Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-07-08
LATEST WAR NEWS.

General Shaiter sent dispatch 10 Wash
ington on Saturday, stating that the fight
ing had been desperate and that about 1000
he stated, a small proportion were killed.
One entire company was virtually annih.
lated by Spanish shell.
The dispatch from Gen. Skater stated
that he had carried the enemy's outer works
and was In possession Of them. His men
attacked the Spsniards at Caney and Aqua
dores, pressing them back after desperate
fighting. At the same time the army made
general advance, presenting solid front
from the coast TO Santiago's northern de-
lenses
A dispatch from the blockading feet off
Santiago, Cuba, dated July 8, gives the fol
lowing:
Admiral Cervera's feet, consisting of the
armored cruisers Cristobal Colon, Almirante
Oquendo Infania Maria Teresa and Vzcaya,
and the torpedo boat destroyers Furor and
Pluton, which had been held In the harbor
of Santiago for six weeks by the combined
squadrons of Admiral Sampson and Com
modore Schley, was sunk Sunday in the
Caribbean Sea, off the southern. coast OF
Cuba.
The Spanish admiral is prisoner of war
on the auxiliary gunboat Gloucester, former
ly Mr. j. Pierpont Morgan's yacht Corsair'
Between 1000 and 1900 other Spanish Of
ficers and sailors-All who escaped the fright
ful carnage caused by the shells from the
American warships-are also held as prls-
oners of war by the United States Navy.
The American victory is complete. Ac-
cording TO the best information obtainable
at this time the American vessels were prac.
tcally untouched and only one man was
killed, though the ships were subjected to
the heavy fire of the Spaniards all the time
the battle lasted.
Admiral Cervera made as gallant dash
for liberty and for the preservation of his
ships as has ever occurred in the history of
naval warfare. In the face Of overwhelm.
ing odds, with nothing before him but in
evitable destruction or surrender II he re.
manned any longer In the trap in which the
American fleet held him, he made bold
dash from the harbor at the time the Ameri-
cans least expected him to do so, fighting
every inch of his way, even when his ship
was ablaze and sinking, he tried TO escape
the doom which was written on the muZzle
of every American gun trained upon bis
vessels.
The Americans saw his feet the moment
IL left the harbor, and they began their work
of destruction Immediately. For an hour
or two they followed the flying Spaniar
to the westward, along the shore line, send
ing shot after shot into their blazing bulls,
tearing great holes In their steel sides and
covering their decks with the blood of the
killed and wounded
AT no time did the Spanisrds show any
indication that they intended TO do other
wise than fight TO the last They showed
no signals to surrender even when their
ships began to sink and the great clouds of
smoke showed they were on fire. But they
turned their ships toward the shore, less
than mile away, and ran them on the
beach and rocks, where their destruction
was soon complete.
The officers and men on board then es.
capped to the shore as well as they could,
with the assistance of boats sent from the
American men of war They then threw
upon the mercy of their csptors,
who not only extended to them the gracious
hand of American chivalry, but sent them
guard to protect them from the murderous
bands of Cuban soldiers hiding in the bushes
on the hillside eager to rush down and at
tack the unarmed, defeated, but valorous foe.
Two hours after the first Of the feet had
started out of Santiago harbor, three cruisers
and two torpedo boat destroyers were lying
on the shore ten or fifteen miles west of
Moro Castle, pounding TO pieces, smoke
and flames pouring from every part of them
and covering the coast line with mist
which could be seen fifteen miles.
Heavy explosions of ammunition occurred
every few minutes, sending curs of dense
white smoke hundred feet in the air and
causing a shower of broken iron and steel
to fall In the water on every side.
The bluffs on the coast line echoed with
the roar of every explosion, and the Spanish
vessels sank deeper and deeper into the sand
or else the rocks ground their bulls TO pieces
as they rolled or pithced, forward or side
ways, with every wave that washed upon
them from the open sea.
Admiral Cervera escaped to the shore In
a boat sent by the Gloucester 10 the assist
ance of the cruiser lnfanta Maria Teresa.
As soon as he touched the beach he surren-
dered, with his command, to Lieutenant
Morton, and asked to be taken on board the
Gloucester, which was the only American
vessel near at the time, with several of his
officers, including the captain OF the flag.
ship. The Spanish Admiral was wounded
in the arm.
He was taken to the Gloucester and was
received at her gangway by her chief, Off
Ger, Lieutenant Commander Richard Vain.
wright, who grasped the hand Of the gray.
bearded Admiral and said to him:
81 congratulate you, sir, upon having
made as gallant fight as was ever wit.
messed on the sea"
Lieutenant Commander Wainwright then
placed his cabin at the disposal of the Span.
ish officers. 1t is coincidence that he was
one OF the officers of the battle ship Maine
in Havana harbor.
AT that time the Spanish flagship and
four other Spanish vessels had been aground
and burning two hours. The only one Of
the escaping fleet which could not be seen
was the Cristobal Colon. But half dozen
curls OF smoke far down on the western
horizon showed the fate that was overtaklng
her.
The Cristobal Colon was the fastest OF
the Spanish ships. She soon obtained lead |
over the others after leaving the harbor, and |
ESCAPED the effect of the shots which dea