNB0ATS
When Auxiliary Yacht Stranger Ap- peared With News That Peace
 Had Been Restored and Fight Was Called Off


 ing commanded by Lieutenant Albert iGleaves, will doubtless go the distinction of having had the last naval engagement of the Spanish-American war Had the peace negotiations been protracted a little longer the Cushing would unquestionably have ended the conflict by gloriously averaging it's beginning when Ensign Bagley and his four comrades of the Winslow were killed at Cardenas. At the moment the orders for raising the blockade reached the Cush- ing she was making in for the three Span ish gunboats which had wrecked her sister boat, intent on sinking them or herself going down in the effort. They were the Ligero, Alerta and Antonio Lopez.
 A few days before the Cushing destroyed six small sloops and two-masted schooner, the Triumpho, of twenty-five tons. After some brief service at the very opening of the war. the Cushings machin- cry was disabled, and although she was entirely repaired within six weeks, she was kept here until a week ago despite urgent appeals for active service. But on August she went over to Sagua la Grande with orders to stop the inside traffic in the shall low water behind the keys where the gun boats could not enter.
 Reaching Cardenas the next day, she was joined by the torpedo boat Mckee under Lieutenant Kneppes and both proceeded to Sagua Learning that there were two gum boats in that har'bor, the Cushing and Me- Kee cleared for action and went in to see if any steamers were inside As they got under way the converted yacht Viking, with the senior officer of that blockading station on board, came up and halted the two tor pedo boats, which were obliged to return to anchor under the lighthouse.
 That night, however, the Viking left, and Lieutenant Gleaves being then the ranking officer, took the Cushing and Mckee across the shoals to the Boca Cristo channel and there captured six small cargo boats of about four tons each, hich were lying at anchor and had been abandoned by their crews This was done in full view of the igunboats. which from a distance of two miles contented themselves with firing on the torpedo boats without coming out. The shots were not returned The sloops not being worth towing to Key West, were burned the next day.
 On the Sth, the Siren arrived with the torpedo boats Gwynn and Rogers and as- | stunned command of the blockading at that port.
 !, The Gushing again asked permission to go in and engagee the gunboats, but was again refused and was ordered with the Gwynn to Cardenas to prevent inland traf- fc between that place and Santa Clara. They put into Cardenas bay last Thursday. Here the two-masted schooner Trfumpho was sighted at anchor on the east side of Hijo key, about mile distant. The scneener crew abandoned her. She was anchored On lee shore. and fresh wind made it impossible get her off, so she was burned. On Friday both the daunt- less little fighters went into the bay fur ther to the westward and found a few sloops standing out The Gwynn gave chase to one sloop, and after firing many shells hove her to. The Gushing was, meanwhile, chasing a second vessel, but the latter had too big lead and aban- donng the pursuit, the Cushing went to the Gwynn's assistance. The latter's prize had six Spaniards on board, and the two torpedo boats were about to tow her out when the three Spanish gunboats which wrecked the Winslow were seen getting under way. A good fight was promised and to save time the sloop was abandoned the Spaniards on board of her showering blessings on their magnan'mous captors The decks of the torpedo boats were again cleared for action, and although the con- test would have been an unequal one, the Spanish boats carrying stronger batteries, all were ready for the daring attempt when the auxiliary yacht Stranger ap- peared with the news that peace had been restored and the blockade raised and the boats were ordered immediately back to Key West.