The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-05
1898 by Associated Press.

Copyright 1898 by Associated Press.
Ten miles west of the entrance of the
harbor of Santiago de Cuba, Sunday,
July 3, p. m, by the associated press
dispatch boat Wanda to Port Antonio,
Jamaica, July 4, Monday morning, via
Kingston, July 4, 4:45 a. m.-Admiral
Cervera's fleet, consisting of the armor-
ed cruisers Cristobal Colon, Almirante
Oquendo, Infanta Maria Teresa and Viz
caya, and two torpedo boat destroyers,
the Furor and the Pluton, which had
been held in the harbor of Santiago de
Cuba for six weeks past by the COM
bined squadrons of Admiral Sampson
and Commodore Schley, lies to-day at
the bottom of the Caribbean sea, off the
southern coast of Cuba. The Spanish
admiral is a prisoner of war on the
auxiliary gunboat Gloucester formerly
j. Pierport Morgan's yacht Corsair)
and 1000 to 1,500 other Spanish soldiers
and sailors. all who escaped the fright
full carnage caused by the shells from
the American warships, are also held
as prisoners of war by the United States
navy.
The American victory is complete and.
according to the best Information OBJ
tainable at this time, the American ves-
sells were practically untouched and
only one man was killed, though the
ships were subjected to the heavy fire
of theNSpaniards all the time the battle
lasted.
Admiral Cervera made as gallant a
dash for liberty and the preservation of
his ships as has ever occurred in the
history Of naval warfare. In the face
Of overwhelming odds. with nothing be-
fore him but inevitable destruction If he
remained any longer in the trap in
which the American fleet held him, he
made 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. he tried to escape
the doom which was written on the
muzzle of every American gun.
The Americans saw him the moment
he left, and commenced the work of de-
struction Immediately. For an hour
or two they followed the flying Span
iards to the westward along the shore
line. sending shot after shot into their
hulls, tearing great holes in their steel
sides and covering their decks with the
blood of the killed and wounded. At
no time did the Spaniards show any in
dication that they intended to do 9TH
erwise than fight to the last. They
showed no signals to surrender, even
when their ships commenced TO sink,
and great clouds of smoke pouring from
their sides showed that they were on
fire. But they turned their heads to-
ward shore less than mile away and
ran their ships on the beach and rocks,
where their destruction was soon COM
pleted. 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 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 mur-
derous band of Cuban soldiers hiding
in the bush on the hillside, eager to rush
down and attack the unarmed. defeat
ed. but valorous foe.
One after another of the Spanish ships |
became the victims of the awful rain !
of shells which the American battle |
ships. guaboats and cruisers poured up |
on them. and for two hours after the |
feet had started out of Santiago har-
Dor three cruisers and two torpedo boat |
destroyers were lying on the shore 10 |
to Is miles west of Morro castle. pound |
ing to pieces, smoke and flame pouring |
from every part of them and covering |
the entire coast line with a mist which |