The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-11
THE WINSLOW'S DARING.
Single Handed She 3 ngaqes Three
Spanish Gunboats.
The SPANlARDS WERE STAGGERED.
In the Sl3irmish Ono of the Gunbonts
WINS Badiy Damagcd, White the
Winsiow Was unscnthcd.
lie sPANlARDS WERE STAGGERED.

New York. May io.--A dispatch to the
World from Key West says
The torpedo boat Winslow engaged three
Spanish gunboats OFF Cardcnas bay Sunday
afternoon. She disabled one and came on
unscathed. Lieutenant Bernardo, Ensign
Baglcy and the men of the winsiow thought
odds OF three 10 one fair and their one
Founders a match for the Spanish aggre-
cation of six-pounders 1t was brilliant
minor engagement. The winsiow aud the
guuhoat Machias were GU the blockade oil
Cardenas yesterday. The harbor is thickly
srewn with mines and torpedoes In the
entrance TO tho channel three small gun
boats have been bottled up since the be-
ginning Of the war. Occasionally they have
stolen out of sight Of American ships. The
torpedo boats have tried to draw the enemy
out by lodging inside as far as safety
allowed and scouting around within full
sight OF the city. A fow days ago buoy
WAS .moorod by Spaniards Inside the en-
trance Of the bay to mark tho position or
entrance OF the gunboats. a signal sta
ton on the shore opposite was Instructed
to notify the gunboats inside whsn the tor
redo boats We're within the limit distance
marked by the buoy. The scheme was tNat
tho gunpoats could run out. open fire 1T
the one milo range thus marked off for
them and retreat without the chance OF
being cut off. Tho men Of the Winslow
eyed this buoy and guessed its purpose.
On Sunday afternoon the Machias stood
| away 10 the eastward for jaupt and the
Winslow was left alone TO maintain the
| blockade. The Winslow steamed In nearly
| to the range buoy when three gunboats
| n "a
| limit Three six FOUNDERS We're trained at
| 1000 yards. In n few minutes more signals
| told the Spaniards that the torpedo boat
was IN Snngc.
The ~ FOUNDERS cracked and tbrce shells
| threw Water spouts around the Winslow.
But she was not struck, Instead of run
ming away she drove ahead, attacking the
boats Lieutenant Bernardo no sooner saw
| the frst white smoke pufiS from the span
| ish guns than he gave the>word and the
| two forward ono-pouuders dropped shells
| in the middle OF the flotillo On
plunged tha Winslow to within 1900 yards
Of the gunboa,s while tho row raised by
the rapid Are one Founders was like n rot
| Ting tattoo The Spnniards were appar-
| emily staggered al this fierce onslaught,
| single handed, and fired Wildly. The Win
slow now swung around broadsido to bring
her two after guns to bear AK the Spanish
fleet scattered and lost formation, The
popping at all three gunboats AT once. The
sea was very heavy and the torpedo boat
rolled 70 wildly that II wax impossible TO
do good gun practice from her decks, but
the rapid,y OF her FIRE and remarkable CT
fCctiveness under tho circumstances dc
moralzod all three opponents. which, after
the Winslow had fired about f'tty shells,
hceun gradually to work back toward the
shelter OF the harbor,
They were still hammerlng away with
their six FOUNDERS. hut after the first hres
wore wild Several shots passed over INC
Winslow and one exploded 100 feet astern
hut the others were shorter considerably on
on one side.
At last a one pound shell from the Win
slow struck the hull Of the gunboat Pinior
aft Of midships, apparently exploding on
tho Inside Tho Wiuslow mon yelled I'M
pinzon stopped. evidently difahlcd' wh'l'
one OF her comrades went to her assist
apce. ny this time The Spanish boats nae
retrcated into q position where they coulC
no, he followed because Of mines and tor
poaocs The Pinzon got under way hln"N
and lmped homeward with the help OF he'
ronROrt.