The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-18
WORKING HER ONE GUN

ad ssa Proclaimed.

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al the prc>c0cy If the Spanish Sunooag
Herman CeGjc> and smaller S0oooa5,
which were evidently making CAlb3rieh
their base.
Sunday morning Captain Stuart the
commander of the Nangrove, decided to
have a shot at the gunboats. Sounding
her way inch by inch the Mangroye
crept along the channel. drawing eight
feet OF water in an average depth Of
eight and Il half, until about . O'Clock
she sighted both the Spanish gun0oatS.
The Herman Cortes was anchored near
the shore, about thousand yards TO
the right of the town. with her broad
side to the sea. The small gunboat lay
at the wharf.
The Spaniards evidently were an
ticipating a battle. The shore was
crowded while the roof of every building
that commanded Il view of the harbor
was covered with people anxious to see
the fight. The Herman Cortes carried
two IL inch guns and four one-pounderS.
while her smaller companion was armed
with three one-pounders and n Hotch-
kiss rapid-fire gun. The crew of both
numbering in all between % and 100
men, could be seen on. the decks. Ashore
were several one-pounder field pieces
while the Spanish troops We're armed
with Mauser rifles.
The Mangrove, whose entire battery
consists of only two six-pounders, work
ed into a range of 5000 yards. The
channel was so narrow that only one gun
could be fired ut Il time. At 1915 Il. IN.
she got up her port gun at the Herman
Cortes. The shot fell short. Instantly
the whole shore line burst into flame.
both gunboats and the field pieces pour
ing in heavy fire upon the American
vessel Every shot of this yolley struck
the water ahead Of the Mangr0ye, which
continued pumping away with her port
Founders. She concentrated -er
fire on the Herman Cortes and the next
five or six shots fell on the Spaniards'
deck between the bow gun and amid
ships, scattering a body of men. Some
of the latter must have been killed, al
though the Spaniards later denied that
they suffered any loss.
For a while no Spanish gun was fired
but soon the Spaniards got the Man
grove range, and "A yeritable avalanche
of shot and shell was hurled at her. I'll
was nothing less than a miracle that
her loss Of life was not heavy.
In the midst of all this, and while
the Mangrove was swinging cautiously
around to bring her starboard into play
the watch shouted flag of truce" and
sure enough not only one, but three
white flags could be seen, one flying
from the small gunboat and two from
the Government houses on shore.
The AIangrove acknowledged the sig
nails and presently small boat came
out with Spanish officer who clam
bered aboard the Mangrove and in ex
ccedingy nervous tones announced:
peace is proclaimed, and | have in
structions for your commanding officer
from the military commander of this
district"
He added that during the engagement
the Spanish authorities in Caibarcn had
wired the military commander Of the
district that the American ships were
bombarding the port and that immediate
response had been received informing
them that peace had been restored and
the firing should cease.
The Spanish crew of the small boat
which brought the officer to the Man
grove said the Spanards had not lost n
man. but the officer himself made no
alusion to the fight, which nd lasted
an hour and ten minutes.
As the Mangrove was creeping out Of
the channel she went aground and lay
there five hours. Had the same mis-
hap befallen her during the engagement
the chances are that she would have
been sent to the bottom with all aboard.