Evening star., 1898-10-13
Work of the Converted Yacht During
the War.
ENGAGEDlN THE FIRST NAVAL BATTLE
Reported Warships Which Delayed
Skaters Departure. q
THE STORY OF THE CHASE

presence of Spanish warships off the Cuban
coast which operated to delay the dispatch
OF Gen. Skaters expedition from Tampa
| last June is fully disclosed in an official
port to the Navy Department from Lieut.
W. II. H. Switzerland, who commanded the
! auxiliary cruiser Eagle throughout the war
The lieutenant, in speaking of this instance
says:
AT pm. of June Z a bright white light
was seen bearing N.N.W. The Eagle was
headed for it at full speed, when it i'm
mediately disappeared. After running some
time without seeing anything the chase was
abandoned. AT 9:45 pm. similar light was
seen bearing N by E., Il E. Again the
Eagle started in chase and soon made the
private night signal, keeping it up for not
less than two minutes during which inter-
| val the white light disappeared and a
sells hull could be distinguished. No an
swer was made to the signal from this YES
| sci. After running for ten minutes longer
| the Eagle again made the night signal for
| rot less than two minutes, but again
ceived no reply. Within a very short inter
val, however, a white light appeared from
| the chase. apparently truck light, and
! was Immediately answered by three white
| lights at about equal distances astern, all
| then going out almost Immediately. The
Eagle in the meantime had been going
toward the first light at full speed, and
four vessels could now be made out, the
| uTSl anu lnlTU seeming or large size, the
second and fourth quite small.
The Chase.
The Eagle now, fully expecting to be
attacked, headed for the third vessel in the
line, intending to attempt to destroy the
| last one if attacked by ALL When abreast
of the third vessel and within distance of
a mile the last vessel of the four moved up
the line toy ard the first one. The Eagle
then turned toward the vessels and ran
parallel with them within less than d mile
for over half an hour, during which 1t
observed that the first and third vessels
carried white stern lights, and that all
were going at a speed not much over seven
knots. During this interval the moon arose
and these vessels could be quite distinctly
seen by all on board of the Eagle.
The fact that the private night signals,
which must have been plainly seen, were
not answered Gan omission which would
have been almost criminal on a United
States man-of-war), the white signals, and
the white stern lights, all went to prove
| these vessels to be possible enemies. in con-
sequence of which the Eagle turned to the
westward and FASTENED to Key West with
this information for the benefit of the con-
voying fleet, speaking the collier Lebanon
en- route, and thus sending word to the
blockading vessels off Havana. When some
distance away from these vessels the look
out aloft reported one of the small vessels
in chase, but it could not be seen from
deck. Shortly after the arrival of the
| Eagle at Key West the L. S. S. Resolute
arrived and reported having been chased
by four vessels short time after the oc-
currence narrated above and in the vicin-
! ity.'
First Naval Fight of the War.
1t was not commonly known. probably
because Dewey's great achievement over
shadowed the fact, that Lieutenant South
eriand with the little Eagle fought the first
| naval engagement afoat of the war, but
rInb u-oc tha bic M
of April 20, the Eagle being part of little
squadron composed of the Marblehead and
the Nashville besides herself, off C-enfue-
gos. After the Nashville had capture. the
Argonauta prize, Captain McCalla signaled
the Eagle to proceed off the mouth of Glen
fuegos harbor. Arriving fifteen hundred
yards off the light house the Spanish tor
pedo gUnboat Galicia and a small gunboat
LETT the harbor and steamed out toward the
Eagle, each one In addition to a second
small gunboat within the harbor, commence
ing Well-directed fire, a number of their
shots falling quite close to the Eagle
This attack was answered Immediately
from the Eagles six-pOunders at a range
varying from 1000 to 2200 yards and to
such good effect that in fifteen minutes the
enemy retired. the Galicia having been hit
twice, once through her smoke pipe and
| once through her boiler. Within few
minutes one of the gupboats again appear
| ed, and with the forts on shore opened
| fire on the Eagle, which was promptly re-
| turned, the Eagle in the meantime having
| steamed little closer in toward the har-
| hor entrance. The Eagles fire during the
second attack was of short duration, as
| the Marblehead, which upon the firing of
| the first gun had started full speed to the
| Eagles assistance. arrived within a few
| minutes, and with a welldirected fire from
her splendidly handled battery soon silenc-
| ed the enemys fire ashore ard af1oat.
The first of these attacks on the Eage
brought on the first naval; engagement
al nft thn III ,nl,
converted yacht, armed with four six
pounders and two small Colts guns de-
feated and put to flight enemy's force
consisting of one torpedo gunboat and two
small gunboats. The Galicia was of su-
perior size to the Eagle and was armed
with two 4.72-inch rifles, four six-pounder
| rapid-fire guns, one machine gun and two
torpedo tubes Information received later
fl ON the insurgents was to the effect that
the injuries inflicted on the Galicia by the
Eagles fire were such to require over
five weeks to repair.
Other Events.
Lieut.. Southerlands report deals with
| many other interesting events that occur
| led during the blockade Of the Cuban port,
| the capture of prizes and the numerous
attacks on the Spanish forts along shore.
| The little vessel was engaged as part OF
| Simpsons fleet in firing upon the Spanish
| fcrts at Aguadores during the landing of
the Shafter expedition.
One of the most interesting events, how
| ever, was the capture by the little gunboat
of the big Spanish armed steamer Santo
Domingo, which she drove ashore and
burnt north of the Isle of Pines. This
| Spanish vessel was not only well armed
| herself, but had two big tweve-inch rifles
| in her hold. intended for the Havana for
| tifications She was destroyed directly in
| sight of small Spanish gunboat Lieut..
Switzerland says that in five months and
| four days of her service the Eagle covered
! 1905 miles. During this interval the
| health of the ship company was excellent,
Notwithstanding the facts that the men did
| not have their hammocks. but always slept
| under cover on deck near their guns.
| ARGENTfNE,S NEW ExECJTJvE