The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-13

large hole was torn In the ground and
many buildings were demolished. II 100
other shells could be landed with SINH
lar effect they would destroy Santiago.
General Shafter signaled Admiral
Sampson to cease firing. Then the gen.
eral sent General Wheeler into the Span
ish lines under flag OF truce with
message to General Toral, the Spanish
commander. reciting the fact that the
American ships had given complete
demonstration that they could throw
shells into the city and destroy IL at will;
that the American troops had the city
practically surrounded. and that there
were $4,000 Spanish and Cuban refugees
starving to death at El Caney, and that
our army had no means Of feeding them.
lie demanded the unconditional sur
render Of the city, and coupled this de-
mand with the statement that unless
General Toral acceded the assault upon
the city both by the land and sea forces
would be renewed at once. Several
huors elapsed before any reply was re-
ceived from Toral, and then he sent
message to the effect that the matter
was OF such Importance that he had been
obliged TO refer II TO the Madrid govern
inert. 1t was thenlate in the afternoon,
and General Shafter gave or Tsers TO all
the troops TO get as much rest as pos
sible and be prepared to resume the at
tack at any moment.
BROOKLYN'S TERRIBLE BATTERY.
Santiago, July 13.--In an interview.
Captain Eulate of the Vizcaya said:
The entire squadron was ordered to de-
vote the fire of the guns TO the Brook
lyn because 1t was believed that she was
the only ship in the American squadron
that could overtake us. The Brooklyn
was half a mile closer to us than any
other ship. and / determined to try and
ram her, SO that the Colon and Ocuendo
could get away, and started for her.
She was a good mark with her big
broadside. and as / started thought
surely / would get her. BUT she very
quickly turned about and, making a
short circle, came at our port side. so
that I thought she would ram US.
movsd in towards the shore so that
could avoid her. The manoeuvres OF
the Brooklyn were beautiful. We
opened rapid fire at her with all our
big guns, but she returned IL with ter
rible effect. The Oregon also hit us
several times. but the Brooklyn's broad
side. crashing into our superstructure,
simply terrorized the men. We worked
all our guns at her at one time, and 1
don't see how she escaped us. She
simply drove US into shore, at one time
fighting US at 100 yards. One shell
went along the entire gun deck, killing
half the men on IL and wounding nearly
all the rest.
"A shell from the Oregon hit the super
structure and II was then that, wounded
and knowing that we could not get away.
I struck the flag and started for the
beach. / did not instruct the men to
load the guns at all. and / don't know
why they were loaded. We were on
fire badly, and when those men who
were alive started to swim ashore, the
Cubans on the shore shot at us until the
American ships arrived and stopped
them. The Brooklyn had prevented
me from getting away, for 1 could have
beaten the Oregon out, as had Emile
lead of her. My orders were to try and
sink the Brooklyn and tried to carry
them out. / did not think her battery
could be so terrible as 1t was"