Evening star., 1898-07-05
THE FLEETS FLIGHT
Continued from Third Page,

/
| more ammunition or another magazine.
The Maine Avenged.
| AS the flames shot higher and higher
above the decks of the magnificent vessels
that had composed Admiral Cerveras fleet
many Of those who witnessed the scene
felt it had a strong connection with the
destruction of the American battle ship
] Maine in Havana harbor five months ago.
| Lieutenan. Commander Wainwright, the
! commander of the Gloucester. was execu-
tive officer Of the Maine at the time of the
| disaster. and, although he remained In
Havana harbor two months efter the ex-
plos,on, he lived on board the dispatch
boat Fern and steadfastly refused to set
his foot within the city until. to use his
own words. the time should come when he
could So ashore at the head of a landing
party Of American bluejackets.
Today 1t vas his ship that sank two
Spanish torpedo boat destroyers and after
| as prisoner of war.
From his Position the bridge Of the
Gloucester Lieutenant Commander Vain
wright watched the flames and smoke as
! they envelopei the decks of the three
greatest warships of the Spanish navy.
| which were soon to be reduced to nothing
but shattered masts and twisted smoke
stacks, protruding above the water, similar
to that other picture in Havana harbor.
| 1t was not strange. therefore, that he re-
| marked to his brother officers beside him:
| ''The Maine is avenged
| Just then the Pluton and the Furor sank.
The Gloucester's boat picked up as many
| of the survivors as she could find on the
| shore.
| No Resistance.
The prisoners of war included the cap
| teins of both beats. None offered any re-
| sistance, and were glad to go to the Glou-
cester, as they feared an attack from the
| Cubans.
A number of the survivors, including Off
GERS of the Furor, who, it was reported,
! had their legs shot off, were scattered along
| the coast for some distance and could not
| be found. Three officers and six men of the
Pluton escaped from the shore in one of
| their own boats and pulled to the Associ-
atad Press dispatch boat Wanda, where
Trey remained until their captain, who was
held a prisoner on the Gloucester, ordered
them to join him on the latter vessel.
The most remarkable feature of the COM
bat the fact that, notwithstanding the
| utter destruction of the Spanish fleet and
the hard fight those ships made even after
they were on fire, the American vessels
should escape without injury. The only
possible explanation of this is the poor
| craftsmanship of the Spanish gunners,
which has been so we'll demonstrated in
every other conflict of the war.
The Newark, Commodore Watsons flag
ship, did not participate in the great cap
| ture, as she was coaling at Guantanamo.
| SANTIAGO'S SURRENDER DEMANDED.
| Skaters Correspondence With COM
| mander of Spanish Forces.
Following Is correspondence of Gen.
| Shafter demanding the surrender of San
| t:ago:
| HEADQUARTERS, U. s. FORCES,
| Near San Juan River, Cuba,
| July 3, 1885, $50 al
ITO the Commanding General of the Span
ish Forces, Santiago de Cuba.
| Sir: l shall be obliged, unless you sur
render, to shell Santiago de Cuba Please
| inform the citizens of foreign countries and
| all women and children that they should
! leave the city before 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning. Very respectfully,
| Your obelIeEt servant,
| "W. r. SHAFTER.'
SANTIAGO DE CUBA,
| "2 pm, July 8, 1898.
| His excellency, the general commanding
forces Of U. S., San Juan river.
"Sir: 1 have the honor to reply to your
| communication of today, written at $50
| a.nl., and received at l pm, demanding the
| surrender of this city; on the contrary case
| announcing to me that you will lombard
| this city, and that advise the foreign wO-
men and children that they must leave the
| city before 10 o clock tomorrow morning. 1t
| is my duty to say TO you that this city Will
| rot surrender; that ! will inform the for
eign consuls ard Inhabitants of the con-
| tents Of your message. Very respectfully,
| JOSE TORAL,
| "Commander-in -in-Chief 4th Corps"
| The British, Portuguese, Chinese and
| Norwegian consuls came to Gen. Shafter's S
| line with Col. Dorst. They asked If non
| combatants could occupy the town Of Caney
! and railroad points, and asked until 10
| O'Clock Tuesday before the city is fired on.
| They claimed that thare were between 49,
600 and 10000 people. many of them old,
| who would leave. Th.y asked if Gen. Shafter
| could supply them with food, which he
could not do for want of transportation to
Caney. which is fifteen miles from his land
| Ing Gen. Shafter replied as follows:
THE commanding general, Spanish forces.
Santiago de Cuba, July g. 1893.
"Sir: In consideration of the request of
| the consul5 and officers in your city for de-
| lay in carrying out my intention to fire on
! the city, and in the interest of the poor
women and children who will suffer very
| greatly by their hasty and enforced de-
parture from the city, have the honor to
| announce that will delay such action Sole
| ly in their interest until noon of the 9Th,
| providing during the interval your forces
| make demonstration whatever upon
| those Of my own. 1 am with great respect,
| Your obedient servant,
| (Signed) 'W. r. SHAFTER
| Major General, U. S. ""
| OHIO EIGHTH SAILS TOMORROW.
| a ro a. 70 tn r.,J,,