The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-07-13


davits and the top of her coming
tower alone mark her-resting place.
Visible from the sea n few miles
further, in an inlet embraced by two
mighty arms of black rocks that ex-
tend half a mile into the sea, are the
remains OF the twin cruisers Infanta
Maria Teresa and Alnirante oquendo.
formerly the pride of the Spanish
navy. on beyond lies the Vizcaya, a
mass of ruins, and ~ miles away from
Santiago de Cuba the Cristobol Colon
lies helpless on her sides with her
smokestacks under water.
The Infanta Maria Teresa and the
Almirante Oquendo stand upright,
stuck fast on the rock shoals. All that
Is left OF them IN their outer hulls, the
heavy armor defying total annihilatiOn.
Inside OF them the work of destruction
Is complete. Their boilers. engines,
bunkers and magazines have been
blown into unrecognizable masses of
twisted. melted iron. Exploded shells,
burned rifles and revolvers, pieces of
yellow brass work and gold and silver
coin, melted by the intense heat. are
strewn all over the remains OF the once
proud armored cruisers. whose protect
i've decks only stand In places.
But the most CHASTITY, horrible sights
In those silent steel collins are the
mangleG. SCARED and charred bodies
of hundreds of brave sailors sacrificed
for their country. Buzzards are feed
ing off the dead and others are how
ering over the wrecks. on the beach
here fiocks of buzzards sit silent
~ waiting for the sea to give up its
dead. Every tide adds to the tale of
horror. washing up such objects as. for
instance. n sleeve enclosing a wasted
arm other portions of human bodies
gnawed by hungry sharks and count
los - h..h hs,t
been given to the burial OF the dead OF
the enemy. and over 100 bodies taken
from the ships or washed ashore have
been inferred upon the beach by Rear
Admiral Sampson's orders.
Those which now remain are either
almost totally consumed by fire.
charred beyond belief or lie in vthe
depths of the sea. These form the
food OF the buzzards who keep constant
vigil about the wrecks. The buried re-
mains lie In n confused mass unnum-
bered and unnamed, in n huge pit dug
I'm the sandy beach. where the vessels
went ashore. A rude wooden cross
from the wreckage alone marks the
grave over which Spain may well
mourn.
Boat crews from the Texas landed
this morning on the wrecks OF the AL
mirante Oquendo and Infanta Maria
Teresa. Commodore Schley saw some
Spaniards on board of them and
thought our men had better take their
arms, but the Spaniards would not
walt. When the Americans neared
the ships they saw the Spaniards leap
ing off and swimming ashore. Not a
shot was fired. however. Probably the
Spaniards had been looting.
The wrecks are best described as
looking like big steel buildings after
destruction by fire. The deck beams
OF the warships are twisted as IL the
fiames had the power of a tremendous
explosion. Side armor plates weigh
ing tons had been wrenched off, and
there were many evidences In the hug.
holds where the shots of the Brooklyn
and Oregon had landed. The decks
We're strewn with officers uniforms,
provisions and small arms. All the
guns are ruined excs,t an II 1-2 inch
gun In the forward turret OF the In
fanta Teresa, which appears to be In
perfect order.