Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1899-01-19
HOW THE TARS FIGHT

There was a mile and more Of smoke ans
fame and lighting stretching westward iron
the MORO before Ceryera's torpedo boat de
. stroyers steamed past the Merimae ana
. swung into the lane OF FIRE marked out toI
them by the admiral on the finest Of morn
ings. July 3.
Richard Wainwright, executive otheer o.
the Maine. commanding the converted
yacht Gloucester, had run in toward the
Larbor mouth from his blockading station,
which was little 70 the eastward, ald when
the last Of the Spanish cruisers Uas making
her turn westward the yacht WIS heading
straight toward her.
The big ll-inch guns Of the cruiser belched
fire and smoke as she opened on the Indiana.
/ Her captain saw the Gloucester, too, and
evidently suspected that she might attempt
to torpedo him, SO the guns OF the second
airy battery were trained on the yacht aud
SHELLS fell an about her
Wainwright, whose danger was great, an.
swered, only steaming the closer. From the
/ Herald yacht Golden Rod, which at that
| time was directly off shore from Gloucester.
We watched in amazement. Smoke curled up
over the yacht a moment later, and We
| knew that she was answering the cruiser
with her siX-pounders.
But that was only an incident 70 Vain
wright. Lying closer in than the Golden
Rod be had already seen what we did not
see till later-the Furor and Pluton coming
out OF the harbor We understood when We
saw them that he was holding his position
10 spite Of the cruisers hre 30 that he
might engage the destroyers at deadly range.
The Gloucester is a torpedo boat destroyer
a. the event proved, destroyer OF destroy.
ers
! turned from the main battle fora second
or two pretty often IN the next few historical
minutes TO see the yacht and the destroyers,
and i was difficult to take ones eyes Oh
them, for on the bridge Of the Golden Rcd
men were saying OF the Gloucester; She's
gone they're both going straight at herl
Why doesn't be pail OUT Bot they did
not know Dies Wainwright
As che destroyers made the turn west
rlrd every gun which could bc trained on
tae Gloucester was tired, and her decks we're
vet by spray cast there by SHELLS which
struck about her Morse still, the guuners
IN The battery beyond Moro were throwing
proiectiles at the yacht, any one OF which /
must destroy her at once d the ann we're !
true And at tlns time the last OF the +
cruisers still fired az her. The smallest Of |
The shells would have gone through her. and 1
my pro;ccti'e was likely 20 cripple her and /
invite destruction
Wainwright only moved little bit closer
Smoke bid the Gloucester, the smoke Of her
,wn guns, and nan beside me called 10
ear, They've sunk bert" We all thought
% But out Of the smoke cloud her bow ap-
5eared at last The destroyers were run.
ing parallel with the coast, seeking the
efuza which would be theirs could they get
.etpeen the larger Spanish ships and the
hofe Wainwright steered their course.
nd SO they fought bHoadside and broad
Idle
They fired fast at first The Gloucester's
uns were worked with inconceivable speed
throughout Often we thought her disabled
= gone when the smoke closed about her.
When We heard afterward that Vain.
right had not lost a man we could not be.
eve It, for the range was short, and oncewe
new his little craft was target Tor a
ruiser, the land batteries and the destroy.
r. all together.
The Golden Rods men yelled-"yel' is
he word-eyery time the yacht shook OF
he shroud Of powder smoke and whenever
ley saw the flame spurts Of her guns dash
trough H. They yelled more you may be
ire, when the first destroyer, winged aud
,lplsss, stopped in her fight westward lost
.adway and course and drifted into the
rf
Wainwright moved closer to the other.
be big ships were pounding this one. too.
rem the New York, hurrying up from the
stward, threw a shell or two-four, be
ye-at the black Spaniard, but they were
apely needed She was on fire, and her
n had long been unable to work their
ms effectively. And still the old Corsair
for the Gloucester was the Corsair-spat
e and buried herself in the smoke Of bat
J. And al the time Wainwright moved a
tie closer. The second destroyer struck
r colors and went ashore blazing.