The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-05-28

Ensign and Four Seamen
of Wins1ow Killed.
Small American Fighting Boats
Made a Dashing Attack-Ran In
to a Fearful Fire.

below is the first publication here
Of the first real fight in the Atlantic.)
KEY WEST, Fla, May 12.-When
the United States gunboat Hudson
came I'D TO the government dock at
8 o'clock this morning the bodies OF
five dead men were lying on her after
deck. They were the remains of En-
sign w. Bagley and four members or
the crew Of the torpedo boat Winslow'
who were killed in an engagement IN
Cardenas harbor yesterday afternoon.
The bodies were covered by the Stars
and Stripes.
The engagement took place inside
the barbor of Cardenas. The gunboat
Wilmington. the torpedo boat WinslOw !
and the gunboat Hudson were the
only vessels engaged. They entered |
the harbor for the purpose OF attacking
some Spanish gunbOats which were
| known to be there. These latter, now
over were not discovered by the Amer
| lean force until the Spaniards opened
fire. The land batteries Of CardenaS
| suDDorted the fire of the Spanish gun
boats. The enga cement commenced aI
2.G5 D. M, and lasted for about an
hour.
The battle, while it lasted, was ter
rife. The Wilmington and the HUDSON
we're ahead and opened fire on the
Spanish boats which were lying at
the docks. The firing began at a range
of $500 yards. u,
few minutes later the WINSTON
| came I'D and also opened fire. IN an
instant the entire attention OF the
Spanish fleet and land batteries was
directed upon her. From all sldeS
shot and shell seemed to pour In upon
the little torpedo boat
The Wilmington and the Hudson
still kent ND their fire, but they could
not turn aside the terrible storm OF hre
and death pouring in upon the torpedo
boat.
The crew of the Winslow, however,
never faltered for a second. At 2: 80
y. m. a solid shot crashed into the
huu of the Winslow and knocked out
her boiler. In an instant she began
to roll and drift helplessly. Then
came a moment of awful suspense. a
fierce cheer of triumph went up from
- the Spaniards on the gunboats and III
the batteries, and again storm o.
fire was opened up on the helpless
boat.
The gunboat Hudson, which was ~
ing near by, started to the assistance
of the Winslow. She ran alongside tn
torpedo boat and tried to throw
, line to the imperilled crew.
In to this time, with the eXcepIol
Of the shot which disabled the bOile
of the WinslOw. the firing or the span
ish gunboats had been wild, but a
n
the range grew closer and shellS DeSa
to explode all about her
# was difficult for the Hudson to &c
near enough to throw line to tn
is WinsIow's crew, so terrible was tn
fire all about her.
Finally, after about twenty minutes
the Hudson approached near enough
= Ensign BagIey and six men wer
standing in a group on the aech
the WinslOw. zto,,+o
BaoIev. as he looked toward the con
mander of the Hudson and called II
a line. o#ce
from the Hudson. and with SIM
Raglev called back: Let her con-
It's getting too hot here Tor !coillLoI :. =
The line was thrown and sOI u
come instant. a shell burst in the Ye1
Il midst of the group Of men on poal
the WinslOw.
pooIav was instantly killed and
so,,1 o+bars drOpped about him. Half
- dozan more fell grooming on the bloo
] stained deck. One of the dead me
As etched hpadIong over the side OF u
boat but his feet caught IN the III
81 - ond the bodv was hauled back.
BaqIev Law stretched on the dec
with his face completely torn aWS
and the upper part OF his body Sna
tered. IT, -
Dado boat. disabled and helpless, rolI'
and swaved under the fury of the II
from the Spanish gunboats. When Il
she'll burst in the group on board u
WinsIow another wild shout
triumph went up from the Spans
boats and batteries, and again hea'
fire was opened on the torpedo poS
FINALLY the Hudson succeeded in &c
- ting line on board the WlnsIoW a
was towing her out OF the deadly rams
when the line parted and again DO
y boats were at the mercy OF the SPAN
fire.
- to get another line on the deck Oh
uD Winslow. but there were only tnT
MI men left at that time to make it ia
The line was finally secured, and t
WINSTON was towed up to PedTras l
and. where she was anchored, WI
- her dead and wounded on the deck
n The Spanish loss is not known
it must have been quite heavy. Shol
cal that Spaniards had been killed a
= wounded could be heard by the Anne