The western recorder., 1898-07-07
|CERVERA'S FLEET NO MORE.
THEY SAILED OUT AND WERE DESTROYED
The Spanish Admiral Took Desperate Chances Escape Bot
Our Ships Under Schey Promptly Drove Them
the Beach and They Are Now Battered Hulks

lean ships without Orucfss III iuci, tnc
smoke often made II impossible TO see
the signals which Commodore Schley
was making from the Brooklyn, so
tremendous was the firing all along the
line. Both the Oquendo and yizcayn
were sometimes within thousand
yards OF the Indiana. The range var
led, but as n rule Il was short and
extremely deadly: nevertheless the
high speed and thick nrmor OF their
class stood the Spanish in good stead
as they followed In the path of honor
marked out by Admiral Ceryera.
Three-quarters of an hour after the
action began 1t wns evident the Span
Ish had many guns disabled and
would have TO surrender. There were
terrible casualties ON the enemy's
ships.
| As the smoke cleared little one
could see the Spanish flagship. her
port brondside spouting smoke. still
holding on to the westward. The Tex
ns and Massachusetts Joined the In
dInnn and the Iowa. The Oquendo and
the vizcayn huggcd the shore and
steamed after Cervern, pledged to go
with him TO defeat and death.
Shells burst on the deck of the Span
ish cruisers at short intervals. Often
they were on fire. but again and again
they extingulsbed the flames and man
ned again and again the guns from
which they had been driven.
The green coast on their stnrboard
smoked with the shells which flew
over. and crashing sounds heard amid
| the thunder of great rides told of arm
or piercing shells driven into and
through their protected sides.
Two destroyers coming on after the
Vizcayn were headed OF and perfor-
ntcd by the guns of the Indiana and
Gloucester. They ran upon the shore
and blew up.
The New York was six miles away
when the dcstroyers saw her. The
Moro Numbered mt Sampson us he
came within range. but the admiral
never needed. seeing only In the dis
tance the dim forms Of the Vizcaya
and Oquendo. hopeless1y bemmed in
by circle of fire. and In the fore
ground the Gloucester fighting two
destroyers at short range.
The Spanish admiral was lost In
smoke to the westward, when. Mt n
quarter before eleven o'clock, the
Vizcayn hoisted white flag. This
was followed by the Oqucndo's GO
ing ashore with flames bursting from
her decks.
The Iowa. Indiana, Texas and Mas
snchusetts ceased firing, the Massa-
chusetts going at once to join the Or
| egon and the Brooklyn In pounding
up and smashing Cervera's ship.
Once headed or. the Oquendo
turned into small bay four or i've
miles west of Santiago. where she
lay close to land.
with an cyer-wcakening broadside
the Vizcaya followed. first heading
out as II TO break through the line of
battle. The Indiana and Iowa closed
in. and their formation made her es-
cape in that direction impossible.
Captain Eulatc then attempted to
reach the east side of the bay. occu-
pied by the Oquendo. but in vain.
With glass ! could see that the
vizcaya's bulwarks near the stern
had been torn away. Smoke poured
out where shells had exploded inside.
and she was ON fire. Her guns, with
the exception of those forward, We're
out of action. Her bow guns were
stlll firing at Intervals, those who
were not working the bow guns
crowdlng forward TO escape the
smoke and fire aft.
The Oquendo was ashore. her guns
silent and smoke rising in thick
black clouds. There was thunder
ing of guns to the westward now, and
flashes in the smother told that Ger
vera still fought, but to the eastward
of his ship lay the burning wrecks of
his two destroyers. The torpedo boat
Ericsson was seen coming along with
the New York.
The oquendo was helpless. The
Indiana and the Iowa were closing In
and shell after shell burst above and
aboard the Vizcaya. Eulnte hoisted q
white flag as his ship went ashore to
save the remainder of his men, and
simultaneously up went flag OF
white on the Oquendo and down
came the flag of Spain. An hour and
n half had elapsed since Ccrvera had
left the barber, and of the five yes
sells which came out. only the flag
ship wns still in action. The Morrc
battery still stormed impatiently al
the New York.
Cervera passed the bay in which the
Oquendo had sought refuge. and helt
on due westward course close to the
shore. but evidently nourishing the des
pcrate hope that he might brcal
through the line and reach free water
He had passed in succession the Indi
ana and the Iowa and the Texas, mo-
TO speak of the little Gloucester, whicl
spouted 6-poundcrs mt him. Since hi.
flag had appeared outside of the har
Dor his ship had been struck again ant
ngain.
BY this time the Vizcaya and tn,
Oquendo We're practically beaten, but
in spite of the 12 and 13-inch shell,
that were reained upon him at rangt
which was very short for such guns
in spite of the fact that his boilers ant
machinery We're damaged, he held hi,
course.
At half past II Cervera saw ahe Ore
gon cutting In shore ahead of him I,
round him to- The smoke was very
thick. The firing was incessant. Ger
vera's available guns were no longel
well served. Shells had set fire to hi.
ship near the stern. and the flames
were controlled with difficulty. but tn,
Spanish admiral altered his course ant
headed or from the coast as IL TO at
tempt to pass through the two ship,
and run for 1t.
II was impossible. The Iowa ant
the Texas We're already moving dow
to close the gap; and the Spanish flag
ship, raked by the Oregon and tn,
Brooklyn at from n thousand TO thre,
thousand yards. and by the Iowa an,
Texas at longer range, turned in shor,
again and ran for the rocks, and In |
few minutes flames cnyeloped the biz
ship.
Admiral Cervera, nfter making n
plucky fight against Overwhelming
odds as Is recorded in naval history
xyns eomppl1ed 10 surrender He wa