Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-07-09
cERvERA's BOLD DASH
Out of the Harbor Of Santiago--How the En-
tire Spanish Fleet was Annihilated.

American vessels were practically
untouched and only one man was
killed, though the ships were sub
jected to the heavy fire of the Span
iards all the time the battle lasted.
Admiral Cervera made as gallant
dash for liberty and for the preser.
walton 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 ineyi-
table destruction or surrender if he
remained any longer in the trap in
which the American feet held him,
he made bold dash from the harbor
at the time the Americans least ex-
pected him to do SO, and fighting
every inch of his way, even when his
ships were ablaze and sinking, he
tried to escape the doom which WAS
written On the muzzle of every
American gun trained upon his YES
sells.
The Americans saw him the mo-
ment be left the harbor and CON-
menced their work of destruction
Immediately. For an hour or two
they followed the flying Spaniards
to the westward along the shore
line, sending shot after shot into
their blazing hulls, tearing great
holes in their steel sides and cover
ing their decks with the blood of the
killed and wounded.
Fought to the Last.
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
even when their ships commenced to
sink and the great clouds of smoke
pouring from their sides showed
they were on fire. But they turned
their heads toward the shore, less
than mile away, and ran them on
the beach and rocks where their de-
struction was soon completed. The
officers and men on board then es-
capped to the shore, as well as they
could with the assistance of boats
sent from the American men.of war
and then 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
murderous bands Of Cuban soldiers
hiding in the bush on the hillside
eager to rush down and attack the
unarmed, defeated, but valorious foe.
One or another of the Spanish
ships became the victims of the aw.
full rain of shells which the Ameri-
can battleships, cruisers and gun
boats, poured into them and two
hours after the first of the feet had
started out of Santiago harbor, three
cruisers and two torpedo boat de-
stroyers were lying on the shore ten
TO fifteen miles west of Moro Cas-
tie, pounding to pieces, smoke and
fame 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
occurred every few minutes, sending
curls of dence white smoke a hun
dred feet in the air and causing a
shower of broken iron and steel to
fall in the water on every side.
The bluffs of the coast line echoed
with the roar of every explosion and
the Spanish vessels sank deeper and
deeper into the sand or else the rocks
ground their bulls to pieces as they
rolled or pitched, forward or side
ways, with every wave that washed
upon them from the open sea.
| cervera Surrenders.
Admiral Cervera escaped to the
shore in boat sent by the Glouces-
ter to the assistance OF the Infanta
Maria Teresa and as soon as he
touched the beach he surrendered
himself and his command to Lieu
tenant Morton and asked to be taken
on board the Gloucester, which was
the only American vessel near him
at the time. with several of his off,
GERS, including the captain of the
flagship. The Spanish Admiral who
was wounded in the arm, was taken
to the Gloucester and was received
at her gangway by her commander.
Lieutenant Commander Richard
Wainwright, who grasped the hand
Of the gray-bearded admiral and
said to him:
II congratulate you, sir, upon hay.
ing made as gallant a fight as was
ever witnessed on the sea-"
Lieutenant Commander VAIN
wright then placed his cabin at tn.
disposal of the Spanish officers.
At that time the Spanish flagship
and four other Spanish vessels had
been aground and burning for two
hours and the only one of the es.
Gaping feet which could not be seen
at this point was the Christobal
Colon. But half dozen curls of
smoke far down on the western hori-
ION showed the fate that was await
ing her.
The Cristobal Colon was the fast
est of the Spanish ships and she
soon obtained lead over the others
after leaving the harbor and escaped
the effect of the shots which de-
stroyed the other vessels. She
steamed away at great speed with
the Oregon, New York, Brooklyn
and several other ships in hot pur-
suit, ali of them firing at her con-
stantly and receiving fire themselves
from her after guns. There seemed
no possibility whatever for her es-
cape, and while her fate is not def
nitely known at this hour, it can be
readily imagined from the words of
Captain Robley d. Evans, of the
Iowa, who returned from the west
ward with $40 prisoners from the
Vizcaya just as the Associated Press
dispatch boat Wanda was leaving