The record-union., 1898-07-05

still most of them were too far away
to get an effective range They
crowded on all steam, however, in prep
aration for the chase, never stopping
their fire for one moment -
The Gloucester, fast little yacht
that cannot boast of any heavier bat
terry than several 6-pounders and 81
Founders, was lying off Aguadores,
three miles east of Morro, when the
Spaniards came out At first she
joined in the attack upon large YES
sci and then held off some, Captain
Wainwright concluding to reserve his
efforts for the two torpedo boat de-
stroyers in the rear. The Gloucester
steamed after them when they ap-
peared and chased them five miles
west of Morro Castle, pouring shot
after shot into them all the time. Her
Efforts bore abundant fruit, for to her
belongs the credit for the destruction
of both of the destroyers. She fired
1 400 shots during the chase, and it was
not long before both deStroyers were
on fire and plainly disabled.
Notwithstanding, they both returned
the Gloucester's fire and rain of
Furor evidently determined that she
would not stand the fire any longer,
! and she put about and headed for San
tiago. Then the Gloucester simply
snlothered her with shots from her
| rarid-tire guns and running like the
wind, forced her to turn around and
again head westward.
| Smoke commenced to rise from the
1 y, .r.x.sr a =
| the shore. Before she had gone far
| most of her crew abandoned her, and
| took to the boats, reaching the shore
| later. By that time she was a mass OF
| flames, and was drifting along help
| lessly.
| The Pluton was in the same dis
tressed condition, and was also headed
for the shore, running up alongside OF
| a low bluff, where she soon pounded to
| pieces, and finally broke in two com
| pletely. 1t was a most dangerous land
ing place for her crew, and but about
| half of them reached the shore alive.
The Gloucester did not go any further
| west, but lay off shore and sent in a
| boat to the assistance of the crews OF
| the deStroyers. 1t did not take the
flames long to reach the FurOr's maga-
ZiEes and there We're two terrific explo-
SiOnS, probably of the guncOtton on
! board of her, which blew holes in her
bottom. Her stern sunk Immediately,
and as it settled in the water, her bow
| rose straight in the air and she went
| to the bottom in perpetual oblivion,
giving out Kissing, scalding sound as
| she disappeared below the surface.
Meantime the larger American ships
We're gaining on the Spanish cruisers.
| and a storm of shots were passing be-
tween the pursuers and the pursued.
| The American fire was so rapid that
| the ships We're developed in thick clouds
of smoke, and it was impossible to tell
| at the distance which vessels were do
| ing the greater execution. The Brook
| lyn and the five battleships were keep
| ing up an incessant fire upon the In
| fanta Maria Teresa, the ViZcaya and
| the Oquendo, and the latter was re-
| turning it bravely, though with no sue
cess. The Spanish gunners seemed un-
able to get the proper range, and many
/ of their shots were very wild, though
a number of them fell dangerously
near to the mark The guns of the
| battery just east of MORO took part
in the game and their shells fell around
| the American ships. Many of them
| struck the upper works of the fleeing
Spaniards and must have resulted in
| killing and Wounding many of their
men
| The Spanish ships now reached point
| about seven miles west of MORO and
| a mile or two beyond the place where
the Furor was burning and the PlutoI
broke in two against the cliff.
| The flagship and the Oquendo Were
| the first to show signals of distress
| Two 13-inch shells from one of the
| battleships had struck the Maria Teresa
at the waterline, tearing great holes ir
her sides and causing her to fill rapidly
The Oquendo suffered about the same
/ fate and both ships headed for a small
cove and went aground 300 yards from
| shore, flames shooting from them il
every direction.
4 The officers and crew must have beer
aware Of the. fate which seemed to bi
| before them, but it was not until the
! ships We're on fire and enveloped il
| flames and smoke that the men ceasat
firing.
| The Gloucester, after sending a boa.
| ashore to the PIuton steamed along tn.
i cruisers
We're stranded and went to their as
sistance. There was danger from the
| magazines, and many of those on boarc
jumped into the water and swan to tht
| shore, though a number We're unable t
reach the small strip of sandy beacf
! in the cove and We're thrown agains
the rocks and killed or drowned.
Many of the wounded We're lowered
into the ships own boats and taker
ashore, but this task was a most diff.
cult one.
The Gloucester had all her boats out
and one seaman swan through the sur
I with line from the Maria Teresa
| making it fast to a tree on the shore
BY this means many en- the flagship
including Admiral Cervera, lowered
themselves into the Gloucester's boats
The wounded We're taken to the Glou-
cester as rapidly as possible and the
lower deck of the yacht was soon Gov
cred with Spanish sailors mangled in
limb and body by the bursting o1
shells
The Glouces;ter's crew gave the
wounded men every attention possible
The shore was lined with those who
had escaped from the Infanta Maria
Teresa and the Almirante Oouen1s,
There were still some men on both
| vessels when the fire commenced, to
feach the magazines, and the boxes of
ammunition lying on the decks.
dozen or more explosions followed.