The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-26
FOUGHT ON THE OQUENDo.
A SPANISH MIDsHIPMAN'S ACCOUNT
OF WHAT HE SAW.
The Havoc Wrought by Our shells.
Behavior of officers - Trying Adj
ventures In Cuba AMER Swimming
AshOre-DOdging the Cubnns.

ventures In Cubu AMER swimming
AshOre-DOdging the Cubnns.
Madrid Letter in London Post.
The following account is given of the
action in which Admiral Corvera's squad
ron was destroyed. by Midshipman Ma
via, late Of the Oquendo, and Of the subse-
quent adventures he and few survivors
encountered in their successful endeavors
to make their way back to Santiago. The
young fellow is now in quarantine In Co
runna, having been brought home by the
Alicante. His story reads more like
chapter out of James Grants novels than
a page of real life, and when relating his
adventures to Senior Rodrigo o6 the Heral-
DO, Midsnipman Navia doubted whether
they would be believed, Though he voueh-
ed for the truth of every word he said.
The narrative of his story has been somc-
what condensed below:
THE flagship opened fire while we. be-
ing the last were still some way from
the harbor mouth. yet before we cleared
the entrance we got struck by a few
shells. I was in the forward central tor
pedo room, and as, according TO orders,
the portfolios We're shut, I could see but
little of what was taking place outside.
We did not at once use our torpedoes.
for shortly after the action began heavy
projectle crashed through the upper deck
and destroyed the shield near which was
standing. | was knocked down by the
force of the explosion. receiving a slight
leg wound from fragment of shell, while
a splinter of the starboard gangway was
drive into my chest near to the heart.
On recovering my feet j found that the
starboard torpedo tube was smashed and
tnat the deck was strewn with dead and
wounded, a few of whom We're seeking to
so up the gangway, which was also de-
stroyed Very shortly We all had to clear
out OF the room, as it became impossible
TO breathe there owing to lot of mate
RAJ taxing ire. l sunk half choked on
the upper deck near the starboard hatch
way, but was revived by some one turn
ing a hose on my head.
ON rising again found myself close TO
the second commander. Don Victor Sofa.
VINO was encouraging the crew, and Senior
Nunoz' who put has arm round me, ex-
claiming, They are making a man of YOU
to-day AT that moment a heavy shell
burst behind me. small particles lodging
in my neck and behind my ear. This shell
killed Don Victor Sola, whom l saw fan On
across his body fell that of First Gunner
Don Cristobal. When Capt. Lazaga heard
that the forward magazines were abiaze
he followed the lead of the Teresa. head
ing for land and running the vessel ashore.
When this was being done I was in the
forward cabin whence two torpedoes were
launched at an enemy who sought to cut
US off. We left the battery and went ON
deck, where several were stripping pHepar-
atory to swimming ashore. | went back to
the torpedo room and stripped When I
got back on deck my companions were
gone. so I got through the port cannon
embrasure and slipped down chain 70 the
water. Before going noticed Capt Laza-
ga standing on the bridge with folded
arms, looking quite calm; near him were
several wounded officers. l never saw him
again. quartermaster whom / met later
told me he saw T,azaga lie down near the
forward gun and shoot himself, being
deaf to the entreaties of the officers that
he should save himself. Many of the
Oquendo's crew were swimming around
me, and 1t took me twenty minutes 10
reach land, as I had to help some who
could not swim.
when l was landed / was in my shirt
and drawers. Twenty sailors gathered
round me, and we went inland along a
narrow path that led toward a hill. OBJ
serving a tree on which the fruit had
been recently bitten l concluded it was
by the mambses Spanish name for the
natives), and suggested we should alter
our route. Some, through not hearing me,
went on, and / soon saw the first man
squat down, crying to those behind: Look
out; l am covered by a gun, and we are
told to halt" The man who held the gun
ordered us to stop till he had warned his
party, and soon reappeared with a couple
of negroes armed with Mausers We were
then ordered to go forward one by one;
while the advance party did so we behind
sided off into the jungle fleeing from the
insurgents. Those who went forward
were Drained by the insurgents, a great
number of whom were close at hand. At
midday l found myself accompanied only
by an engineer and a marine of the Oquen-
do. We heard some terrific explosions,
and on gaining hill top we saw Ameri-
can boats saving the shipwrecked crews.
We were now overcome by thirst and
sought a rivulet, where we might slake 1t.
Fortunately We found one, and while
drinking were Joined by a stoker from
the Vizcaya.
I'VE followed the stream seward, and
came on mango tree, the fruit OF which
we ate, though it was still unripe While
so engaged we heard talking, and saw a
couple of armed mambses approaching.
They had not noticed us, so we hurrledly.
slipped into the bush and began to climb
a hill, from the top Of which we could see
the ships still burning. One was taken to
be an American, and my companions
burst out cheering, but l quickly put a
stop TO that lest the enemy should hear
US. Night fell and we lay down to try to
sleep, but the cold was terrible, and the
noise of the bush, with the attacks of
mosquitoes and land crabs, combined TO
drive away slumber. ! was doing off
when a large crab bit one of my naked
toes. l jumped up and crushed it with
stone. Next day the sun giving us our
direction, we continued our painful jour
ney, all the morning having nothing to
eat or drink. In the afternoon we came
on a stagnant pool, and though the water
stank we drank il eagerly. The stoker,
who had boina and blouse on, went
through the bush. thus opening way for
us who were next to naked. A native car
ryng a basket of food once crossed our
path, though fortunately he did not see
us Had we only had pistol among us
we should have dined that day. once we
sat down to rest, and so weary were we
that we all fell asleep. Strokes Of an ak
against a tree aWoke US, and we saw