Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-07-07

Heavy explosions OF ammunition &C.
lcurred every few minutes, sending curls
of smoke 100 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 YES
sells sank deeper and deeper into the
sand, or else the rocks pounded their
hulls to pieces as they rolled or pitched
forward or sideways, with every wave
that washed upon them from the open
sea.
Admiral Cervera escaped 70 the shore
In a boat sent by the Gloucester to the
assistance of the Infanta Maria Teresa
As soon as he touched the beach he sur
rendered himself and his command to
Lieutenant Morton and asked to be
taken on board the Gloucester, which
was the only American vessel near him
at the time. with several OF his officers
including the captain of the flagship
The Spanish admiral, who was wounded
In the arm, was taken to the Gloucester
and was received at her gangway by
her commander, Lieutenant Commander
Wainwright. who grasped the hand OF
the gray-bearded admiral and said to
him: Il congratulate you. sir. upon
having made as gallant fight as was
ever witnessed on the sea" Lieutenant
Commander Wainwright then placed
his cabin at the disposal of the Spanish
officers.
At that time the flagship and four
other vessels had been aground and
burning for two hours. and the only
one of the escaping fleet which could
not be seen at this point was the Cristo-
bal Colon; but half dozen curls of
smoke far down on the western horizon
showed the fate that was awaiting her.
The Colon was the fastest of the ships,
and she soon obtained lead over the
others after leaving the harbor and
escaped the effect of the shots which
destroyed the other vessels. She
steamed away at great speed with the
Oregon, New York. Brooklyn and other
ships in pursuit, all of them firing at
her constantly and receiving fire them
selves from her after guns. There
seemed no possibility whatever for her
escape, and before IL was known that she
had run ashore so miles away. Captain
Evans of the Iowa, who was returning
from the westward with $40 prisoners
from the Vizcaya just as the Associated
Press dispatch boat Wanda was leaving
the Spanish flagship. shouted: Il left
the Cristobal Colon far to the westward
an hour ago, and the Oregon was giving
her hell. She has undoubtedly gone
down with the others, and we will have
Fourth of July celebration in San
tiago."
There is no means of telling now what
the Spanish loss was, but il is believed
to have been very heavy. as the prison
ers in custody report their decks strewn
with dead and wounded in great num-
bers. and besides there is a statement
that many bodies could be seen fastened
to pieces of wreckage, floating in the sea
after the fight was over. A large num-
Der of the Spanish wounded were re-
moved to the American ships.
There can be no doubt that Admiral
Cervera's plan to escape from Santiago
harbor was entirely unexpected by Ad-
miral Sampson. and the best evidence
of this is the fact that when the Spanish
vessels were seen coming out of the
harbor the New York was seven miles
away steaming to the eastward toward
Juragua. the military base. nine miles
east of MORO. The New York was out
Of the fight altogether at every stage
but she immediatelyput about and fol-
lowed the others.