Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-06-02
EPocHs IN SEA FIGHTS.
Toso's Victory Ranks High in the
Annals of Naval History.

Annals Of Naval History.
Admiral Togo's victory over the
Russian feet commanded by Rojest-
vensky undoubtedly will be given a
commanding position in history among
the decisive naval battles Of the world.
Lepanto, the Armada and Trafalgar
are famous names. but 1t is probable
that Togo's latest and most glorious
triumph, by Whatever title 1t Is called.
will be ranked near II 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 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 that lin
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
mand 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 Ho!" II not
from his textbooks. Philip II. Of
Spain, determined to crush for all
time the English wasp that had been
harassing his unwieldly empire, gath
cred 1872 st-class ships Of war and
hundreds of smaller craft, under the
command of the Duke Of Medina 81
donia. The Armada carried 3,165 can
non, S,766 sailors, 2,08S galley slaves,
21,S55 volunteers, 1856 gentlemen vol
unteers and their attendants, and 150
monks headed by Martin Alarco, vicar
Of the inquisition. The voyage began
May 10, 1888, and on July 19 the
mighty fleet entered the English chan
mel. The combined forces Of Lord
Charles Howard, Drake and Hawkins
engaged the enemy July 81, and for
seven days a running fight ragged, the
sharpest conflict taking place July 25.
On the 2Sth fire ships 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 capt.
ured or sunk. Then the remnants OF
the Armada fed precipitately pursued
for a time by the relentless English.
They circumnavigated Scotland and
Ireland, meeting heavy storms nearly
all the way. In the retreat thirty
five ships were wrecked on bleak
coasts, and $4,000 men perished In the
breakers or at the hands Of the hos
tile peasantry. Queen Elizabeth at
tended a magnificent thanksgiving In
st. Paurs Cathedral to celebrate the
victory, and medals, inscribed Deus
favit ct dissipati sunt," was struck
off to commemorate the event. A
national memorial was erected July -,
1885,
Another world-famous naval conflict
Is the battle of Lepanto, by which the
mastery of the Mediterranean was
torn from the hands Of the Turks.
On October I, 1871, the combined
Christian fleets, under the command
Of Don John of Austria, natural son
Of Emperor Charles w., 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, $4,000 Of their sailors and
soldiers were slain or captured and
l5. 900 Christian galley slaves were
rescued from captivity.
Nelson's Noted Fights.
Next on the roll Of fame comes Ira
falgar, where the conquering Nelson,
| mortally wounded, ordered that his
last signal be: England expects ev-
cry man to do his duty" This battle,
between the English and the Joined
French and Spanish fleets, took place
off Cape Trafalgar, Spain, Oct. Il,
1906. Nelson had twenty-seven ships;
Villeneuve, the French admiral, eigh-
teen, and the two Spanish commanders
fifteen. Nineteen ships Of the allied
fleets were captured, sunk or burned.
Another Of Nelson's famous battles
was that Of Aboukir, or the Nile, Aug"
| /, 1898, where, by destroying the
French fleet, he ended Napoleon's hopes
of annexing Egypt.
Admiral Van Tromp. a doughty Hol-
lander, almost succeeded in wrestling
the naval supremacy from Britannia
| il 1862. He figured In famous series OF
conflicts called the battles Of Dover
Straits. Although first defeated by
| Admlral Bake, Sepl. co. he oui Pi i'e
the English fleet In the Downs month
later, his eighty ships overwhelming
the forty flying the Union Jack. Then
he sailed up and down the channel nn-
molested, with a broom at the mast
head of his flagship to announce that
he had swept the English from the
seas.
Blake Turns on Dutch.
Blake defeated him again, Feb. 1920,
1853, off Portsmouth. destroying eleven
men-of-war and thirty merchantmen: {:
again off the North Foreland, June z,
driving the Dutch into Calais roads,
and on July 81 took final revenge by
| - I'D md H.