TRAFALGAR DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 97, 21 October 1904, Page 6

TRAFALGAR DAY.

m The famous battle of Trafalgar, in which Nelson broke the naval power of France and Spain, was fought ninety-nine, years ago to-day. This, was the greatest British naval victory gained duriag the Napoleonic ware, and was fought off Cape Trafalgar. The British fleet, which had Collingwood as second in command, comprised twenty-seven ships of the line and four frigates. The French-Spanish fleet numbered thirty-three ships of -the line and five frigates, under Villeneuve and the Spanish Admirals Gravina and Alava. The allies lost nineteen ships, Gravina, was killed, and ' Villeneuve taken prisoner. Lord Nelson was killed. The Navy League, which makes a feature of organising celebrations of historic naval events in Britain's history, has arranged for special recognition of the anniversary of Trafalgar, and is to make a special feature of the celebration of its centenary next year. At the instance of the Wellington branch of the League the ceremony of " saluting the flag " is to be observed at the public schools this afternoon. The school cadets will parade for the ceremony, and addresses appropriate to the occasion are' to be given by chairmen or members, of school committees or head teachers. Bunting is freely displayed on tie shipping in port to-day and also on business houses and public buildings. At places of entertainment this evening the victory will also be commemorated. Lord Phiriket attended the saluting of the flag ceremony at the Terrace School this afternoon, .and addressed the scholars. AN ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE. THE DEATH OF NELSON. The London Times of Thursday, 7th November, 1805, for the use of a copy of which we are indebted to Mr. E. J. Fleming, contains the text of the despatches received from Admiral Collingwood giving an official account of the great battle off Cape Trafalgar. The first despatch opens with these words :—": — " Sir, — The ever-to-be-remem-bered death of Vice-Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson, who in the late conflict with the enemy fell in the hour of victory, leaves me the duty to inform my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that 'on the 19th inst. it was communicated to the Commander-in-Chier from the ships etching the motions of the enemy in Cadiz that the combined fleet had put to sea." After details concerning the movements of the enemy's and the British ships, the account goes on to say that at daylight on the 21st " the signal was made to the British fleet to bear up in two columns as they are formed in the order of sailing, a mode of attack his Lordship had previously directed, to avoid the inconvenience and delay in forming the line of battle in the usual manner." The formation and mode of attack being unusual, the enemy also had to form a new structure of its line, it being crescent-shaped, convening to leeward, so that, as the Admiral wrote, "in leading down to the centre I had both their van and rear abaft the beam. Before he fire opened every alternate ship was about a cable's length to the windward of her second ahead and stern, forming a kind of double line, and appeared when on their beam to leave a very little interval between them, and this without crowding their ships. Admiral Villeneuve was in the Budcentaure in the centre, and the Prince of Austria bore Gravina's flag in the rear ; but the French and Spanish ships were mixed without any apparent regard to order of national squadron." The action began at 12 o'clock, and the conflict was severe. The enemy's ships were "fought with a gallantry highly honourable to their officers} but the attack on them was irresistible, and it pleased the Almighty Disposer of all eveate te> grant His Majesty's arms a complete and glorious victory," wrote Collingwood. Many of the enemy's ships had struck their colours by 3 p.m., when their line gave way, Gravina's frigate *ml ten ships heading for Cadiz. The British Admiral recounted an incident whicjh "marked the invincible spirit of British seamen when engaging the enemies of their country." The lemeraire was boarded, by accident or design, by a French ship on one side and by a Spaniard on the other. The contest was vigorous, >but in the end the combined ensigns were torn from the poops, and the British ensign hoisted instead. Writing of the death of Nelson, Admiral ColliHgwood said : "Such a battle could not be fought without sustaining a great loss of men. I have not only to lament, in common with the British Wavy and the British nation, in the fall of the Commander-in-Chief, the loss of a hero whose name will be immortal and hia memory ever dear to his country; but my heart is rent with the most poignant grief for the death of a friend to whom, bj many years' intimacy; sad a perfect

knowledge of the virtues of his mind, which inspired ideas superior to the common race of men, I was bound by the strongest ties of affection. . . His Lordship received a musket ball in his left breast about the middle of the action, and sent au officer to me immediately with hia last farewell, and soon after expired." In an editorial article, The Times said : "The victory created none of those enthusiastic emotions in the public mind which the success of our naval arms have in every former instance produced. There was not a man who did not think that the life of the Hero of the lf.ik was too great a price for the capture anc destruction of 20 sail of French and Spanish men-o'-war." ■ - / [BY TELEGRAPH— PRESS ASSOCUTiO V.] DUNEDfN, This Day. There was a lavish display of bunting in town to-day on account of Trafalgar Day. At aW the schools appropriate addresses were delivered.