Barre evening enterprise. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-1898, 1898-04-14
A FAMOUS SEA FIGHT.
ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN CHILEAN
AND PERUVIAN IRONCLADS


he Whata Fight Between Modr.:, var YES.
sells Means.
ed In 7 he Century Glance II. Wetmore
k. has an article on "a Famous Sea
l Fight, describing the cnascs mcnt be-
10 tween Chilean and FCruyian ronclads
l off the coast Of Bolivia in 1919 Mr..
IL Wetmore says:
~ From the first of the battle the en-
-, couraging voice of Gran had come to
If the men in the turret through the speak.
h ing tube from the coming tower, but
T. when the Blanco crowded into the thick
k of it and great shot struck the Huas.
cars sides as regularly as blows of a
l battcrlng ram the orders of the COM
q mander were no longer heard The Off.
| Ger in charge of the turret called to his
t superior There was no answer, and
> when Commander Elias Agucrrc ran M
inc narrow little ladder that led to the
, tower he stumbled over the dead body
or his admiral. a she'll had struck the
coming tower and had taken of Grau's
head as neatly as if the deca Litatiou
had teen ~ the guillotne. This shell
also El.lCd Lieutenant Ferre. the ad
mlral aid. There was only time to
push the corpses aside, and the new
commanding officer pulled back the
tube flap to give his directions. bit as
ne did so the Huascar staggered, Ecc)cd
over then shook iii every plate, while
a conclusion more terrific than any so
Tar told that a shell had entered the
turret and had burst there When the
tunes had cleared away so that a per
son could speak, Il midshipman called
out that one of the great guns had been
alsnounted and 20 men killed The
survivors tumbled the bodies through
the hatch that opened into the deck be
low thus releasing the clogged ma.
chlnery, and as the corpsos ratified down
other men rushed up, throwing off their
clothlhg rs they jumped into the pools ,
OF blood to seizo hold CT the gear and
SWIM" the remaining gun into position,
'hte IL might train upon ono CT the
sH'ps--tAcy could no longer make out ,
which, nor did they care-and it was
discharged, hauled ill., loaded and dis.
charged again.
Once moro all was silent in the con.
hlns tower Lieutenant Palacios has
,enea there, but before he could enter 4
ne was compelled to push three bodies y
out OF the way He had barely given
MS 1lrst command when "a bullet from :
lhe well aimed rifle of a marine in an
enemy top lodged between his ewes J
linen the fourth to command the Huas. {
ear that day, Lieutenant Pedro GarpzoD (
-ook the place, and as he did SO he call. Z
~ through an aperture telling the =
l"aftermaster to put the helm to port; }
or he mad determined to ram one Of tho {
'dVersarles and sink with her if ueces }
airy Over and over spun the wheel (
nut the Huascar's head still nointp1 ho' y
ween the Chieans. {
"Port! Fort, l sayr' screamed tbe
Z
nho won answer" came back the :
ollen reply from the only one of (our Y
uartermasters alive The bodies Of fine 4
theirs were lying upon the grating ~
is feet. w. A
"A shot has carried away the star.
'aia steering gear, sir, " reportel an Ga.
lSlsn, and he dropped dead as tho prd5ii
ords left his mouth. feu
lbs
Inc iluascar now lay drifting in ;sG,f
III OF shot and flame, but all the wbilo cox
10 fed white and red tluttered from S sis
e peak. One by one, in twrs and j., We
reeS, tho mon in the turret lron,,o1 stsiijjl
'noir posts ard at last the remaining % :,
eau gun vas silent, its tackle litorallv @ Y.
1NNu WIN oo"o The turrot cou Id not a.. 49, ~
turned for the same reason. Courses o.."a
NY over the military top; cornses FoTn
5gged the coming tower. b f,t, ~, .
WIN coats and waistcoats off the sur. % ga
ohs had been lahoring in the ward. IL!
I'M upon the wounded, who shr;o,. ~ :
III their agony, had Eeen tunblpd
WI tho companionway like so mucb cg4*
lchere" beer, for there was no ti,no i.@S
use stfetchefa or to carry a striclon IN
lraao to doctors care. Steam ona {ggS
oko filtered through the doorw,vs NJ
tho apartment became Sitting u,
'iio 'ney were saving, amputatiuo J
ool"delhs a shell tore into the ne E, 81,
.u y, burst, and fragments wound. sh%'
NV assistant surgeons, the chief of
-: iloulGal statf having been killed
ler ID the conflict. Those unfortu. Twor,
20 "no were stretched upon the IN. e ce.?
awaiting their turn under t)e l,nifo lBso.yr
those who lay upon the floor sut r,o and re
10 moro pain. They were killed 40
lay grooming. This shell tore awav M 4
Groom and stern cabin, and bnrdly MsS
ice was left of the bulkhead Aftrr HHH
what little surgery was done was was AVk
'rne" IL the coal bunkers
ADDED IN passageway near tho 0PI[Ibs
ne room were score or more If nor>
n,n ,aoio vi non, A r
rs They vvoro j., ii'on ana guarar
ed only ~ s"l, !" pace That was No ct
r. ,,o, an ',''A'oa calho from tho ton II
'louds OF steam that drifted frnv, A.,
', tola that the Huascar had hnpn
IN vital spot-her mnchinorv
only they heard crash followed
rehalnS of the deck, and the If. nOE>
onclad swayed as if she had struol, - lai
e Some one passed the word th,t ' rIa Ir',
'''lhtop mast had been shot oy.nv crack, D
came down it brought liyjny ,nc, wear an
o"sned to death, also corpses thot r r'"HI-n
cen hanging over the sides IF tho n trnnt ,I'
ny top. '''o ahya, "' ~
4 tan.