The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-05-14


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 Narvers, oiler.
John Daniels and John Meek. both
6rst-class iremen.
Josiah Tunnel (coloredJ, cabin cook
The wounded are:
r Z. Cox, gunners mate
d. MckeOn. quartermaster.
j. Patterson. fireman.
T. Gray.
Lieut.. J. i. Bernardou.
The battle lasted % minutes. 1t was
between the torpedo boat Winslow,
the auxiliary tug Hudson. and the gun
boat Wilmington on one side. and the
CarGenas batteries and four Spanish
Cunboats on the other. The Winslow
was the main target Of the enemy and
was put out Of service. The other
AneSican vessels were not damaged,
except that the Hudson's two yentila-
tor> were Slightly scratched by flying
sArapnel.
he enemy loss IS largely conjec-
tu-ai. One " their gUaDoats caught
fire and the ~ OF the Hudson think
it sank. The flames spread to the bar
racks and swept away several small
warchUG,es and for d zine the whole
water front seemed to BE- ab.aze. The
Hudson's crew also believe that tvO
Spanish torpeio-bDat dessroyers were
disabled, bat they alnic tia their
estimate Of the damage Is largely
guessvOrk as the action was too sharp
for outside observations to be made.
me Winslow was within 300 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:
We We're making observations when
the enemy opened fire or us. The
Wilmington ordered US to GO in and
attack the gunboats. We went in IN
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 a hubble 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 SOC yards
and the Winslow and Hudson, being
small boats, were stationed close in,
on what is called the inside line.
At $40 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 fioated off easily into the shallow
water.
At half past II 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
C~ardenaS, and q shell whistled over
side. nearer the shore. The Hudson
and the WiuslOw reported K 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 EOS o'clock. and for 20 min
the firing continued from the
shore without cessation, but none of
the shots had at that time found their
mark. though they were striking Ian
gerOusly near.
Meanwhile the Hudson's two six
Founders were banging away at a
rate. How many of the tor
pedo boats shots took effect is not
The first two of the Hudson's
shells fell short, but after these two
every one fioated straight into the
smoke-clouded shore. The Spaniards'
linn in the meantime was improving,
md it was presently seer that two
empty banks had been anchored off
as ranges. 1t was p minutes
before three o'clock when a four-inch
hell struck the Winslow on the star
BOARD beam. knocking her forward
,oiler and starboard engine and crippl-
ng her steering gear, but no one was
INJURED. ,
Lieut.. Bernardou was standing .
Watching the battle with calm inter-