The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-05-13
THE CARDENAS BATTLE
Revised Account of the En-
gagement in Which Five
Americans Fell.
FIGHT LASTED s. MINUTES
THE LOSS OF THE ENEMY LARGE.
LY CONJECTURAL.

Observations When the Cardenas Forts
Opened Fire Ordered In by the Will
mington to Attack Spanish Torpedo
Boats Which Supported the Forts
The Fight Was Fierce and Bloody.
Revised account of Cardenas engagement)
Key West, Fla, May 12.-America's
first dead fell yesterday 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 Varveres,
oiler; John Daniels and J. " Meek, both
first class tiremen, and Josiah Tunnel, col
ored, cabin cook.
The wounded are:
r. E. Cox, juniors mate; d. McKeef,
quartermaster; J. Patterson, fireman; +.
Grant and Lieutenant J. b. Bernardo.
The battle lasted thirty five min
utes. 1t was between the torpedo boat
Winslow, the auxiliary tug Hudson and
the gunboat 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 vessels were not damaged except
that the Hudson's two ventilators We're
slightly scratched by flying shrapnel.
The enemys loss is largely conjecturaL
One of their gunboats caught fire, and
the men of the Hudson think 1t sunk.
The flames spread to the barracks and
swept away several small warehouses,
and for a time the whole water front
seemed to be ablaze. The Hudson's
crew also believe that two Spanish tor
pedo 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 Wins
low was within $500 yards of the shore
when the shells struck her. How she
came to be so close was told by her
commander. He said: eve were max
ing observations when the enemy open
ed fire on us. The Wilmington ordered
us to go in and attack the gunboats.
We went in under full steam and there
is the result"
He was on the Hudson when he said
this and with the final words he point
ed to a puddle of American flags on the
deck near by. Under the stars and
stripes were outlined five rigid forms.
The story is as follows:
The Winslow, the Machias, the Hud-
son and the Wilmington were among
the ships off sCardenas. The Machias
lay about twelve miles out, the Will
| mington 500 yards and the Hudson and
the Winslow, being small boats, were
stationed close in on what is called the
inside line. At a quarter to nine o'clock
yesterday morning the Hudson, under
| Captain F. H. Newton, was taking
soundings in Diana Cay Pass and Ro-
| nero Cay, just outside Cardenas, so
| close to shore that she grounded once.
but foated off easily.
| AT half-past eleven the Wilmington
| spoke the Hudson and the Winslow
and assigned them to duty, the Wins
| low to start to the eastern shore of
| Cardenas bay and the Hudson to the
western shore, while the Wilmington
| took her station in mid-channel. This
work occupied two hours. Nothing was
| discovered on either shore and the
boats were approaching each other on
| the return, when a puff of smoke was
| observed on shore at Cardenas and a
| shell WhiStled over them. The Winsow
was on the inside nearer the shore. The
| Hudson and the Winslow reported to
| the Wilmington, and orders came
| promptly to go in and open fire, but
| tho r1c ha n
| reply to their first shot. The Cardenas
| harbor shore had already become one
dense mass Of smoke, shot with flashes
of fire, and an avalanche of shells was
| bursting toward the little Winslow.
| This was at minutes past 2
| o'clock and for twenty minutes the
| firing continued from the shore with
out cessation but none of the shots
| had at that time found their mark,
hough they were striking dangerously
| near. Meanwhile the Hudson's two g.
| Founders were banging away at terri
| fic rate. Howmany of the torpedo boats
| shots took effect is not known. The
| first two from the Hudson fell short,
but after these two every one flew
straight into the smoke clouds ashore.
lE ppdAldlu u GILL We ana
| it was presently seen that two empty
| barks had been anchored off shore as
ranges. 1t was twenty-five minutes
| before 3 o'clock when a four inch shell
| struck the Winslow on the starboard
beam knocking out her forward boil
er and starboard engine and Gripping
her steering gear; but no one was in
| jured.
| Lieutenant Bernadou was standing
| forward watching the battle with calm
| interest and directing his men as cool
| ly as if they were at target practice.
| BY the one-pounder amidships stood
Ensign Bagley, the oiler, the two fire
men and the cook. The little boat
gasped and throbbed and rolled help
! lessly from side to side. Lieutenant
Bernardou did not stop for an examin-
| alton. He knew his boat was uncon-
| trollable. The Hudson was twenty feet
off still pounding away with her guns.
| She was hailed and asked to take the
| Winslow in tow. 1t was a vital mo-
ment. Guns roared from ashore.
l Lieutenant Scott in charge of the