The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-08

" SnIDSIO July f.-IHc ScCicbdi
of the navy has received the following:
Playa, via Hayti, 3:15 a. m, July a,
"Siboney, July 8.
ITO the Secretary Of the Navy:
The fleet under my command offers
the nation as a Fourth of a July pres
ent-the destruction of the whole of
Cervera's fleet. 1t attempted to escape
at $50 o'clock a. m. and at 2 o'clock
D. m. the last, the Cristobal Colon, had
run ashore sixty miles west Of Santi-
ago and has let down her colOrs. The
Infanta Maria Teresa, the Oquendo
and Vizcaya were forced ashore, burn
ed and blown up within twenty miles
of Santiago. The Furor and the Plu-
ton were destroyed within four miles
of the port. Our loss was one killed
and two wounded. The enemy's loss
is probably several hundred from gun
fire, explosions and drownings. About
1900 prisoners, including Admiral Ger
vera were taken The man killed was
George H. Ellis, chief yoeman of the
Brooklyn SAMPSON"
DESTRUCTION OF THE SPANISH
FLEET.
copyrighted by Associated Press.)
Ten miles west of the entrance of the
harbor of Santiago de Cuba Sunday
July 3. 4 p. m. BY the Associated
Press dispatch boat Wanda to Port
Antonio Jamaica Monday morning
July a, via Kingston, Jamaica, July 4,
4:45 a. m~.-Admiral Cervera's fleet,
consisting of the armed cruisers Girls
tObal Colon Almirante OquendO Infan-
ia Teresa and Vizcaya and two tor
pedO boat d~estroyers, the Furor and
the Pluton, which had been held in
the harbor of Santiago de Cuba for six
weeks past by the combined squad
rons of Rear Admiral Sampson and
Commodore Schley, lies today at the
bottom of the Caribbean sea, off the
southern coast of Cuba. The Spanish
admiral is a prisoner of war of the
auxiliary gunboat Gloucester formerly
]. Pierpont Morgan's yacht Corsair)
and 1000 to 1900 other Spanish Off
GERS and sailors, all who escaped the
frightful carnage caused by the shells
from the American WarShips, are also
held as prisoners of war by the Unit
ed States navy. The American victory
is complete and, according to the best
Information Obtainable at his time
the American vessels were practically
untouched and only one man was kill
ed, though the ships were subjected to
the heavy fire of the Spaniards all he
time the battle lasted.
CERVERA'S BOLD DASH FOR LIB
ERTY.
Admiral Cervera made as gallant a
dash for liberty and for the preserva-
ton of his ships this morning as has
ever occurred in the history of naval
warfare. In the face of overwhelming
odds, with nothing before him but inv
liable destruction or surrender if he
remained any longer in the trap in
which the American fleet held him, he
made a bold dash from the harbOr at
the time the Americans least expected
him to do so, and fighting every inch
of his way, even when his ship was
ablaZe and sinking, and tried to es-
cape the doom which was written on
the muzzzle of every American gun
trained upon his vessels. The Ameri-
cans saw him the moment he left the
harbor and commenced their work of
destruction Immediately. For ar hour
or two they followed the Spaniards to
the westward along the shore line,
sending shot after shot into their blaZ-
ing hulls, tearing great holes in their
steel sides and covering their decks
with the blood Of the killed n the
wounded.
At no time did the Spaniards show
any indication that they intended to
do otherwise than fight to the last.
They showed no signals to surrender
ever when their ships commenced to
sink and the great cloud of smoke
pouring from their sides showed they
We're on fire. But they turned their
vessels toward the shore, less than a
mile away, and ran them OF n beach
and rocks, where their destruction was
soon completed. The officers and men
on board then escaped to the shore as
well as they could, with the assistance
of boats sent from the American men
Of-war and threw themselves upon the
mercy of their captors who not only
extended to them the gracious hand
of American chivalry, but sent them
a guard to protect them from the MUIR
derous bands OF Cuban soldiers hiding
in the bush on the hillside, eager to
rush down and attack the unarmed,
= defeated, but valorous foe.
AWFUL RAIN OF SHOT AND
SHELL.
One after another the Spanish ships
became the victims OF the awful rain
of shells which the American battle
ships, cruisers and g%unboats poured
upon them. and two hours after the
first of the fleet had started out of
Santiago harbOr,. their cruisers and
two torpedo boat d~estroyers were ly-
ing on the shore. ten to fifteen miles
wset of MORO castle, pounding to
pieces, smoke n flame pouring from
every part of them and covering the
entire coast line with a mist which
could be seen for miles.
Heavy explosions of ammunition &C.
was taken to the Gloucester and was
received at the gangway by her COM
mander, Richard Wainwright, who
grasped the hand Of the gray bearded