Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-07-28
FAMOUS FIGHTS
ON THE SEA
BATTLES THAT HOLD PROM
NENT PLACE IN WORLDS
HISTORY.

Admiral Togos victory over the
Russian fleet commanded by Rojest-
vensky undoubtedly will be given a
commanding position in history among
the decisive battles of the world. Le-
panto, the Armada and Trafalgar are
famous names, but it is probable that
Togos latest and most glorious tri-
umph, 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, Makaroff and without, success.
i've commanders of the Port Arthur
fleet; but tonight he is beginning to
be called the japanese Howard, after
the earlier British admiral who. with
the assistance of Sir Francis Drake
and Sir John Hawkins, destroyed that
''invincible armada" which Spain sent
out to subdue and convert hereto
England at the lannon's mouth. The
defeat of Rojestvensky bears, indeed,
a 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 tri-
umphs.
Proud Armada Smashed.
The Armada was to the 10th CEN
fury what Rojestvensky's command
was to the 2Oth-the most powerful
naval arrangement of it's epoch. Ev.
cry school boy is familiar with that
old story from the pages Of kingsley's
Westward Ho!' if not from his text
books. Philip II. of Spain, determin-
ed to crush for all time the English
wasp that had been harrassing his
unwieldly empire, gathered 1872 first.
class ships Of war and hundreds of
smaller craft, under the command of
the Duke Of Medina Sidoia. The
Armada carried 3165 cannon, 8766 sal.
lors, 2088 galley slaves, 21,S55 volun.
teers, 1855 gentlemen volunteers and
their attendants and $50 monks head.
ed by Martin Alarco, vicar of the in.
QUESTION. The voyage began May 49,
1888, and on July 10 the mighty fleet
entered the English channel. The
combined forces of Lord Charles How.
ard, Drake and Hawkins engaged the
enemy July 81, and for seven days a
running fight ragged, the sharpest fight
taking place July 25. On the 2Sth
hreshlps created panic among the
Spaniards as they lay at anchor, and
many vessels were burned.
Disaster in Flight.
The scattered ships were attacked
again that day, and many were cap
tured or sunk. Then the remnants
OF the Armada fed precipitately, pur
sued by the relentless English. They
circumnavigated Scotland and Ireland
meeting heavy storms nearly all the
way. In the retreat IS ships were
wrecked on bleak coasts, and 1906
men persisted in the breakers or a
the hands of the hostile peasantry
Queen Elizabeth attended a magnifi
cent thanksgiving in St. Paul's ca
thedral to celebrate the victory, an,
medals, inscribed Deus flavit ct dis
slpati sunt," were struck off to com
memOrate the event. A nationa
memorial was erected July 10, 1885
Another world famous naval con
,, flict is the battle of Lepanto, by which
the mastery of the Mediterranean wa
torn from the hands of the Turks
, On October Z 1871, the combine.
Christian fleets, under the comman,
= of Don John of Austria, natural sol
OF Emperor Charles ", representa-,
. Spain, Venice, Genoa, Malta and tn,
= papal state, shattered an immens
= Turkish armament in the Bay of 1t
: panto. off the western coast 0
Greece. The Mohammedans lost mos
of their galleys, $4,000 of their sail
ors and soldiers were slain or captul
s ed and $4,000 Christian galley slave
u were rescued from captivity.
;. Nelson's Noted Fights.
y Next on the roll of fame comes Ira
falgar. where the conquering Nelson
>. mortally wounded, ordered that hi
$ last signal be: England expects e,
" cry man to do his duty This battle
! between the English and the joine
" french and Spanish fleets, took plac
>. Off Cape Trafalgar, Spain, Octobe
. 21, 1905. Nelson had q ships: Vile
neuve, the French admiral, IS, an
the two Spanish commanders II
y Nineteen ships of the allied fleet
, were captured, sunk or burned. Ar
. other of Nelson's famous battles wa
3 that of Aboukir, or the Nile, Angus
= l, 1898, where, by destroying tn
e French fleet, he ended Napoleon
% hopes of annexing Egypt.
:, Admiral Van Tromp, the dought
. Hollander, almost succeeded in wres
- ling the naval supremacy from Bri
ANNA in 1862. He figured in a fl
). nous series of conflicts called tn
! battles of Dover Straits. Althoug
- first defeated by Admiral Blake, Sci
TENDER %, he surprised the Englis
fleet in the Downs a month later, hi
# 80 ships overwhelming the 40 flyin
n the Union Jack. Then he sailed u
n and down the channel unmolestet
" with broom at the masthead of hi
4 flagship to announce that he ha
:. swept the English from the seas.
Blake Turns on Dutch.
# Blake defeated him again. Febrl
airy 1920. 1858, off Portsmouth, d.
~ stroying II men of war and 80 me-
4 chantmen; again off the North Fore
land, June 2. driving the Dutch int
Calais roads. and on July 81 took fina
# revenge by crushing the fleets of Ho
land and killing their admiral.
At the battle of Camperdown, sout
of the Texel. Holland. October Il
- 1897. England again conquered tn
e Dutch on the sea, and ended thei
y aspirations for maritime power. Dur
d can commanded the British and ID
Winter the Dutch. Is of the latter
l l.