The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-13
HOW CERVERA FELL.
Further Details OF the Great Naval
Victory.

] on the slightly rolling sea the great
4 gray battleships of the American fleet
+ swung lazily at a distance of from four
4 to five miles from the harbor entrance.
/ The line which at all times was sup
/ posed to be half circle, inclosing the
+ harbor entrance as a central point was
/ more than ordinarily broken up this hot
! morning. The big battleships had drift
/ ed to the east considerably, and the
Massachusetts, the New York, the New
/ Orleans and the Newark were not in
sight, the New York having taken Ad-
miral Sampson down to Altares, eight
] miles east of the Brooklyn to make a
/ visit to the camp of the American
army; while the other missing vessels
were at Guantanamo, forty miles to the
east
The vessels on the blockade were the
Iowa, Indiana and Oregon, battleships,
the flagship Of Commodore Schley, the
BrOOklyn,and the small yachts GIouceS-
ter and Vixen. The Iowa was swing
ing a mile further out than the rest of
the squadron, trying to fix her forward
12-inch turret, which was out of re-
pair; while the Indiana was doing the
same thing to her forward 13-inch tur-
ret. The absolutely available ships in
the squadron, therefore, were only the
Oregon, Texas and Brooklyn, although
later both Captain Evans and Captain
Taylor fought their ships.
1t is a custom of ships, regulated by
/ the rules that there shall be general
muster at least once each three months
and that the articles of war shall be
read. First call had been sounded at
9:15 a. m. and the men were assembling
on the decks. The lookout in the mast
head of the Brooklyn had some time be-
fore reported smoke in the harbOr but
as the same thing had been noticed
several times, no special attention was
paid to it. The Brooklyn and the Vixen
were the only ships to the west of the
entrance, the other ships having urifted
well to the east. On the bridge Navi-
gator HOdgesOn of the Brooklyn said
sharply to the lookout: rs not that
smoke mOving?" and the lookout, after
a minutes inspection with the long
glass dropped it eXcitedly and fairly
yelled: There's a big ship coming out
of the harbOr, sir HOdgeSOn, who is
a particularly cool man, looked once
himself and then, grasping the mega
phone, shouted: After bridge there.
Tell the commodore the enemy's fleet
is coming OUT
Commodore Schley was sitting under
the awning quarterback. Going to the
bridge he said: Raise the signal to the
fleet" and turning to Captain Cook,
who stood near, he said: Clear ship
for action" Then he went forward
and took his place on a little platform
of wood running on the outside of the
coming tower, which had been built
for him. He was dressed in blue
trousers, a black alpaca jacket and the
SuIdllOA cap W4LAlOGL IA4C ~ va belAAo
of gold braid.
The men with yell went to their
guns and the rapid preliminary orders
were given. Schley, glasses in hand,
watched the first ship turn out and
saw her start for the west. Still he
gave no signal to fire or move. The Or
egOn opened with her 13-inch shells and
the Indiana and Texas followed suit
But the range was a long one. Still the
Brooklyn waited But down below the
coal was being forced into the furnace,
Isafr1 1-a1
ry gun made ready to fire. Schley
wanted to know which way they were
all going, or whether they would scat
ter. In the meantime the Oregon be-
gan to turn to the west and the Texas
had moved in closer and was damaging
the leading ship, the Infanta Maria
Teresa.
''They are all coming west, sir, shout
ed Lieutenant Sears, and just then the
western batteries opened up Full
speed ahead, open fire" shouted the
commodore. Fire deliberately and
don't waste a shot, - he added and the
orderly carried the word to the turrets.
In an instant the BrOOl1lyn's terrific
eight and five Inch batteries on her
port side opened and the cruiser headed
for point in front of the first escap-
ing ship, firing at and receiving the
fire from two of them.
Then Commodore Schley saw that the
first ship was coming out from the
shore, headed directly for the Brook
lyn, with the evident intention of ram
ming her A clever manueVer was here
accomplished. Hard apOrt with your
helm" shouted SchIey, and the cruiser
began to go around, the smoke coming
from her tunnels in high volumes.
Quickly she turned and quickly her big
steel ram was pointing a the first ship.
The Infanta Maria Teresa had to work
in shore to avoid being rammed. The
shells of the Texas and oregon, with
the terrible storms of shell from the
Brooklyn, had done their work. and
the smoke began to appear pouring
from her decks.
In the meantime the converted yacht
Gloucester could be seen, with the help
of the Iowa, destroying the two torpedo
boat deStrOyerS that had followed the
last ship out. At 10 o'clock the entire
Cape Verde squadron was outside the
harbor and going rapidly westward.
The Iowa and Indiana could not keep
up the pace, but the Oregon was COM
ing across to the assistance of the Brook
Ign, which at 1905 was engaging the
first three ships, the Infanta Maria
Teresa, CristOba1 Colon and the Viz
caya. At 1911, the Spanish ships had
all concentrated their shots on the
Brooklyn and she was in a perfect rain
of shells, most of which went over her.
Standing in this hail of shells, Com
mOdore Schley asked a young man
named Ellis, who stood near him, with
sta6imeter, what is the distance to
/ the Vizcaya2" The man took observa-
ton. twenty-five hundred yards, sir
he said and there was whistle follow
ed by a splash, as his head was literal
~ torn from his shoulders by an 8-inch
shell.
Too bad said Commodore Schley,
| as the body fell at his feet; and then.
! with his glasses to his eyes he added,
The first ship is done for. She is run
ming ashore
The Maria Teresa was running her
nose on the beach and in an instant
was a mass of flames. The Brooklyn
was ordered to concentrate her fire on
the Almirante Oquendo and with the
/ Oregon's assistance, in ten minutes
more the OquendO was sent ashore
burning wreck but a short distance