Evening star., 1898-08-16
CUSHING SOUGHT REVENGE
The Torpedo Boats Effort to Punish the
Winslow's hssailants
stopped by Peace Orders just a.
About TO Attack the Three Mur-
derous Spanish GunbOats

To the torpedo boat Gushing, command
ed by Lieutenant Albert Gleaves. will
doubtless go the distinction OF having had
the last naval engagement Of the Spanish
American war. Had the peace negotiations
been protracted a little longer the Gushing
would unduestionably have ended the con
riict by gloriousiy avenging its beginning.
when Ensign Bagley and his four comrades
of the Eirs.cU were killed at Cardenas
AT the very moment the orders for rais-
ing the blockade reached the Cushing shs
was making in for the three Spanish t-l1-
boats which had wrecked her sister boat.
intent on sinking them or herself going
down in the effort. They were the Isce-o
Aierta and Antonio Lopez. A few days he
lore the Gushing destroyed six small sInons
ana two-masted schooner, the Triurnph,,.
OF twenty-five tons
. On August she went over to sagua Ia
Ifdhde with orders to stop the inside traffic
IN the swallow water behind the KEYS where
the gunboats could not enter
reaching Cardenas the next day. she vas
JoIhed by the torpedo boat Mckee under
Lieutenant Kneppes. and both rrocos5aI -,
oasua Learning that there were two clto-
DoAtS IN that harbor. the Cushing and Nc
N nee cleared for action, and went in 10 SEQ
II any steamers were anchored inside a
they got under way the couyerre5 ,-,,,,
VIKING. with the senior officer of that l,r,cL.
ading station on board, came up and halted
N'iN A"b tbi peNp DedtS, which al al
10 return and anchor under the lighthouse
Across the shoals
That night, however. the Viking left. AMI
Lieutenant Gleaves. being then the rarkins
officer took the Cushing and Mckee ,rr.~ :
the shoals to the Boca Cristo channel ana
there captured six small cargo boats or
about four tons each. which were ly,nsr a.
anchor and had been abandoned b,. tbot,
crews This was done in full view nf Tho
gunooats. which. from a distance ~ NO
nues, contented themselves with firin.y on
lne torpedo boats without coming out r,o
shots were not returned
= sioops not being worth towing To Ka,-
west, We're burned the next dav on fba
oth the Siren arrived with the tornt15o b,sts
Gwin and Rogers and assumed cnyon,, w. ls
'ne olockading at that port
Inc cushing again asked permission 10
20 IN ana engage the gunboats but was
again refused, and was ordered with ~
Gwin, to Cardenas to prevent inIsnS 80
nc between that place and Santa clara
lhey left the next morning and after chas-
ing ana holding up the hospital ship Solace.
the American schooner DelIie which Win
the consent Of the authorities was car,.,-
ing cuban expedition; the Mangrove. and
the scheoner Anna f. Kraus from BaIti-
more lor Galveston, all or any Of which it
was hoped might be a shin Of the enemy,
ana offer fight. they put into CarAepas l1,,
last Thursday. Here the two-rnasteI
sehcoher Iriumpho was sighted at anchor
on the east side Of Hijo Key about a mile
distant. ~
"Cutting Out" Expedition.
The torpedo boat could not enter the shall
low water. 50 a cutting OUT expedition,
composed Of a boat from each Of the tor
pedo boats, both commanded by Cadet
David Boyd of the Cushing, who IS a sur
NlNor OF the Maine, was sent in As they
approached the schooner her crew ah1n-
dcbed her. She was anchored on a Ice
Shofe, ana a fresh wind made ii impossible
70 get her OFF, so Cadet Boyd, acting un-
der orders set fire to and destroyed her
On Friday both Of the dauntless little
nghters again went into the bay further
to the westward. and found a few slopps
standing out, all the other vessels hav-
ing scutried back toward the town The
Twin gave chase to one sloop, and after
firing many shells. hove her to.
me Gushing was meanwhile chasing a
second vessel, but the latter had too big
a lead. and. abandoning the pursuit, the
Cushlng went to the Gwins assistance
The latter's prize had six Spaniards on
board, and the two torpedo boats were
about to tow her out when the three SDar-
ish gunboats which wrecked the WinsIow
We're seen getting under way \ good fight
was promised, and to save time the sioop
was abandoned. the Spaniards on board Of
her showering blessings on their magnani-
nous Captors.
The decks of the torpedo boats were
again cleared for action. and, although the
contest would have been an unequal one
the Spanish boats carrying stronger bat
teries, all were ready for the daring at
tempt when the auxiliary yacht Stranger
appeared with the news that peace had
the boats were ordered Immediately back
to Key West.