The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-08
CERVERA'S fleet sunk

can army and that x Santiago fell
lie would blow up or sink them be-
fore permitting them ~ be captured
by the feet lying outside.
CERvERA'S PLANS.
III Spanish admiraTs real plans,
however, were plainly not anticipated
He accepted the one chance open to
him-that Of running the gauntlet OF
the powerful men-of-war lying in
front of the harbor and saving his
ships for future service by dashing
out Of the trap in which he found
himself and going to some other field
Of operations.
in a hundred that he would be able to
J make the move successfully, but he
. took that chance and while great
piles of naval architecture now
ground to pieces on the rocks a few
miles from where he started tell the
mournful story of his failure. there
are non who applaud his conduct
more han the American officers and
seamen who sent his ships to destruc-
| ton.
! 1t was 9 o'clock this morning when
the flagship Infanta Maria Teresa
| passed under the wall of MORO castle
and teamed out to sea. She was fol-
lowed by the Cristobal Colon, Vizcaya
and Oquendo, and last by the torpedo
1ONN - oioA GIN l. AotoAts ~
lookout on the American vessels which
were five or ten miles off the entrance
TO he harbor, sighted them immedi-
ately. Most of the American cruisers
were at the usual Sunday morning
quarters without thought of anything
as surprising as the Spanish fleet get
ting past the sunken collier Merrimac
which they had been deluded into be-
lieving effectually blockaded the exit
There was great excitement at once
n very activity along the American
lines. The signal for full speed ahead
was rung from bridge to engine room
of every ship and the entire fleet COM
menced to move in shore toward the
Spanish and the great II and 13-inch
! guns of the battleships and the small
I err batteries on the other vessels fired
shot after shot at long range. AS the
ships ran in towards the shore it be-
came evident that the Spaniards had
not come out to make an aggressive
fight, for they turned to the westward
as soon as they had cleared the har-
Dor and started on their race for safe
ty, at the same time sending answer
ing shots at the American ships as
fast as the men could load and fire the
guns. The Brooklyn, Massachusetts,
Texas, Oregon and Iowa were nearer
] the Spaniards than any others of the
| American vessels, but still most of
them were too far away to get an
effective range. They ovid on all
steam, however, in preparation for
the chase, never stopping their fire
for one moment.
THE GLOUCESTER'S FINE WORK.
The Gloucester, a fast little yacht
that cannot boaS of any heavier bat
terry than several ~6-pOunders and
3-pounders, was lying off Aguadores,
three miles east of MORO when the
Spanish ships came out. At first she
joined in the attack upon a large YES
sci and then held off some, Captain
Wainwright, concluding to reserve his
efforts for the two torpedo BOAT de-
stroyers in the rear. The Gloucester
steamed after them when they ap-
peared and chased them to a point five
miles west of MORO, pouring shot
after them all the time. Her efforts
bore abundant fruit, for to her be-
longs the credit for the destruction of
both of the d~estrOyerS. She fired 1,400
shots during the chase and it was not
long before the de%stroyers were on fire
and disabled. Notwithstanding this
they both returned the Gloucester's
fire and a rain of small shells fell all
aroun the yacht. The JUROR evidently
determined that she would not stand
the fire any longer and she put about
and headed back for Santiago. Then
the Gloucester simply smothered her
with shots from her rapid-fre guns,
and running like the wind, forced her
to u around and again head west
ward. Smoke commenced to rise from
the Furror's sides and she put in to-
wards the shore. Before she had
gone far what was left of her crew
abandoned her and took to the boats,
reaching the shore later. By that time
she was a mass Of flames and was
drifting about helpless.
The Pluton was in the same distress
ed condition n was also headed for
the shore, running up alongside Of a
low bluff, where she soon pounded to
pieces and finally broke in two COM
pletely.
It was a most dangerous landing
place for her crew and but about
half a dozen reached the shore alive.
The Gloucester did not go any fur
Their west, but lay off shore and sent
in a boat to the assistance of the
crews Of the destroyers 1t did not
take the flames long to reach the Fur
or's magazines and there were two
terrific explosions probably of the gun
cotton on board Of her. which blew
holes in her bottom. Her stern SUM
Immediately and as it settled in the
water her bow rode straight into the
air and h ven to the bottom in
perpetual ablivion, giving out a bliss
ng, scalding sound as she disappeared
below the surface.
In the meantime the larger Ameri-
al ships were gaining on the Span
ish cruisers and a storm Of shots was
passing between the pursuers and the
pursued. The American fire was SC
rapid that the ships were envelopeG
in thick clouds of smoke and it was
impossible to tell at a distance which
vessels were doing the greater exc
cutiOn. The Brooklyn and the five
battleships were keeping up an inces.
SAINT fire upon the Infanta Maria Ter.
esa- the ViZcaya and the Almirante
, Oquendo and the latter were returning
1t bravely, though with no success
, The Spanish gunners seemed unable
to get the proper range and many OF
their shots were very wild, though &
!, number of them fell dangerously neal
{ to the mark. The guns of the battery
inst east IF Nforra o1cn fonI mort in