The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-07-08

WITH ADMIRAL SANIPsoN's FLEET, OFF
SANTIAGO, Sunday via Kingston, Ja-
maica), July Admiral Sampson this
morning set out TO dislodge the Spanish
from their works at AguadOres, where
the Michigan troops were repulsed on
tie line of the railway, Saturday morn
ing, while they were marching forward
20 seize the Morro battery and blow up
the fort, after the fleet had driven the
Spanish from their guns. Our torpedo
boats were not with the fleet, and when
Admiral Sampson left the Morro bat
tery the battleships and the cruiser
Brooklyn were grouped off the harbOr
mouth.
II is not known whether Admiral Ger
vera has blown up the Merrimac or
passed IL in single column. His ship
the CristObal Colon, glided out of the
harbOr and shot to the westward, her
two tunnels and high black bulwarks
showing plain against the green of the
hills, her pennant and the Spanish red
and yellow ensign in the lashing above.
In a few seconds the American fleet
was in motion. the Indiana, which was
closest, heading straight inshore to get
closer range.
The Spaniard opened fire with an IL
Snch HontOria, and mighty fountains
of water rose above the battleship and
wet her decks. The shell fell near her
bow. The Indiana replied with her 1S-
inch guns, and moment later let go
everything she could bring to bear.
One of the first shells fell on the Spanish
cruisers deck. Cervcra was going fast,
and the Indiana rounded to give him a
broadside; and then, as the Iowa and
the Texas opened on him, the doomed
admiral turned to the harbor mouth,
where the Almirante Oquendo was just
c-ming into view.
At first one could hardly believe his
eyes: but when the Oquendo appeared
and steamed swiftly westward into the
smoke and lightning where Cervera's
flag still flew, it flashed upon us that
here was to be history making indeed.
1t was a sublime spectacle of a des-
perate admiral, who had decided to give
battle against overwhelming odds in
the open water rather than remain and
blow up his own ships in the harbor of
the beIeaguercd city.
Cervera's flag was hidden for time
aud he fled westward, his port broad
side emitting flashes and tongues of
flame, which marked his progress.
For the next five minutes he ran a
gantlet such as no ship had ever run in
history, and when his consorts were
burning and he surrendered his ship he
still had gun or two capable of action.
The Savage Indiana.
The Indiana fell upon the Oquendo,
paying no heed to the Moro battery,
whose gunners tried hard to protect the
cruiser as she moved to the westward.
The Iowa let Cervera go on into the
hands Of the Oregon, Massachusetts and
Brooklyn, and then turned, with the
Texas, to pound the OquendO.
Then every American ship was in &C
tion, and smoke shrouded the coast and
blew away lazily, revealing geysers
about the ships where the Spanish
shells from the cruisers and the Morro
battery tore the water.
A ship emerged from the harbor. 1t
was the Vizcaya, coming at full speed,
smoke curling over her bow as she took
her course to the westward and brought
her bow guns into play. Behind her
came the Infanta Maria Teresa and
Spain's two much-dreaded torpedo boat
destroyers, perhaps 200 yards apart.
The Maria Teresa was received with a
terrific storm of shells. Smashed and
on fire, she was beached close to the
MOrrO
The Iowa steamed for time forward
with the Oquendo, and the Indiana did
the same with the Nizcaya, but as the
fight thus moved westward it became
clear that the Americans were willing
that the Spanish ships should run far
enough from the Morro to lose the aid
of the guns there, and in twenty min
utes this was done. This was bit of
strategy which was developed under
fire, and which was accepted at once
by all the American ships without
orders. In fact, the smoke often made
it impossible to see the signals which
Commodore Schley was making from
the Brooklyn, so tremendous was the
firing all along the line.
short and Deadly Range.
Both the Oquendo and the Vizcaya
were sometimes within a thousand
yards of the Indiana. This varied, but
as a rule il was short and extremely
deadly. Nevertheless, the high speed
and thick armor of their ships stood
the Spanish in good stead as they fol-
lowed in the path of honor marked out
by Admiral Cervera.
Three quarters of an hour after the
action began it was evident that the
Spanish had many guns disabled and
would have to surrender. There were
casualties on the enemy's ships.
AS the smoke cleared 4 little, one
could see the Spanish flagship, her port
bBoadside spouting smoke, still holding
on to westward. The Texas and the
Massachusetts, joined the Indiana and
the Iowa The Oquendo and the Viz
caya hugged the shore and steamed