The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-07-13

when Admiral Cevera's flagship, the Almi-
rante Oquendo, suddenly headed in shore,
she had the Brooklyn and Oregon abeam
and the Texas astern. The Brooklyn and
Oregon pushed on after the Cristobal Co.
Ion. which was making fine time and which
looked as If she might escape, leaving the
Texas to finish the Almirante Oquendo.
This work did not take long. The Spanish
ship was already burning. At II :05 o'clock
down came a yellow and red flag at her
stern. Just as the Texas got abeam OF her
she was shaker by a mighty explosion.
The crew OF the Texas started to cheer.
Don't cheer, because the poor devils are
dying" called Captain Philip, and the Tex
as left the Almirante Oquendo to her fate to
join in the chase Of the Crittobal Colon.
The ship in desperation was p~loughing the
waters at a rate that caused the fast Brook
lyn trouble. The Oregon made great speed
for a battleship, and the Texas made the
effort of her life. Never since her trial trip
has she made such time.
GREATEST CHASE OF MODERN TIMES.
1t would never do to allow even one Of
the Spanish ships to get away. Straight
into the west the strongest chase OF modern
times took place. The Brooklyn headed
the pursuers. She stood well out from the
shore in order to try to cut off he ristobal
Colon at a point jutting out into the sea far
ahead. The Oregon kept a middle course
about a mile from the cruiser. The desper-
ate Don ran close along the shore, and now
and then he threw a shell Of defiance. The
old Texas kept we'll up in the chase under
forced draught for over two hours. The
feet Spaniard led the Americans a merry
chase, but she had no chance. The Brook
Ign gradually forged ahead, 80 hat the es-
cape Of the Cristobal Colon was cut off at
the point above mentioned. The Oregon
was sbeam OF the Colon then, and the gal
liant Dor gave it up.
DOWN CAME THE CoLoN's FLAG
At 1:15 o'clock he headed for the shore,
and five minues later down came the Span
ish flag. None Of our ships was then within
a mile of her, but her escape was cut off.
The Texas, Oregon, and Brooklyn closed in
on her and stopped their engines a few hum
dred yards away.
Commodore Schley left the Brooklyn in a
small boat and went aboard the Cristobal
Colon and received the surrender. Mean
time the New York, with Admiral Sampson
on board, and the Vixen were coming up
on the run. Comm odore Schley signalled
to Admiral Sampson:
1--WE have won a great victory, details
will be communicated"
IT WAS sCHLEY's VICTORY.
The victory certainly was Commodore
Schley's. Then for an hour after the sur
render in the little cove under the high
hills was a general Fourth of July celebra-
ton, though a little premature. Our ships
cheered ore another, the captains INDUCED
in compliments through the m~egaphones,
and the Oregon got out its band, and the
strains Of the Star-Spangled Banner echoed
over the lines Of Spaniards drawn up on
the deck of the last Of the Spanish fleet,
and up over the lofty green-tipped hills of
the Cuban mountains.
Commodore Schley, coming alongside
the Texas from the Cristobal Colon in his
gig, called out cheerily, ut was a nice
fight, Jack, wasn't it?"
The veterans Of the Texas lined up and
gave three hearty cheers and a tiger for their
old commandment. chief. Capt. Philip call
ed all hands to the quarter deck, and, with
bloodless victory.
Al IMPRESSIVE
81 want to make public acknowledgment
here" he said, "thst 1 believe in God the
Eothar A1pninbfu uuont oil ofioaro
and men to lift your hats and from your
hearts offer silent thanks to the Almighty"
All hats were off. There was a moment
or two of absolute silence, and then the
overweight feelings Of the ships company
relieved themselves in three hearty cheers
for their beloved commander.
The Brooklyn, later in the afternoon,
| Spanish warship had been seen. The ves-
sci turned out to be the Austrian cruiser
Maria Theresa.
The Resolute came up, and the work OF
transferring the prisoners from the Girls.
tobal Colon to her was begun. Five hun
bred and thirty men were taken off. Eight
were missing.
NOT LIKELY THAT THE COLON CAN BE SAVED.
1t was hoped that he Cristobal Colon
might be saved as q Fourth of July gift to
our navy. She was beached bow on a sandy
shore, and her stern was atioat. She was
not materially damaged by the shots tina,
had struck her. One thirteen inch shell
and one eight-inch had hit her, but it was
found that the Spsniards had taken every
mean measure to destroy her after they
themselves were safe. They had opened
every sea valve in the ship and had thrown
the caps overheard. They had opened al
the ports and smashed the headlights
They had even thrown the breech plugs o.
their guns overheard.
The Colon f1oated off at seven o'clock In
the evening and drifted 800 yards down the
beach to the westward, swinging bow out
The New York pushed her back stern OF
the beach, but the water was already up t.
her gun deck. At eleven o'clock she lurch
ed and turned over on her stsrboard side
with her port guns pointing straight up tt
the sky. She lies only in four fathoms O
water. hut IL Ia unlikely that abe can ava,