Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-08-04


many prisoners. The Vixen. finding
that the rush Of the Spanish ships
would put her between two fires, ran
outside of our column and remained
there during the battle. The skilIful
handling and gallant fighting of the
Gloucester excited the admiration OF
everyone who witnessed it, and mer-
its the commentator Of the navy de-
partment. She was lying about two
| miles from the harbor entrance,
southwark and eastward, and immedi-
ately steamed in and opened fire upon
the large ships. Anticipating the ap-
pearance Of the Pluton and Furor, the
Gloucester withdrew and when the de-
StrOyers came out she steamed for
them at full speed, and was able to
close in to a short range, where her
| fire was accurate, deadly and of great
volume. During this fight the
Gloucester was under the fire of the
Socapa battery. Within twenty min
utes from the time that they emerged
from Santiago harbor the careers of
| the Furor and Pluton were ended, and
two-thirds of their people killed. The
destroyers probably suffered much in
diana and Texas, yet I think a very
considerable factor in their speedy
destruction was the fire, at close
range, of the Gloucester's battery. At
ter rescuing the survivors of the de-
! stroyers, the Gloucester did excellent
service in landing and securing the
crew Of the Infanta Maria Teresa.
''The Infanta and Oquendo were set
on fire by the shells fired during the
| first fifteen minutes of the engage
ment. 1t was afterwards learned that
the Teresa's fireman. had been cut by
enc Of our first shots and she was I'M
able to extinguish the fire. With
large volume Of smoke rising from
| their lower decks aft, these vessels
gave up both fight and flight and ran
on the beach, the Teresa six miles
and half from the harbor entrance,
and the Oquendo at Juan Gonzales, Z
miles from port.
"The ViZcaya was still under the fire
of the leading vessels, but the Colon
had drawn ahead, leading the chase,
and soon passed beyond the range of
the guns Of the leading American
ships. The Vizcaya was set on fire
, and burned on shore and was beached
/ at Ascorradores, fifteen miles from
Santiago, burning fiercely, with her
reserves of ammunition on deck al
ready beginning to explode. When
about ten miles west of Santiago, the
| Indiana was signalled to go back to
the harbor entrance, and at Ascorra-
dores the Iowa was signalled to re-
sumo her blockading station. The
Iowa, assisted by the Ericsson and the
Hist, took off the crew Of the Vizcaya,
while the Hazard and Gloucester res
cued those of the Teresa and the
Oquendo.
There remained now of the Span
ish ships only the Colon, but she
was their best and fastest vessel.
When the Vizcaya went ashore, the
Colon was about six miles ahead of
the Brooklyn and Oregon, but her
squirt was finished and the American
ships were now gaining upon her. Be
hind the Brooklyn and the Oregon
came the Texas, Vixen and New York.
! At II: so p. NJ the Brooklyn and Ore
gon opened fire and got her range, the
Oregon's heavy shells striking be-
yond her. At 1:10 she gave up with
colors and ran ashore at Rio Tor
quino, 4S niles from Santiago. Captain
, Cook of t e Brooklyn went aboard to
receive the surrender. While his
boat was alongside, l came up and
! received his report, placed the Ore
gon in charge of the wreck to save
/ her if possible and directed that the
prisoners be transferred to the Reso-
lutte, which had followed in the
chase. Commodore Schley, whose
chief of staff had gone to receive the
surrender, had directed that all their
personal effects should be retained by
the officers. This order I did not
modify. The Colon was not injured
by our firing and probably not much
injured by Bleaching. But her sea-
valves were open and broken and she
sank. When it became evident that
she could not be kept afoat
she was pushed by the New York
bodily upon the beach"
The report then describes the man
ner in which the blockade was main
tanned. 1t was ascertained that the
sUnken Merrimac did not block the
passage. Continuing Sampson says:
! when all the work was done well,
it is difficult to discriminate. Each
/ individual bore we'll his part in it. The
| commodore in command Of the second
| division and the captains of the ships
all did splendidIy. The Colon did not
| give up until the Oregon had thrown
a 13-inch shell beyond her This per-
! Torrance adds to the already brilliant
record Of this fine battleship, and
speaks highly for the skill and care
with which the admirable efficiency
has been maintained during service
| unprecedented in the history of yes
sells.
"The Brooklyn's west end blockad-
ing position gave her an advantage in
the chase which she maintained to the
end, and she employed her fine batter
les with telling effect. From the
moment the Spanish vessels exhaust
ed their first burst of speed, the re-
suit was never in doubt. They fell,
in fact, far below what might reason
ably have been expected.
Several of our ships were struck,
the Brooklyn more often than the
others, but very slight injury was
done, the greatest being done aboard
the Iowa. Our loss was one killed