The Portland daily press., 1898-05-17
THE WlNSLoW AVENGED.
The Gunboat Wilmington Bombards De-
fences of Town.

New York, May 16.--A special to the
World says:
On board the United States transport
Gussie, off Cuba, May ID (via Key West
May 1871 "a
On Thursday morning the gunboat
Wilmington steamed close into the coast
and quays off the town of Cardenas. Her
gun crews were at their stations.
Every man on board from Captain
Todd to the signal boy, had one burning
idea, "Avenge the Winslow."
The watchword along the rowded
decks and in the heated engine room and
glowlng fireroom, where blackened giants
tolled, stripped to the waist, were: IRE
member the Winslow p
"lthln range of the powerful four inch
proadsldes were the Spanish gunboats
which had decoyed the Winslow, the
masked battery that had dealt sudden
death and the forts and schooners at
anchor.
Reports of mines planted in the en-
trance channels were disregarded. The
wilmington was no longer a blockader-
she bad become destroyer.
or an honr q hurricane of exploding
proJectiles beloved and shrieked and
screamed into the harbor of Cardenas-
not against the town, but the ships and
defenceS, the Spanish troops and sailors
.Mhe gunners of the Wilmington dc, not
fN &Sfe ammunition.s Their execution was
- Iisafm 1;a Nearly three hundred, four
-fticR and six pound shells and one
epoanders screamed like steel cataract
afieat and ashereag Signal stations,
masked battery and forts wers knocked
to pieces.
The Spanish had to fee like rats from
a sinking ship. They left behind them
many dead.
~ was the most destructive lombard
ment yet attempted on the Cuban coast.
In the harbor two gunboats, with
steam up, were riddled and sunk. Their
crews ned to the shore in small boats.
ing their guns. Nv
Two schooners were sunk where thew
lay.
One blockhouse caught fire from an ex.
ploding she'll and famed like a war
beacon. The Wilmington was not touched
by the shells flung at her.
The attack was sudden; superbIy effec-
tive. The Wilmington in an hour swept
Cardenas bare of defences as one womb
brush crumbs from table cloth.
The town is three miles back from the
Gulf entrance to the harbor, SO the nom
com batants suffered but slightly.
Ofcourse it is impossible to know the
Spanish losses, because no landing was
made.
DUO fOr Inc !hsG bWo Weeks troops have
been massing in front of Cardenas, in
point for invasion as base of supplies by
the American forces. Hundreds OF men
relworking on the earthworks and
blockhouses overlooking the harbor.
Masked. batteries were being planted.
One of them surprised and made havoc
with the torpedo boat Winslow. This
death trap was located by the Whining.
on nd 1,,nv1 md iv,fo H.
air.
1t was terrific punishment at close
range, this fierce onslaught of the Will
mington. The Spanish had become in
different to the American ships always
lowering outside. Only the torpedo boat
had opened fire and dashed menacingly
shoreward.
1t was another matter when the Will
mington, with her eight four inch guns
and secondary battery, a nest of machine
guns in her formidable fighting top, slow
ly circled over the smooth sea, which
gave her gunners platform as steady as
solid rock.
1t was no longer the target practice. It
was death in squirting flame and its en-
,veloping smoke cloud. The only respite
came when the sweating gunners paused
to let the smoke fog drift aside.
The commander of the Wilmington
hailed us this morning and reported
tersely that he had thrown nearly three
hundred shells into Cardenas, inflicting
considerable damage s SIS
He was over modest. In reality he
caused considerable measure of annihi-
lation and absolutely destroyed in par
ticular instances certain gunboats. bat
teries, small Notifications and an IN
known number of Spaniards.
The Wilmington still hovers like a
hawk between Cardenas and Matanzas.
She has store of ammunition left and
watches for signs of convalescence in and
around Cardenas harbor.