The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-13
STORY oF THE FIGHT.
Graphic Account of the Engagement
by the Hudson's Crew.

leau Ie!l yesterday IN a nerce ana DlOouy
combat off Cardenas. on the north coast of
Cuba. Five men were blown to pieces and
five were wounded on the torpedo boat Wins
low. The dead are: Worth Bagley, ensign;
John Varvaress. oiler; John Daniels and J.
3. Meek, both first-cIass firemen. and Josiah
Tunnel, colored, cabin cook. The wounded
are: X. F. Cox, gunner's mate; d. McKeon.
quartermaster; J. Patterson, fireman; L.
Gray and Lieutenant j. B. Bernadou.
The battle lasted thirty-five minutes. 1t
was between the torpedo boat Winslow, the
auxiliary tug Hudson and the gunboat will
mington on one side and the Cardenas bat
tesies and four Spanish gunboats on the
other. The Winslow was the main target
of the enemy and was put out of service.
The other American vessels were not dam
aged except that the Hudson's two ventila-
tors were slightly scratched by flying
shrapnei
The enemy's loss is largely conjectural.
One of their gunboats caught fire and the
men of the Hudson think it sunk. The
flames spread to the barracks and swept
away several small warehouses and for a
time the whole water front seemed to be
ablaze. The Hudson's crew also believed
that two Spanish torpedo boat destroyers
were disabled. but they admit that their
estimate Of the damage is largely guess
work, as the action was too sharp for out
side observations to be made
The Winslow was within $500 yards of
shore when the shell struck her. How she
came to be so close was told by her COM
snander. Lieut.. John B. Bernadou. He
said: I'VE were making observations when
the enemy opened fire on US The
Wilmington ordered us to go in
and attack the gunboats. We went
in under full steam, and there's
the result" lie was on the Hudson when
he said this. and with the final words he
pointed to bundle of American flags on
the dedk near by. Under the stars and
stripes were outlined five rigid forms.
The story of the fight. as told by the Hud-
sons men, is as follows: The Winslow, the
Hudson. the Machias and the Wilmington
were among the ships off Cardenas on the
blockade, the Wilmington acting as flag
ship. The. Machias lay about twelve miles
out. the Wilmington five hundred yards,
and the Hudson and Winslow, being small
boats. were stationed close in, on what is
called the inside line. At Il quarter to
o'clock yesterday morning the Hudson, I'M
der Capt. f. II. Newton, was taking sound
ings in Diana Capars and Romero bay
she grounded once, but fioated off easily
into the shallow water At half past il
the Wilmington spoke the Hudson and the
Winslow and assigned them to duty, the
Winslow to start to the eastern shore of
Cardenas bay and the Hudson to the west
ern shore, while the Wilmington took
her station in midchannel. This work
occupied two hours. Nothing was discovered
m ci chn nd he re
preaching each other on their return when
a puff of smoke was observed on shore at
Cardenas and shell whistled over them
The Winslow was on the inside The Hud-
son and WinsloW reported to the Whining
ton and orders came promtIy to go in and
open fire, but the Spaniards had not waited
for reply to their first shot The Car
denas harbor shore had already become one
dense cloud of smoke, shot with flashes of
fire, and an avalanche of shells was burst
ing towards the little Winslow.
This was at five minutes past o'clock
and for twenty minutes the firing continued
from the shore without cessation, but none
OF the shots had at that time found their
mark, though they were striking danger
ously near. Meanwhile the Hudson's two
six-pounders were banging away at a ter
rlhc rate How many of the torpedo boats
shots took effect is not known. The first
two of the Hudson's shells fell short, but
after these two every one floated straight
into the smoke-ciouded shore The Span
iards' aim in the meantime was improving
and it was presently seen that two empty
banks had been anchored off shore as
ranges. 1t was twenty-five minutes before
O'Clock when four-inch shell struck the
Winslow on the starboard beam, knocking
out her forward boiler and starboard en-
CINE, and Gripping her steering gear, but
no one was injured.
Lieutenant Bernadou was standing for
ward watching the battle with calm inter-
est and directing his men as coolly as if
they were at target practice. BY the one
FOUNDER amidships stood Ensigr BagIey
the oiler, the two firemen and TIE cook The
little boat gasped and throbbed and rolled
helplessly from side to side. Lieutenant
Bernadou did not stop for an examination.
He knew his boat was uncontrollable. The
Hudson was short distance away still
pounding away with her guns. She was
hailed and asked to take the Winslow in
tow. 1t was a vital moment Guns reared
from shore and sea- Lieutenant Scott, in
charge Of the Hudson aft gun, sat on a box
and smoked a cigarette as he directed the
fire. Captain Newton stood near Lieu
tenant Meek at the forward gun and
watched its working with unmoved interest.
Chief Engineer Cutchin- never missed his
bell. A group of sailors was making ready
to heave a line to the Winslow, and Ensign
Bagley and his four men stood on the port
sidc Of the latter vessel, waiting to receive
it. vicious fire was singing about them.
The Spaniards seemed to have found the
exact range.
There was momentary delay in heaving
the tow line and Ensign Bagley suggested
that the Hudson's men hurry. "Heave her,
he called Let her come; it's getting pref
ty warm here" The line was thrown and
grabbed by the Winslow's men. Grimy
with sweat and powder. they tugged at it
and drew nearer foot by foot TO the Hudson
Almost at the same instant another four
inch she'll shrieked through the smoke and
burst directly under them. Five bodies went
whirling through the air. Two of the group
were dead when they fell-Ensign Bagley
and Fireman Daniels. The young ensign
was literally disembowled and the entire
lower portion of the fireman's body was
torn away. The other three died within a
few minutes. A flying piece of shrapnell
struck Lieutenant Bernadou in the thigh
moi know it then. With the explosion of
the shell the hawser parted and the Wins
lows helm went hard to starboard, and,
with her steering gear smashed, the tor
pedo boat f1oundered about in the water