The record-union., 1898-04-10
A FAMOUS SEA FIGHT.
BETWEEN CHILEAN AND PERU
WAN IRoNCLADs.
Destruction of the Huascar OFF the
Bolivian Coast--Modern War
Vessels in Action.

Starlight" describing the engagement
between Chilean and Peruvian iron
clads off the coast of Bolivia in 1879
Mr.. Wetmore says:
From the first of the battle the en-
couraging voice of Grau had come to
the men in the turret through the
speaking-tube from the conning-tower,
but when the Blanco crowded into the
thick of it, and great shot struck the
Huascars sides as regularly as blows
OF battering-ram, the orders of the
Commander were no longer heard The
officer in charge of the turret called
to his superior. There was no answer.
and when Commander Elias Aguerre
ran up the narrow little ladder that led
to the tower he stumbled over the dead
body of his Admiral. A shell had
struck the coming tower, and had
taken off Grau's head as neatly as
If the decapitation had been by the
guillotine. This shell also killed Lieu
tenant Ferre, the AdmiraFs aide. There
was only time to push the corpseS
aside, and the new commanding officer
pulled back the tube-f1ap to give his
directions, but as he did so the Huascar
staggered, keeled over, then shook in
every plate, while a concussion more
terrific than any so far told that a
shell had entered the turret and had
burst there. When the fumes had
cleared away so that a person could
speak, midshipman 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 ma
chinery; and as the corpses ratified
down other men rushed up. throwing
off their clothing as they jumped into
the poole of blood to seize hold of the
gear and swing the remaining gun into
position, that it might train upon one
of the ships-they could no longer make
out which, nor did they care-and it
was discharged, hauled in, loaded and
discharged again.
once more all was silent in the con-
ning-towe Lieutenant Palacios hast
ened there, but before he could enter
he was compelled to push three bodies
out of the way. He had barely given
his first command when bullet from
the we'll aimed rifle of a marine in
an enemy's top lodged between his
eyes. Then the fourth to command
the Huascar that day, Lieutenant Pedro
Garezon, took the place, and as he did
so he called through an aperture, tell
ing the Quartermaster to put the helm
70 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 between the Chileans.
Port! Port 1 sayi'' screamed the
Commander
sullen reply from the only one of four
Quartermasters alive; the bodies of
the others were lying upon the grating
at his feet.
"A shot has carried away the star
board steering-gear, sir" reported an
Ensign; and he dropped dead as the
words left his mouth.
The Huascar now lay drifting in a
hell of shot and flame. but all the
while the red, white and blue f1uttered
from the peak. One by one in twos
and in threes, the men in the turret
dropped at their posts; and at last
the remaining great gun was silent,
its tackle literally choked with dead.
Tn turret could not be turned for the
same reason. Corpses hung over the
military top; corpses clogged the con-
ning-tower.
With coats and waistcoats off, the
surgeons had been laboring in the
wardroom upon the wounded. who,
shrieking in their agony. had been tum-
bled down the companionway like so
much butchered beef; for there was
no time to use stretchers or to carry
a stricken comrade to a doctors care.
Steam and smoke filtered through the
doorways, and the apartment became
sitting. While they were saving, am
putating and bandaging, a shell tore
into the wardroom, burst, and frag-
ments wounded the assistant surgeons,
the chief of the medical staff having
been killed earlier in the conflict Those
unfortunates who were stretched upon
the table awaiting their turn under the
knife, and those who lay upon the
floor. suffered no more pain; they were
killed as they lay groaning This shell
tore away wardroom and stern cabin.
and hardly a trace was left of the
bulkhead After that what little sur
gerry was done was performed in the
coal-bunkers.
Huddled in a passageway near the
engine-room were a score or more of
non ombatants-stewards, pantrymen
and stokers. They were in a place that
was lighted only as flashes came from
the guns; it was filed with powder
smoke, and clouds of steam that drift
ed from below told that the Huascar
had been struck in vital spot her
machinery. Suddenly they heard a
crash, followed by the rending of the
deck, and the little ironclad swayed as
if she had struck a reef Some one
passed the word that the maintopmast
had been shot away. AS it came down
it brought living men to be dashed to
death, also corpses that had been hang
ing over the sides of the military top.
The Same Old Story.
Grandfather" sair the young hu-
morist, "can you spend the afternoon
with me Tomorrow"
II think So" replied the old man,
but what's the object?"
You are no doubt aware" answered
the young man, that L occasionally
write humorous articles for the news
papers?"
Eyes, 1 know" said the old man, with
a sigh, "and 1 have always hoped that
you would some day see the error Of
your ways and reform. But what has
that got to do with my spending the
afternoon with you?''
''I received a letter form a magazine
publisher this morning. replied the al
legged funny man, requesting me to
contribute to the humorous depart
ment of his publication matter similar
to that to which his readers have been
accustomed, and in order that 1 may
meet the requirements 1 want you to