The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-12
cERvERA TELLS OF HIS PLANS.
Thinks He'd Have Escaped But for
the Brooklyn.


the Brooklyn.
Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.
Correspondence of the Associated Press,
Off Santiago de Cuba, July s.-"Tf we
could have gotten by the Brooklyn, and 1
believed we could" said Admiral Cervera
to Commodore schley and Capt. Bob
Evans in the cabin of the Iowa yesterday.
Il could have gotten away, My orders
to concentrate fire on the Brooklyn were
carried out. but your ship had a charmed
life. SIR" and the sad-faced admiral with
tears in his eyes added: MY career is
ended. / shall go back to Spain to be
killed or die in disgrace"
Commoder Schley put out his hand ana
rested it on Admiral Cerveras shoulder.
He speaks perfect Spanish and the liquid
language flowed easily, as he said "Ad-
miral, you are brave man, and coming
out as you did in the face of a superior
force is but an exempllhcation of that
bravery.
your country can do you but honor"
The story of Admiral Cervera's attempt
to escape is an interesting one, and Is told
briefly by commander of the frigate Adolf
pho Centrores, a prisoner on board the
converted yacht Vixen, taken off the bat
tleship Cristobal Colon.
Chief Engineer Stanford r. Moses of the
Vixen acted as interpreter for the corre-
spondent of the Associated Press, the con-
versation being in the International Ian
guage of the navy, French.
Commander Centrores told this interest
ing story: ut Is not true that the heavy
fro af ha ne ont
Besides the accident to the Reina Mer-
cedes we had no casualties.
"rhe dynamite Shells of the Vesuvius
did no damage except to terrorize the peo-
pie.
"A shell did not strike Smith Cayo at
all, but hit near the base.
I'VE arrived in Santiago harbor on the
18th Of May.
I'VE did not know that our whereabouts
was a secret.
I'VE made no attempt to hide or to COW
er up our plans.
eve simply took easy stages to get to
Cuba.
1T was frightfully hot in the harbor
and we suffered greatly
I'VE made no attempt to get ont and
did not use our torpedo boats, as all our
machinery was defective, and we were
trying to repair It,
1.-THE frequent bombardmenfs nv the
American ships resulted in quite a loss
of 3lfe, but did little other damage. The
batteries were not harmed to any extent
1T is not true that we dismounted our
ship guns. The Reina Mercedes guns were
all on the forts when Commodore Schley
arrived
ION Saturday, the 2Sth Of May, we got
word that Admiral Schley had left Glen
fuegos for Santiago and we started TO
go out The news had come too late. as
Ioff
ships to act as decoys before Cienfuegos
ard in the meantime had come down here.
"On Sunday morning. May 70. VIC found
Admiral Schley blockading our way II
was then Admiral Cerveras intention 10
come out and give battle, but Gen. Lin
ares and the citizens objected and we
stayed
'eWhat about the Hobson expediuon?"
was asked.
"Weu. we were very much surprised,
and at the first alarm believed that a tor
pedo boat attack was going on. The shore
batteries opened up and the ships used
their rapid-fire guns.
"The dynamos were not going however
and we had no searchllghts, so that we
could not find the object. We did not
sink her with our batteries or our mines
She sunk herself with her own torpedoes
by blowing out her bottom.
admiral Cervera, IN making a tour of
the shore batteries IN steam launch a
little later found Lieut.. Hobson swim
ming in the entrance and trying to get
ont to sea. He had on a life preserver,
ahd when picked up asked that they save
his companions. This was done. all of
the men being in the water and not on
raft as has been said.
Then Mr.. Centrores began the most in
teresting part OF his narrative, that relat-
ing to the movements OF Ceryera. He said |
admiral Cervera, after the arrival of q
great American fleet, did not believe u |
wise to 60 out ana try to fight 1t. He ar
gued that the best policy for the fleet was |
to hold the harbor against the enemy and