, 1898-07-30

Oo'bIeU up 80 llSHlly az was suppOSeu' A0
had lost five vessels, and perhaps more than
half of his men. but lis pennant WIS still
flying and some Of his guns were still il
action.
Cervera passed The bay in which the
OquendO bud sought refuge and held OH q
due westward course close to the lnnd, but
evidently nonrishing the desperate hope TINT
he might break through the line and reach
free water.
Corvera's plucky run.
lie had passed in succession the Indiana,
the Iowa and the Texas, not to speak of the
little Gloucester, which spouted 6 pound
shells at him. Since his flag appeared
outside the harbour his ship had been struck
og,in aud again. BY this time the Vizcaya
and the Oquendo were practically beaten,
but il spite Of tho II an II inoh shells that
were rnined upon him at n range which was
worry short for such guns, in spite OF the fact
that his boilers and machinery were dam
aged, he held his course. From Il point u
mile west Of the MORO tile Cristobal Colon
was invisible frequently in low hanging
smoke from his own guns anil also that which
drifted inshore from the battle ships.
Clearly now it might have been better
if they had moved in circles and given battle
under tho Snutingo batteries, Whose aid
would havo Iesseued the odds against him,
uUL Tie 0IdhllItib, llllOQ@u Spl6lIttINl oCl az
egg, had not beou headed off until the
batteries could no longer train their guns on
our feet.
At half.past eleven Cervera saw the
Oregon QUITTING in,hore ahead Of him to round
him to. Tho smoke WAS very thick. The
firing was iucossaut.
Spanish flagship on fire.
Coryera's available guns were no longer
VOL served. Shells Ind set fire 10 his ship
noar The stem, AMI the fl meS wore controlled
with difficulty, but the Spanish Admiral
altered his course, and headed off from the
coast, as if to attempt 10 pass between two
Ships and run for it.
1t was impossible, Tho Iowa nud the Texas
were already moving down to close the gap,
and the Spanish f,gship, raked by tho
Oregon AMI the Brooklyn at from n thousand
TO three thousand yards, and by the Iowa
ond the Texns ut longer rnnge, tunnel
iu>hore az in and ran for tie rocks, whore
the surf was breaking.
He still replied occasionally, mud | won.
dered when the smoke hid his ship if he
would be ah0tt whom it lifted.
The Golden Rod, leaving the burning
cruisers on the beach, bore at full speed on
the Iowa MS she closed in on The doomed
Admiral. l could still discern the Spanish
flag from time to time as the smoke drifiod
away, and the Hash OF O gun at lht0rVa's
proved TINT the Sraniard was consistently
following the iden which led him to quit the
harbour-which was to make a glorious end.
But his ship moved slowly now, as if
disabled, aud in n few minutes more his guns
were silent. Black smoke replaced the
swirling white. The flagship was olame.
Her mon had been unable either to work the
guns or mother the flames caused by burst
ing shells, and she was headed for the
rocks.
She struck bow on and rested there. Red
flames burs, through the black smoke, and
soon a pillar of cloud rose straight up
thousand feet and then bent against the
green mountain.
Saving the survivors,.
Cervera's ship was hopelessly lost. The
American battle ships cased firing before
she struck, and IA" IN, apparently with the
intention of saving the survivors MS prison
ers. This was evidently expected BY the
Spaniards, notably by the Vizcaya's men,
hundreds of whom thronged the forward
deck, watching the fumes eating their way
toward them.
DR.. Simonds, of the Iowa, who com
panied me and assisted me during the ell
gagement, said that u fourth Spanish cruiser
was unable to leave the harbour with the