The times., 1898-07-12
HoNoRs OF THE NAVAL FIGHT
Claims of Three Ships as to First
Sighting the Enemy.

Portsmouth. y. n. July 11-There is
going to be much discussion as to what
part each ship took in the great naval
battle off Santiago. and already many
contradictory statements have been
made. The Texas. Brooklyn and Iowa
each claim to have been the first 10 have
sighted the enemy coming out of the
harbor. This is the version as given by
the officers of the Iowa:
The Iowa. according to the account
was six thousand yards distant from
MOrro when the feet put to sea. Lieu
tenants Scheutze and Hill, | am told
were on the bridge of the battleship at
the time. Hill, gazing through a glass
directed at the entrance of the harbor
said; There is something coming out. -
Scheutze looked in the same direction
and after a few moments scrutiny flung
down the glass, sounded the general
alarm, rang full speed ahead. hoisted sig
nal 20O, Enemy is coming out and let
go 6-pounder to attract immediate at.
tention TO the warning message
The lowa's finely-disciplined crew lost
no time in getting to their stations. and
her big bow guns were blazing before
Capt. Evans, hurrying from his cabin at
the first alarm, he'd time 10 reach the
bridge.
After clearing the harber the Spanish
fleet swung to the westward and the
Iowa, swinging 10 parallel course
brought her starboard battery into ac-
ton. Four Il and four S-inch rifles boom
ed at the enemy singly and in pairs. From
the powerful secondary battery the rap
id-fire Storm had burst, and the grim bat
tleship stood toward the enemy looking
like q thundercloud rent by incessant
lightning.
These Pinch shells of the Iowa weigh
1000 pounds, and are hurled from the
high-powered rified guns by the explo-
sion of 500 pounds of powder The chilled
steel projectiles are five feet in length.
and when one of these cuts through an
armor belt and expIodes in the interior
of ship it good vessel and a stout
hearted crew that will have any interest
left in subsequent events.
The Iowa hurled thirty-six of these
monster shells at her enemies and II
any of them missed it was an off mo-
ment with the gun captain. whose boast
it is to hit a silver dollar at mile.
While the 12-inch rifles were hurting
their splitting mines into the heart of the
enemy the other guns were as hotly en-
gagged. The four S-inch rifies-and these
are no joke. either-fiung forty-eight of
their shells toward the foe, and the fine
battery of rapid fire 4-inch rifles almost
emptied its magazine. firing 300 rounds
The 6-pounders discharged 1200 rounds
1t will be seen that Fighting Bob
Evans dispensed his favors with a prodi-
gality almost unequaled. In return he
received a 6-inch shell in the forward
compartment of his ship and another in
the sick bay.
Both exploded, but that special Provi-
dence which is said to look out for the
United States. drunkards and fools was
still on duty, and not soul on board the
battleship was hurt by the two explo-
sions. By way of contrast 1t should be
noted that one shell on the yizcaya killed
and wounded eighty men,
Both of the shells which struck the
Iowa passed through the Golfer dam and
near the water line. but the faithful
cellulose Immediately choked the wounds.
Patent leak shoppers were subsequently
placed in the jagged rents, and at the
close of the battle the Iowa was in prac-
tically, the. same, condition as when she
went into action-minus some ammuni-
ton.
The battle done, the enemys ships on