The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-06-20
EPOCHS IN SEA FIGHTS.
Togo's Victory Ranks High in the
Annals Of Naval History.

-hNAiAiA a AOSo FiStO4y OFSl ll4S
Russian fleet commanded oy Rojest-
vensky undoubtedly will be given a
commanding position in history
among the decisive naval battles of the
world. Lepanto, the Armada ard
Trafalgar are famous names, but it is
probable that Togo's LATEST and most
glorious triumph, by whatever title it
is called, will be ranked near if not
among them.
Togo has been dubbed the Japanese
Nelson, because Of his conquests over
Stark, Makarof and Without, success
i've commanders of the Port Arthur
fleet; but now he is beginning to be
called the Japanese Howard, after the
earlier English admiral who, with the
assistance of Sir Francis Drake and
Sir John Hawkins, destroyed the Gin
vincible Armada" which Spain sent
out to subdue and convert hereto
England at the cannon's mouth. The
defeat of Rojestvensky bears, indeed,
striking resemblance to the crush
ing of the Spanish Armada in the
reign Of GOOD Queen Bess," which is
the most celebrated event in the long
annals Of British marine triumphs.
Proud Armada Smashed.
The Armada was to the sixteenth
century what Rojestvensky's COM
rland was to the twentieth-the most
powerful naval armament of its
epoch. Every schoolboy is familiar
with that old story from the pages of
Kingsley's "Westward Hop if not
from his textbooks. Philip H., of
Spain, determined to crush for all
time the English wasp that had been
harassing his unweildly empire, gath
cred 132 hrst-class ships of war and
hundreds of smaller craft, under the
command of the Duke of Medina ST.
donia. The Armada carried 3,165 can
non, 8,766 sailors, 2,o88 galley slaves,
21,855 volunteers, 1855 gentlemen vol
unteers and their attendants, and $50
monks headed by Martin Alarco, vicar
OF the inquisition. The voyage began
May 10, 1888, and on July 1o the
mighty feet entered the English
channel. The combined forces of
Lord Charles Howard, Drake and
Hawkins engaged the enemy July FL,
and for seven days running fight
ragged, the sharpest conflict taking
place July rs. On the 18th fire ships
created panic among the Spaniards
as they lay at anchor, and many YES
sells were burned.
Disaster in Flight.
The scattered ships were attacked
again that day, and many were capt
ured or sunk. Then the remnants of
the Armada fled precipitately pursued
for time by the relentless English.
They crcumnavigated Scotland and
Ireland, meeting heavy storms nearly
all the way. In the retreat thirty-five
ships were wrecked on bleak coasts,
and 1900 men perished in the break
ers Or at the hands OF the hostile
peasantry. Queen Elizabeth attended
a magnificent thanksgiving in St.
Paul's Cathedral to celebrate the vic
tory, and medals, inscribed Deus
favlt ct dissipati sunt,' was struck off
to commemorate the event. A ma
tional memorial was erected July 10.
1888
Another world-iamous naval con-
tlct is the battle of Lepanto, by which
the mastery OF the Mediterranean was
torn from the hands Of the Turks. On
October !, 1871, the combined Chris
tlan fleets under the command of Don
John Of Austria, natural son of
Emperor Charles v, representing
Spain, Venice, Genoa, Malta and the
papal state, shattered an immense
Turkish armament in the bay of Le-
panto, off the western coast of Greece.
The Mohammedans lost most of their
galleys, $1,000 OF their sailors and
soldiers were slain or captured and