The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-07-27

OF CERVERA'S
SQUADRON.
Report Of Rear-AdmiTa|
Sampson
On the Battle atthe Entrance
to Santiago Harbor.
Lays Particular Stress Upon the
Fighting Of the Gloucester.
Says Her SkiIIiuI Handling Merits the Com
mendation Of the Navy Department
Praises the Good Work Of the
Batt|eshIp Oregon.

WASHINGTON, July 26.-The Navy
Department to-day made public the re-
ports Of Admiral Sampson, Commodore
and Captain Evans of the Iowa, on the
battle Of July Sd, which resulted in the
destruction of Cervera's squadron They
are as follows:
United States Flagship New York,
first rate, off Santiago de Cuba, July ID,
1898.
Sir: l have the honor to make the
following report upon the battle, with
the destruction of the Spanish squadron
commanded by Admiral Cervera, off
Santiago de Cuba, on Sunday, July 3,
1898.
The enemy's vessels came out Of the
harbor between $50 and 10 a. M, the
head of the column appearing around
Cayo Smith at 9:31, and emerging from
the channel five or six minutes later.
The positions of the vessels OF my
command off Santiago at the moment
We're: Flagship New York, four miles
east Of her blockading station, and
seven miles from the harbor entrance.
She had started for Siboney, where l
intended to land, accompanied by sew
eral of my staff, and go to the front to
consult with General Shafter for a dis
Of f1okas .if g..
definite understanding between US of
the operations proposed, which had
been rendered necessary by the unex-
pectedly strong resistance of the Span
ish garrison at Santiago. 1 had sent
my Chief Of Staff on shore the day be-
fore to arrange an interview with Gen
eral Shafter. who had been suffering
from heat prostration. made arrange
ments to go to his headquarters, and
my flagship was in the position men
toned above when the Spanish squad
ron appeared in the channel
THE remaining vessels were in or
near their usual blockading positions );
distributed in semicircle about the
harbor entrance, counting from the
eastward to the westward, in the fol-
lowing order: The Indiana about a mile
and one-half from shore, the Oregon,
the New York's place between these two,
the Iowa, the Texas and Brooklyn, the
latter two miles from the shore. west of
Santiago. The distance of the vessels
from the harbor entrance was from two
and one-half to four miles, the latter
being the limit Of day blockading dis
lance.
The length of the arc formed by the
ships was about eight miles. The Mas
sachusetts had left at 4 a. m. for Guam
tanamo for coal. Her station was be-
tween the Iowa and Texas. The aux
iliaries Gloucester and Vixen lay close
to the land, and nearer to the harbor
entrance than the larger vessels, the
Gloucester to the eastward and the
Vixen to the westward. The Ericsson
was in company with the flagship. and
remained with her during the chase un-
til ordered to discontinue, when she
rendered very efficient service in res
cuing prisoners from the burning Viz
proximately the positions of the YES
sells as described above.
The Spanish vessels came rapidly
out of the harbor, at a speed estimated
at from eight to ten knots, and in the
following order: Infanta Maria Teresa
(fagship), Vizcaya, Cristobal Colon and
the Almirante Oquendo. The distance
between these ships was about 800
yards, which means that from the time
the first one became visible in the up
per reach of the channel until the last
one was out of the harbor an interval
Of only about twelve minutes elapsed
Following the Oquendo at a distance of
about LOO yards came the torpedo
boat destroyer Pluton, and after her the
Furor.
THE armored cruisers as rapidly as
they could bring their guns to bear
opened a vigorous fire upon the block
aiding vessels, and emerged from the
channel shrouded in the smoke from
their guns.
THE men Of our ships in front of the
port were at Sunday quarters for in
spection. The signal was made stimuli
taneously from several vessels, En-
emys ships escaping and general
quarters was sounded. The men cheered
as they sprang tostheir guns. and fire
was opened probably within eight min
utes by the vessels whose guns COM
manded the entrance. The New York
turned about and steamed for the es-
Gaping fleet, flying the signal, Close in
toward harbor entrance and attack
vessels and gradually increasing speed,
until toward the end of the chase she
was making sixteen and one-half knots,