THE NAVAL DUEL, NEAR HAVANA.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 761, 10 January 1871, Page 3

THE NAVAL DUEL, NEAR HAVANA.

The "San Francisco Chronicle " publishes the following telegrams from Havana regarding this event: — On Monday, Ncvember 7th, the Prussian war steamer Meteor, 'carry-ing-three guns, and the French war steamer Bouvet, carrying five, entered this harbor. The Meteor sailed out again after the French mail steamer Nouyeau Monde had sailed, but the mail steamer immediately returned, fearing capture. On the night of Tuesday, the Bth, the Bouvet left port, but waited outside for the German vessel, in anticipation of the twenty-four hours prescribed by law. The steamer Meteor followed, a naval duel having been arranged between the officers before starting. The' Spanish war steamer Hernando Cortes accompanied the two vessels. The Meteor had a crew of sixty men, and the Bouvet eighty. The Bouvet was

ten miles beyond the offing, but, upon the coming out of the Meteor, she i: steamed inward towards the neutral line. The Bouvet opened the contest by firing five shots, which the Meteor promptly returned. The Bouvet then attempted to board the Meteor. In this she was unsuccessful. Her rigging became entangled, carrying away her main and inizen masts, and the rigging, falling with the masts, became : entangled with the Meteor's screw. At the same moment the Meteor sent a shell into the inside of the Bouvet, smashing her steam pipe. The Meteor, by reason of the disabling of her screw, became unmanageable, and the Bouvet, finding the quarters hot. and capture certain if she waited until the Meteor could disentangle herself, set =aail immediately and made for the port, the Meteor continuing to fire meanwhile. With a fair wind the

Bouvet was enabled to cross into Spanish water before the Meteor ■could disentangle her screw. At this time 1 the Hernando Cortes fired a, gun as a signal that the combat had closed. Both fought bravely. The German gunboat Meteor was accorded the vic-

tory. Both vessels are now in port repairing, damages. The j Meteor had three killed and one wounded. The Bouvet had only three wounded. The Germans at Havana are much elated with the affair, which'caused I intense excitement. ; The twd BrusI sians, Carbonier and Thonisen, who I were killed in the naval engagement, I were buried here on the 10th instant, the German merchants attending the iuneral in an immense body. It is now said that the Bouvet left the scene of the fight under steam and sail. The German residents are arranging a grand banquet for the officers of the Meteor. ,