The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-07-08
The Story Of the Victory.

1HTeO vi tue spanish cruisers tiluI
were bottled up IN Santiago harbor
and two torpedo boat destroyers were
pounded into helpless hulks by the
guns OF Admiral Simpsons fleet On
Sunday in vain attempt to escape
from the harbor The vessels were
beached in a last effort to save as
many lives of the crews as possible.
Admiral Cervera, on board til e
ChristObal Colon, headed his fleet in
an attempt to get away at 9 80 o'clock.
SO little were the Americans expecting
the dash that the flagship New York
was cruising up the Cast to the east,
and returned only in time to see the
finish of the fight and to fire shot or
two at the torpedo boat destroyers.
The Iowa, Indiana, Oregon, Massa-
chusetts, Texas, Brooklyn, and the
converted yacht Gloucester, formerly
the Colsair, formed in position to give
battle as soon as the Colon was sight
ed.
The American vessels did not open
fire at once. They waited until Ger
vera's ships were out of the range of
Moro's guns before giving battle. Ger
vera headed to the west, the Colon in
the lead, followed by the Vizcaya and
Oquendo and the destroyers, all firing
rapidly. All of the American battle
ships opened fire at once, and the
Spanish were soon in Il hurricane of
shot and she'll, but the Colon kept
bravely on till when about ten miles
westward from Moro castle Admiral
Cervera turned his vessel to the shore
and beached her. She was bluzing in
score of places, but her guns kept at
work, and the white flag never showed
until she was completely disabled.
The Oquendo and Vizcaya were op-
posed to the Iowa, the Texas and In
diana, and went down to defeat with
fearful swiftness, covering only half
the distance made by the Colon before
their captains ran them ashore. Their
crews fought with desperate bravery,
but their courage was no match for
the courage of our men, added to their
superb gunnery. The Spanish shells
went wide for the most part, but the
American gun fire was marked by
merciless precision. The two cruisers,
both on fire, were beached not more
than quarter of mile apart
The most dramatic feature Of the
battle was the contest between the tor
pedO loaf destroyers and the Glouces-
ter. The latter was struck several
times, and is the only American vessel
reported damaged. At fl rst the
Gloucester fired upon them with her
six-pounders, but they ran past her
and engaged the battleships. Finding
the fire too hot, they TUNED and at
tackled tho Gloucester again until both
destroyers were afre and had to be
beached. Their crews threw them
selves i'll the surf to save their lives.
Just before this the New York came
up and assisted in giving the finishing
blow to the destroyers There was ex
plosion after explosion from the
beached vessels.
The American victory is complete.
and, according to the best information
obtainable at this time, the American
vessels were untouched, aud only one
man was killed, though thesships were
subjected to the heavy fire of the
Spaniards all the time the battle lasted
The Spanish admiral is prisoner
OF war on the auxiliary gunboat
Gloucester formerly J. Pierpont Nor
cams yacht Corsair), and 1000 to
LOU other Spanish soldiers and sail
ors, all who escaped the frightful car
mage caused by the shells from the
American warships, are also held "a
prisoners OF war by the United States
navy-P.-I.