The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1898-07-09

/ Washington, July Alt n;25 tonight
the navy department posted the appended
translation Of cipher eablegram receiy-
ed from Commodore Watson. 1t is SINH
lar to that received today from Admiral
Sampson, but contains the additional in
formation that $50 Spaniards were killed
or drowned, leo wounded and 1900 cap
tured Commodore WatsOn's dispatch
follows:
playa del Este, July 3,--To the Secre-
tary Of the Navy, Washington. d. c.: At
$3.50 a. IN. today the Spanish squadron.
seven in all, including one gunboat, came
out Of Santiago, in column and was total
ly destroyed within an hour, excepting
the Cristobal Colon, which was chased for
Is miles to the westward by the COM
mander-in-ehief on the Brooklyn, Oregon
and Texas. She surrendered to the
Brooklyn, but was beaehed to prevent
sinking. None Of our officers or men
were injured except on board the
Brooklyn. There Chief YeOman Ellis was
killed and one man wounded.
Admiral Cervera, all the commanders
excepting of the Oquendo, about 20 other
officers and 1900 men are prisoners.
About $50 were killed or drowned and
about leo injured. The latter are being
cared for on the SOlaee and 0livette.
have just arrived of Santiago in the
Marblehead, to take charge while the
eOmmander-in-chief is looking out for the
CristObal Colon"
story of the Battle.
Ten Miles West of the Entrance Of the
Harbor of Santiago de Cuba, Sunday,
July ,, 4 P. m, by the Associated Press
Dispatch Boat Wanda, to Port Antonio.
Jamaica, Monday Morning, July 4. via
Kingston, July 4, 4:45 a. m.-Admiral
Cervera's fleet, consisting OF the armored
cruisers Cristobal Colon, Almirante
Oquendo, Infanta Maria Teresa and Viz
caya and two torpedo boat destroyers, the
Furor and Piuton, which had been held
in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba for
six weeks past by the combined squad
rOns of Rear Admiral Sampson and Com
mOdOre Sehley, lies today at the bottom
Of the Caribbean sea of the southern
coast of Cuba
The Spanish admiral is a prisoner OF
war on the auxiliary gunboat Gloucester
formerly Mr.. J. PierpOnt Morgan's yacht
Corsairl and 1000 to 1900 other Spanish
soldiers and sailors, all who escaped the
frightful carnage caused by the shells
from the American warships, are also
held as prisoners Of war by the United
States navy.
Il Was n Gallant Dash.
Admiral Cervera made as gallant dash
for liberty and the preservation Of his
ships as has ever occurred in the his
tory OF naval warfare. In the face of
overwhelming odds, with nothing before
him but inevitable destruction if he re-
manned any longer in the tnp in which
the American feet held him, he made a
bold dash from the harbOr at the time
the Americans least expected him to do
50, and fighting every inch of his way,
even when his ship was ablaze and sink
ing, he tried to escape the doom which
was written on the muzzle OF every Amer
lean gun trained upon his vessels.
HE Americans saw him the moment
he left and commenced the work Of de-
struction Immediately. For an hour or
two they followed the flying SPaniards 20
the westward along the shore line, send
ing shot after shot into their bulls, tear.
ing great holes in their steel sides, and
covering their decks with the blood II
the killed and wounded.
At no time did the Spaniards show any
indication that they intended to do 9th
erwise than fight to the last. They
showed no signals to surrender, even when
their ships commenced to sink and the
great clouds Of smoke pouring from their
sides showed that they were on fire. But
they turned their heads toward the shore
less than a mile away, and ran them on
the beach and rocks, where their de-
struetiOn was soon completed.
The officers and men on board them
escaped to the shore as well as they could,
with the assistance Of boats sent from
the American men-of-war, and then threw
themselves upon the mercy of their cap
tors, 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 bush on the hill, eager to
rush down and attack the unarmed, de-
feated but valoTous foe
Terrible Rain of Death.
One after another Of the Spanish ships
became the victims Of the awful rain OF
shells which the American battleships,
cruisers and gunbOats poured upon them,