Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-07-15
AN ALENANDRIAN IN THE
FIGHT.

y
on the Iowa, an Alexandra boy, in a
letter to friend iu Washington. After
describing the way in which the Span
lsn ships came out of the harbor and
were discovered by the Iowa, he says
Captain Evans-Fighling Bob-well
deserves his reputation. He is perfect
iy fearless, and as cool as can be He
stood on one leg-his good one; his left
is lsme-and calmly directed the ship
through the hail that followed as coolly
rs if at diuner.
''The first big shell from our forward
y iuch turret guns struck the foremost
Spanish ship just where you would
probably call under The forward gang
way" Il exploded and scattered
nings-such as guns aud ventilators.
by this lime, after half dozen
sho,s, we were in the very midst Of the
spanish feet and torpedo boats. |
have never heard such steady thunder
rom cur great guns as they poured out
en-. Our ship was mass OF smoke
s,d flame. We were the sole object OF
ue eaemy's attack up to this time but
aey could not hit Us. One big 13-inch
,h, II Q,100 pounds) hit us near the
%aterlue and exploded on the berth
.ifck forward. Ii set things afre and
mashed the compartment stanchlons
Ike paper. Another struck Us on the
waterine ard went through the Golfer
dam, but the inflow of water swelled
the cellulose in the dam and secured it.
"Wnen the smoke slightly cleared
away the torpedo boats were making
toward us. 'Repel torpedo boat at
tack was sounded, and the smaller
!uns b-gan pepperIng them unmerci-
,ully. Presently we swung around,
and The after l2-inch guns (40 ton guns)
could not bear on the rig Spanish ships.
"A gun captain sighted the Furor, q
torpedo boat, and let drive q she'll
weighing nearly nine hundred pounds.
Il ,ook the torpedo boat in the centre
(amidships), and, with an awful eXplo-
son, she went to the bottom. Our men
b-gan to cheer after thi, before every
hing WAS deaf silence.
One of the inch guns drove a shell
into the other torpedo boat, which
made fJr the hsrbor, but the Glouces-
ter-Pierpont Morgan's old yacht Cor
sair-was between it and the shore, and
fi4rcely attacked it, The torpedo boat
!hen made for the beach, but was rid
died, and sank before she reached 1t.
"Al this time the firing of the great
yuus was terrific. Sometimes our
broadside would be fired together, then
sgain rattling. In thirty-iive minutes
time our fire was so terrific that the
Spanish ships Maria Teresa and Al
mirante Oquendo struck their cOlors,
and maize Tor the beach, being in flames
from our shells bursting on board. We
passed right on, as the two foremost
ships, winch could go twenty knots aD
hour, were getting away.
The Brooklyn, Texas and Oregon
were on the outside, or seward, side
of them. We drove along after the
snip in front ofus and rapidly gained
on her. The men had rushed up to the
upper decks to look on, and rally had
to be souoded AS we drove shell "a
ter she'll into her the Spanish ship
struck her flag aud made for the beach
a mass of flames. She proved to be the
armored cruiser Vizcaya. whose cap
tain, in speech in Spain, said he
would tow back the Iowa to his king.
1--WE sent our boats to rescue the
prisoners in the water and on the ship,
and brought back great msny-sev-
eral officers and $40 men. Captain Eu
late. her commander, was among the
prisoners. Around him in the boats
was scene | never wish to see again
dead men, with legs torn of; men dying
as they were lifted over the side, some
with breast torn out and half the chin
gone: stumps of legs and arms; gashed
and bloody and naked, the ships side
running blood into the scuppers. l
saw one mar die as he was lifted up.
His arm was dangling by thread, and
q foot was gone from a leg dangling
from his body.
The sceae was horrible. Our officers
were drawn up, the marine guard pre-
sented arms, and Captain Eulate,
wounded 10 half q dozen places, was
helped aboard. Captain Evars stood
there. and they both looked at each
other for few seconds, while around
them were the Spanish prisoners-dead
aud wounded. A Spanish lieutenant
stood by with his arm dangling and
bloody: Captain Eulate. limping, with
his head bound up; men and officers
with. as said before, no hats or clothes
on. or with heads bound up with bloody
THE Spanish captain saluted 115o and 50
did Captain Evans. Captain Eulate
' You are Captain Evans? This is
the Iows?" ,r,
"Captain Evans said. Yes Then
Fighting Bob took Captain Ea!aIe,s
hand in both of his and shook it warm
ly. The Spanish Captain then stepped
back, .unbuckled his sword, kissed IT.
and. with the most elegant grace
banded it. hilt forward, to Captain
Evans
"Naptain Evsus shook his head a7d
refused 10 receive it, turning N" psim
of his land outward and waving 1t