A DESPERATE FIGHT.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 11 February 1880, Page 2

A DESPERATE FIGHT.

The San Francisco papers of Fovem* ber 15 publish the following particulars of the desperate naval engagement between the Peruvian war si earner Huascar and two Chilian iron»clads, received by telegraph from New York : — From the moment the Chilian iron*clad appeared in the horizon, steaming rapidly towards the Huascar from the northward, whilst the Blanco Encalada was steadily pursuing the ram from the south, Admiral Grau perceived clearly that his ship was doomed ; but, brave man as he was, no thought of surrender entered bis mind, and the who^ ship's company assumed their appointed stations for the struggle, with a conviction that no human power could extricate the Huasear from such overwhelming forces as those presented by the Chilian yessels. From the dpcks and tops of the two vessels the fire of musketry and Gatling guns wa3 inces« sant, and on the Huascar its effect was becoming painfully apparent. One hour and eight minutes after the commences ment of the fight the Huascar had diss charged her turret pieces 25 times against the Crchrane, the latter replying wilh 30 shots. At this moment the other Chilian ironclad arrived on the scene, and im* mediately opened fire, first directing her attention to the Huascar's fighting turret and the little tower near the smoke-stack, which is the battle station of the commander. The Blaneo's guns were excel* lently well served, and their effect terrible. The tower was carried away, and Admiral Grau taken down below for th" care of the surgeons, with one of his less torn off; while in the cabin, a solid 3001 b shot from the Blanco struck the ram in the stern, destroying her steering gear, and. passing directly through the ship, left a caping aperture large enough for a boit to enter. This shot killed the brave admiral, his aid. Lieutenant Fere, and several others. Captain Elias Aguirre assumed command of the ship on the death of the admiral, and took his station in the gnn turret, but on this point the two Chilians had concentrated their fire. The turret was hit by a heavy shell, which passed through and exploded inside, disabling one of the two guns, and killing Aguirre and all who were scrying the piece. The Huascar was now practically at the mercy of the enemy, ungovernable and with half of her offensiye power destroyed, her officers and crew decimated, hn* the national flag was still flying in defianc ■, and no one even whispered of surrender. Captain Mellifcon Caravajal took command after Aguirre's death, but was instantly taken below, dan« gerously wounded. First Lieutenant Rodrignex succeeded him, and a moment afterwards shared the fate of the Admiral and Aguirre. Lieutenant Enrique Prtlacies followed Rodriguez in the com* maud, '«nd, although severely wounded, continued in charge until the end of the bloody drama. Still the Huascar discharged her sole remaining cannon at long intervals, as (he very turret itself (only 30 feet in diameter) was choking up with debris of the shattered guns and the bodies of the dead and wounded. Below, in the dark pnssages and narrow com" partments of the ship the scene was frightful. The dying and those who had perished were heaped indiscriminately together, and every few minutes a shot from the enemy came crashing through the sides of the doomed vessel. The forecastle was completely shot away, the roast cut in two, and the mitrailleuse in the tops disabled ; the smokestack and chimney were riddled with balls, the propeller struck and fouled, one gun disabled, and out of 116 men who went into action only 86 were alive, and the mnj »rity yf these liars de combat. Five commanders had succeeded each other in their perilous jost. Three were dead, one was greviously wounded, and " the fifth bart-ly able to maintain his trumpet. The Chilians thought that the time had come to close, and sent a boarding party to complete the victory. But the brave fellows on the Huascar rallied, and them back with loss. This was the ex» piring effort, Indeed, human yigour and

bravery had withstood the steady shocks J which had overcome the iron bulwarks of tbe historic ship. The Chilians sent another boarding party, this time with success, and the Huascar was theirs. The enemy lowered the flig which had waved triumphantly along their coast, and witnessed many a gallant exploit of the dead admiral.