The age-herald., 1898-07-27
REPORTS OF THE DESTRUCTION
 OF ADMIRAL GERVERA'S FLEE I
Admiral Sampson and Commodore SC6U Describe th6 Engagement tween th6 Opposing SQuddrOnS O1f Santiago d6 Cuba
 on Juu 3T6xt Of tl6 Documents in Full.

[ ed upon the channel in readiness to fire | the instant a Spanish ship should appear The commanding officers merit the great est praise for the perfect manner in which they entered into and executed this plan The Massachusetts, who according to routine was sent that morning to coal at Guantanamo, like the others having spent weary nights upon this work and deserved better fate than to be absent that morn- ing I enclose for the information of the department copies of orders and memoran- dums issued from time to time relating to the manner of maintaining the blockade 13. When all the work was done so well it is difficult to discriminate Tn praise. The object of the blockade of Cervera's squad ron was fully accomplished and each indi- vidual bore well his part in 1.-the conn modore of the second division, the captains of the ships, their officers and men. F The fire of the batteships was powerful and destructive and the resistance of the Spanish squadron was in great part broken almost before they got beyond the en- trance of the harbor.
 The fine speed of the Oregon enabled her to take the front position in the chase and the Cristobal Colon did not give up until the Oregon had thrown q thirteen-inch shell beyond her.
 This performance adds to the already brilliant record of this fine battleship and speaks highly of the skill and care with
 
 maintained during a service unprecedented in the history of vessels1of her class.
 The Brooklyns westerly blockading gave her an advantage in the chase which she maintained to the end and she employed her fine battery with telling effect The Texas and the New York were gaining on the chase during the last hour and had any accident befalen ehe Brooklyn or the Oregon. would have probably speedily overhauled the Cristoba1 Colon.
 Result Neverin Doubt
 From the moment the Spanish vessel ex- hauSted her first burst of speed. the result was never in doubt She fell, in fact, far below what might have been reasonably expected of her. After careful measure ment of time and distance, give her an av- craze speed, from the time she cleared the harbor mouth until the time she was run shore at Rio Tarquino, of 13:7 knots. Neither the New York nor the Brooklyn stopped to couple up their forward engines, but ran out the chase with one pair get ting up steam, of course, as rapidly as pos sibe on all boilers. To stop to couple up would have meant a delay of fifteen min utes, or four miles in the chase.
 14. Several of the ships were struck. the Brooklyn more often than the others but very slight material injury was done. the greatest being to the Iowa. Our loss was one man killed and one wounded, both on the Brooklyn It is difficult to explain this
 
 ships in a battle with modern vessels of the best type, but the Spanish gunner is poor at the best, and the superior weight and accuracy of our fire speedily drove the men from their guns and silenced their fire. This is borne out by the statements of prisoners and by observation. The Spanish vessels, as they dashed out of the harbor were covered with the smoke from their own guns, but this speedily diminished in volume, and soon almost disappeared. The fire from the rapid-fre batteries of the battleshps appeared to have been remark ably destructive. An examination of the stranded vessels showed that the Almi- rante Oquendo probably had suffered terri bly, from this fire. Her sides every where pierced and her decks were strewn with the charred remains of those who had fallen.
 15. The reports of Commodore w. S. Schley and the commanding officers en- closed.
 16 A board appointed by me several days ago has made. with a view to ascertaining whether or not any of them may be saved, a critical examination of the stranded ves- sels. The report of the board will be speedily forwarded.
 Very respectfully
 W. T. SAMPSON,
 Rear Admiral II. S. N Commander in Chief Naval Forces North Atlantic Station.
 The Secretary of the Navy, Navy Depart ment, Washington.