Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-05-19

uFSt OSdQ 1G1 wednesday, III q ACASO
and bloody combat off Cardenas, on
the north coast of Cuba. Five men
were blown to pieces and five were
wounded ON the torpedo boat Winslow.
The dead are:
Worth Bagley, ensign.
John Varyers, oiler.
John Daniels and John Meek, both
frst-class firemen.
Josiah Tunnel (colored), cabin cook.
The wounded are:
R. E. Cox, gunners' mate.
d. McKeon, quartermaster.
J. Patterson, fireman.
f. Gray.
Lieut.. j. B. Bernadou.
The battle lasted IS minutes. 1t was
between the torpedo boat Winslow,
the auxiliary tug Hudson, and the gun
boat Wilmington on one side, and the
Cardenas batteries and four Spanish
Punboats ON the other. The Winslow
was the main target of the enemy and
was put out of service. The other
American vessels were not damaged,
except that the Hudson's two ventila-
tors were slightly scratched by flying
shrapnel.
The enemy's loss is largely conjec-
Sural. One of their gunboats caught
fire and the men of the Hudson think
it sank. The flames spread to the bar
racks and swept away several small
warehouses and for time the whole
water front seemed to be ablaze. The
Hudson's crew also believe that two
Spanish torpedo-boat destroyers were
disabled, but they admit that their
estimate of the damage is largely
guesswork, as the action was too sharp
for outside observations to be made.
The Winslow was within $500 yards
of the shore when the shells struck
her. How she came to be so close
was told by her commander, Lieut..
John Bernadou. He said:
1--WE were making observations when
the enemy opened fire on US The
Wilmington ordered us to go in and
attack the gunboats. We went in I'M
der full steam, and there's the result. !"
He was on the Hudson when he said
this, and with the final words he
pointed to hudd1e of American flags
on the deck near by. Under the Stars
and Stripes were outlined five rigid
forms.
The story of the fight, as told by the
Hudson's men, is as follows:
1.-THE Winslow, the Hudson, the
Machias and the Wilmington were
among the ships off Cardenas on the
blockade, the Wilmington acting as
flagship. The Machias lay about IL
miles out. the Wilmington $500 yards
and the Winslow and Hudson, being
small boats, were stationed close in,
On what is called the inside line.
at s:45 o'clock yesterday morning
the Hudson, under Capt. Newton, was
taking soundings in Diana Caypars
and Pomero bay, just outside Cardenas,
SO close to shore, that she grounded,
but hoated off easily into the shallow
water.
At half past IL o'clock the Whining
ton spoke the Hudson and the Win
slow and assigned them to duty, the
Winslow to start to the eastern shore
off Cardenas bay and the Hudson to
the western shore, while the Whining
ton took her station in mid-channe1.
This work occupied two hours. Moth
ing was discovered on either shore
and the boats were approaching
each other on their return when puff
of smoke was observed on shore at
Cardenas, and shell whistled over
them. The Winslow was on the in
side, nearer the shore. The Hudson
and the Winslow reported to the Will
mington and orders came promptly
to go in and open fire, but the Span
iards had not waited for a reply
to their first shot. The Cardenas
harbor shore had already become one
dense cloud of smoke. Shot with flashes
of fire, and an avalanche of shells was
bursting toward the little Winslow
This was 2:O5 o'clock, and for 20 min
utes the firing continued from the
shore without cessation, but none of
the shots had at that time found their
mark, though they were striking dan
gerously near.
Meanwhile the Hudson's two six
Founders were banging away at a
terrific rate. How many of the tor
pedo boats shots took effect is not
known. The first two of the Hudson's
shells fell short, but after these two
every one fioated straight into the
smoke-clouded shore. The Spaniards'
aim in the meantime was improving,
and it was presently seen that two
empty banks had been anchored off
shore as ranges. 1t was 25 minutes
before three o'clock when a four-inch
she'll struck the Winslow on the star
board beam, knocking out her forward
boiler and starboard engine and crippl-
ing her steering gear, but no one was
injured.
Lieut.. Bernadou was standing
watching the battle with calm inter-
est and directing his men as coolly as
If they were at target practice. By
the one-pounder amidships stood En-
sign Bagley, the oiler, the two tiremen
and the cook. The little boat
gasped and throbbed and rolled
helplessly from side to side. Lieut.
Bernadou did not stop for an
examination. He knew his boat was
uncomfortable. The Hudson was a
short distance away still pounding