Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-07-28

many prisoners. Inc Vixen. nnulnS
that the rush of the Spanish ships
would put her between two fires, ran
outside Of our column and remained
there during the battle. The skillful
handling and gallant fighting of the
Gloucester excited the admiration OF
everyone who witnessed ii, and mer-
its the commentator OF the navy de-
partment. She was lying about two
miles from the harbor entrance,
southwark and eastward, and immedt-
ately steamed in aud opened fire upon
the large ships. Anticipating the APP
pearance of the Pluton and Furor, the
Gloucester withdrew and when the de-
stroyers came out she steamed for
them at full speed, and was able to
close in to short range, where her
fire was accurate, deadly and of great
volume. During this fight the
Gloucester was under the fire of the
Socapa battery. Within twenty min
utes from the time that they emerged
from Santiago harbor the careers OF
the Furar and Pluton We're ended, and
two-thirds of their people killed, The
destroyers probably suffered much in
juries from the fire of the secondary
batteries of the battleships Iowa, In
diana and Texas, yet | think very
considerable factor in their speedy
destruction was the fire, at close
range, of the Gloucesters battery. Az
ter rescuing the survivors of the de-
stroyers, the Gloucester did excellent
service in landing and securing the
crew of the Iufanta Maria Teresa.
The Infanta and Oquendo We're set
on fire by the shells fred during the
first fifteen minutes of the engage
ment. 1t was afterwards learned that
the Teresa's fireman. had been cut by
one Of our first shots and she was un-
able to extinguish the fire. With
a large volume of smoke rising from
their lower decks aft, these vessels
gave up both fight and flight and ran
on the beach, the Teresa six miles
and half from the harbor entrance,
and the 0quendo at Juan Gonzales, Z
miles from port.
ne ' lLSdSd was Slilt uuuti lHC III Y
of the leading vessels, but the Colon
had drawn ahead, leading the chase,
and soon passed beyond the range of
the guns of the leading American
ships The ViZcaya was set on fire
and burned on shore and was beached
at Ascorradores, fifteen miles from
Santiago, burning tiercely, with her
reserves of ammunition on deck al
ready beginning to explode. When
! about ten miles west of Santiago, the
| Indiana was signalled to so back to
the harbor entrance, and at Ascorra-
dores the Iowa was signalled to re-
sumo her blockading station. The
Iowa, assisted by the Ericsson and the
Hist, took off the crew of the Nizcaya,
while the Hazard and Gloucester res
cued those of the Teresa and the
Oquendo.
There remained now of the Span
ish ships only the Colon, but she
was their best and fastest vessel.
When the Nizcaya went ashore, the
Colon was about six miles ahead of
the Brooklyn and Oregon, but her
squirt was finished and the American
ships were now gaining upon her. Be
hind the Brooklyn and the Oregon
came the Texas, Vixen and New York,
At II: so p. m. the Brooklyn and Ore
gon opened fire and got her range, the
Oregons heavy shells striking be-
yond her. At 1:10 she gave up with
colors and ran ashore at Rio Tor
qu.no, as miles from Santiago. Captain
Cook of the Brooklyn went aboard to
receive the surrender. While his
boat was alongside, | came up and
received his report, placed the Ore
gon in charge of the wreck to save
her II possible and directed that the
prisoners be transferred to the Reso-
lutte, which had followed in the
chase. Commodore Schley, whose
chief Of staff had goAe to receive the
surrender, had directed that all their
personal effects should be retained by
the officers. This order | did not
modify. The Colon was not injured
by our firing and probably not much
injured by Bleaching. But her sea
valves were open and broken and she
sank. When 1t became evident that
she could not be kept afoat
she was pushed by the New York
bodily upon the beach"
The report chen describes the man.
ner in which the blockade was main
tanned, 1t was ascertained that the
sunken Merrimac did not block the
passage. Continuing Sampson says:
When all the work was done well.
1t is difficult to discriminate. Each
individual bore well his part in it, The
commodore in command Of the second
division and the captains OF the ships
all did splenaidiy. The Colon did NOT
give up until the Oregon had thrown
d 13-inch she'll beyond her. This per-
Torrance adds to the already brilliant
record Of this fine Dattleship, and
speaks highly for the skill and care
with which the admirable efficiency
has been maintained during service
unprecedented in the history OF yes
Hn1n