The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-15
gradually drew ahead of the Iowa, and
came under the terrific fire of the Ore
gon and Texas.

oNCN dlCdu VI Uut IONd d. anu
came under the terrific fire of the Ore
gon and Texas.
Torpedo Boat Alarm.
cat this moment the alarm of tor
pedo boats was sounded and two tor
pedo boat destroyers were discovered in
the starboard quarters at distance of
1900 yards. Fire was opened on them
with the after battery and 12-inch
shell cut the stern Of one destroyer
squarely off. AS the shell struck she
fired back at us, sending shell close to
my head. I said to Executive Officer
Rogers, "That little chap has got a lot
of cheek Rogers shouted back, She
shoots very well, all the same Well
up among the advancing cruisers, spit
ting shots at one and then another, was
the little Gloucester, shooting first at a
cruiser and then at a torpedo boat and
hitting a head wherever she saw it.
The marvel was that she was not de-
stroyed by the rain of shells In the
meantime the Vizcaya was slowly
drawing abeam Of the Iowa and for the
space Of Is minutes it was give and take
between the two. The Vizcaya fired
rapidly but wildly, not one shot taking
effect on the Iowa, While the shells from
the Iowa were tearing great rents in the
sides Of the Vizcaya. AS the latter
passed ahead Of the Iowa she came un
der the murderous fire Of the Oregon.
Headed For the Reach.
cat this time the Infanta Maria
Teresa and the Almirallte OquendC
leading the enemy's column We're seen
to be heading for the beach and III
flames. The Texas, Oregon and Iowa
pounded them numerically. They
ceased to reply, and in d few minutes
the Spanish cruisers We're a mass of
flames and on the rocks with their col
ors down, the Teresa flying a white
flag at the fore. The crews Of the
enemy's ships stripped themselves and
began jumping overheard, and some OF
the smaller magazines began to explode.
"Meantime the Brooklyn and the
Cristobal Colon We're exchanging com
pliments in lively fashion at apparently
long range, and the Oregon, with her
locomotive speed, was hanging well Oh
the Colon, also paying attention. to the
Nizcaya. The Teresa and the OQueIdo
were in flames on the beach just 20
Fifty minutes after the first shot was
fired, the Vizcaya put her helm to port,
with Il great burst Of fame from the
after part of the ship and headed slowly
for the rocks, where she found her last
resting place
CAS- it was apparent that the Iowa
could not catch the C1iMobal Colon and
edly would, and as the fast New York
was Oh her trail, I decided that tho calls
Of humanity should be answered and
attention given to the 1900 OF 1900
Spanish officers and men who had
struck their cOlOrs. l therefore headed
for the wreck Of the Vizcaya, now burn
ing furiously fore and aft. When I
was in as far as the depth of water
would admit, 1 lowered I'LL my boats
and sent them to the assistance of the
unfortunate men who We're being
drowned by dozens or roasted on deck.
l soon discovered that insurgent Cubans
were shooting on the men who had sur
rendered to us l Immediately put
stop to this, but could not put q stop
to the mutilation Of many bodies by the
sharks inside the reef. These creatures
had become excited by the blood from
the wounded mixing in the water. ..
"My boats crews worked manfully
and succeeded in saving many Of the
wounded. One man who will be recon-
mended for promotion clambered up the
Vizcaya and saved three men. The
smaller magazines of the Vizcaya were
exploding with magnificent cloud ef-
fects. The boats were coming alongside
in steady stream, and willing hands
were helping the lacerated Spanish Of
fcers and men on to the Iowa's quarter
deck. Some of the Spaniards had no
clothes. Some had their legs torn off
by fragments Of shell. Others were
mutilated in every conceivable way.
II took Admiral Cervera aboard the
Iowa, from the Gloucester, and received
him with full admiral's guard The
crew Of the Iowa crowded, aft, black
with powder, and half naked as Ger
vera stepped over the side bare headed.
Over the undersuit he wore thin wool
undersuit borrowed from Lieutenant
Commander Wainwright. Cervera is
every inch an admiral even if he had no
hat. He submitted to the fortunes Of
war with grace, that proclaimed him
a thoroughbred.
Examples of Heroism.
''The bottoms of the boats held two or
three inches of blood. In many cases
dead men were lying in the blood.
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