Battle On the night of 24 October 1899, the two fleets engaged in combat. The Liberal flotilla included Cristobal Colón and seven passenger steamships, Barranquilla, Cisneros, Gieseken, Elena, Magdalena, Elbers, and Antioquia. While Hércules and Colombia were unified under Castro's command, a group of prominent Liberals (Domiciano Nieto, Manuel Vásquez, Nicanor Guerra, and Efraín Mejía) who dubbed themselves generals  shared control over the rebel fleet. Hércules was armed with a Maxim gun on its bow and a Hotchkiss on the stern, as well as a M1895 Colt–Browning machine gun; Colombia had recently undergone repairs and was equipped with a single cannon. The Liberals lacked modern weaponry, armed mostly with rifles  and sticks of dynamite. The rebel flotilla approached the two Conservative gunboats just after 11:00pm. Colombia was nearly overwhelmed by three of the rebel ships after its cannon fell off the revolving platform on which it was mounted. However, the inadequacy of rebel weapons and training prevented the Liberals from successfully boarding Colombia.  Hércules held off the remainder of the Liberal fleet with its machine guns and cannon.  Elena attempted to ram Hércules, but instead struck Cristobal Colón and sank it. Most of the Liberal commanders were killed when the Cisneros was destroyed by Hércules. The battle concluded when the remaining Liberal ships ran aground. The rebels on board drowned or were captured by the Conservatives. The engagement had lasted for just over thirty minutes.
Battle On the night of 24 October 1899, the two fleets engaged in combat. The Liberal flotilla included Cristobal Colón and seven passenger steamships, Barranquilla, Cisneros, Gieseken, Elena, Magdalena, Elbers, and Antioquia. While Hércules and Colombia were unified under Castro's command, a group of prominent Liberals (Domiciano Nieto, Manuel Vásquez, Nicanor Guerra, and Efraín Mejía) who dubbed themselves generals , shared control over the rebel fleet. Hércules was armed with a Maxim gun on its bow and a Hotchkiss on the stern, as well as a M1895 Colt–Browning machine gun; Colombia had recently undergone repairs and was equipped with a single cannon. The Liberals lacked modern weaponry, armed mostly with rifles , machetes, and sticks of dynamite. The rebel flotilla approached the two Conservative gunboats just after 11:00pm. Colombia was nearly overwhelmed by three of the rebel ships after its cannon fell off the revolving platform on which it was mounted. However, the inadequacy of rebel weapons and training prevented the Liberals from successfully boarding Colombia. Further complicating matters, the Liberal commanders had been drinking heavily in anticipation of victory, and were inebriated during most of the fighting. Hércules held off the remainder of the Liberal fleet with its machine guns and cannon. Under Nieto's orders, Elena attempted to ram Hércules, but instead struck Cristobal Colón and sank it. Most of the Liberal commanders were killed when the Cisneros was destroyed by Hércules. The battle concluded when the remaining Liberal ships ran aground. The rebels on board drowned or were captured by the Conservatives. The engagement had lasted for just over thirty minutes.
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,
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, machetes,
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Further complicating matters, the Liberal commanders had been drinking heavily in anticipation of victory, and were inebriated during most of the fighting.
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Under Nieto's orders,