The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-05-01

cable lengths astern of the rapidly APP
proa ching iron-clad, were the Matias
Ceusino and the CoVadonga. evidently
starting off to give chase to the Union,
by this time well in the offing, and htted,
because of her superior speed, to take
care OF herself. Grau therefore turned
his attention to his own ship. which m
deed was in sore straits.
Seeing aid at hand the men on the
Cochrane had redoubled their efforts
and when the Blanco had ranged along
to port the horror of it began, and the
engagement resolved itself into marine
carnage: for the Huascar lay between
two fres-the Cochrane 10 starboard, the
Blanco to port, and both so near that the
gunners in the turret of the niue snip
could see the faces of their adversaries
as the latter sighted the pieces on the
Chilean boats.
From the first of the battle the en-
couragfng 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 1t,
and great shot struck the Hudscar
sides as regularly as blows of batter
ing ram, the orders of the commander
were no longer heard. The officer IN
charge of the turret called to his super
ior There was no answer, ana "hen
Commander Elias Aguerre ran up the
narrow little ladder that led to the tower
he stumbled over the dead body of his ad-
miraI A shell had struck the coming
tower. and had taken off Grau's head as
neatly as if decapitauon had been done
bv the guillotine. This shell also Killed
Lieut. Ferre, the admlrals aid There
was only time to push the corpses aside.
and the new commanding officer pulled
back the tube flap to- give his directions
but, as he did so, the Hpascar staggered,
keeled over. then shook in every plate,
while conclusion more terrific than any
so far, told that shell had entered the
turret and had burst there. When the
fumes had cleared away so that person
could speak a midshfpnan called out
that one of the great guns had been dis
mounted and twenty men killed The
survivors tumbled the bodies through the
hatch that opened into the deck below,
thus releasing the clogged machinery;
and as their corpses ratified down, other
men rushed up.
Once more all wag silent in the con-
ning-tower Lieutenant Palacios hasten
ed there, but before he could enter he was
compelled TO push three bodies out of the
way. He had barely given his first com
mand when a bullet from the well-aimed
rife of marine in an enemys top lodged
between his eyes. Then the fourth To
command lllt I1tdStdi lIldl udN- i1ituAfI-
ant Pedro GareZon, 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 If
| necessary. over and over spun the wheel,
but the Huascar's head still pointed be-
| tween the Chileans.
. Port! Port, | say screamed the com
mander.
She won't answer came back the sui
| len reply from the only one of the four
| quartermasters alive: the bodies of the
! others were lying upon the grating III his
| feet.
"A shot has carried away the stas
| board steering-ge gear sir. reported an en-
sign; and he dropped dead as the words
| left his mouth.
| The Huascar now lay d; ring in a he'll
| of shot and flame, but all the while the
| red. white and red fiuttered from the
| peak. One by one, in twos and in threes
| the men in the turrct dropped at theit