The San Francisco call., 1898-07-27

de Cuba, July 4, 1S9S.-Sir: I have the honor to make the following report of the engagement with the Spanish sQuad- ron off Santiago de Cuba on the Sd of July:
 On the morning of the Sd. while the crew was at quarters for Sunday inspec- tion, the leading vessel of the Snanish squadron was sighted at 9:3l. coming out or the harbor of Santiago de Cuba The s.shal; Ehemy.s ships coming out' was immediately hoisted and a gun fired to attract attention. The call to general qUaItefs was sounded immediately, the battery made ready for firing and the en- EineS run full speed ahead
 The position of this vessel at the time pi ppi SisI5tIhS the squadron was the usual D!oChaulng station off the entrance of the Haa nSlI, DOT, MOTTO Castle bearing about north Snu Snu dlStant about three to four miles. steam at this time in the boilers was suf- hclent Tor speed of five knots
 Atler sighting the leading vessel, the In- fanta Maria Teresa (Admfral Cervera' $ hagshipl, 1t was observed that she was 4oloWed in succession by the remaining Inree vessels of the Spanish squadron-the Alzcaya, CriStobal Colon and Almirante OQuendo. The Spanish ships moved at a speed of about eight to ten knots. which was steadily increased they cleared the harbor entrance and stood to tIle westward. They maintained dis tance of about 800 yards between vessels. The squadron moved with precision and its stations were well kept.
 Immediately upon sighting the squad ron the Iowa headed toward the leading spanish ship. About $40 the first shot was fired from this ship at distance of about 5000 yards. The course of this ves- sel was so laid that the range speedily diminished. A number of shots were fired at ranges varying between 60o0 and 4VOO yards. The range was rapidly re- duced to 2500 yards and subsequently, to 2000 and to 120O yards.
 When it was certain that the Maria Teresa would pass ahead of us the helm was put to the starbOard and the star lf0a ar1 Ic4x5 y1 1.1f rod at af 25OO yards. The helm was then put to port and the ship headed across the bow of the second ship and as she drew ahead the helm was again put to starboard and she received in turn the full weight of our starboard brOadside at range of about 1890 yards
 The Iowa was again headed off with port helm for the third ship, and as she approached, the helm was put to the starboard until our course was approXi- mately that of the Spanish ship. In this position, with a range of l400 yards, the fire of the entire battery. including the rapid-llre guns, was poured into the enc my's ship.
 About 10 o'clock the enemy's torpedo boat destroyers, Furor and Fulton, were observed to have left the harbor and to be following the Spanish squadron. At the time that they were observed that they were under fire. they were at a distance varying from 450O to 4Vn yards As soon as they were dis ' ship was turned on them. while the main battery continued to engage the Vizcaya, Oquendo and Maria Teresa.
 The fire from the main battery of this ship, when the range was below 2500 yards. was most effective and destruc- tive, and after a continuance of this fire for perhaps twenty minutes. it was no- ticed that the Maria Teresa and OQuendo were in flames and were being headed for the beach. Their colors were struck about 10:20, and they were beached about eight
 
 About the same time (about 10:25) the fire of this vessel, together with that of the Gloucester and that of another small of the torpedo destroyers (the Pluton) was sunk, and the Furor was so much damaged that she was run on the rocks.
 After having passed, at 10:35, the Oquendo and Maria Teresa on fire and ashore. this vessel continued to chase and fire upon the Nizcaya until 10:36, when a signal to cease firing was sounded on board, it having been discovered that the Nizcaya had struck her colors.
 At Il o'clock the Iowa arrived in the vicinity of the Fizcaya. which had been run ashore, and as 1t was evident that she could not catch the Cristobal Colon and that the Oregon, Brooklyn and New York would, two steam cutters and three cut ters were immediately sent to the Viz caya to rescue her crew. Our boats suc- ceeded in bringing off a large number of officers and men of that ships company and in placing many of them on board the torpedo boat Ericsson and the auxiliary
 aoout 11:30 the New York passed in chase of the Cristobal Colon, which was eendeayortrg to- escape from the Oregon. Brooklyn and Texas.
 We received on board this vessel from the NiZcaya, Captain Eulate, the com manding officer. and twenty-three officers together with about PAS petty officers and men, of whom thirty-two were wounded. There were also received on board five dead bodies, which were Immediately buried with the honors due to their grade.
 The battery behaved well in all re- specrs. This ship was struck in the hull. on the starboard side, during the early part of the engagement, by two large prOjectiles of about six-inch caliber, one striking the hull two or three feet above the water line and almost directly on the line of the berth deck. piercing the ships Sue between frames and 10, and the other piercing the side and the cofferdam between frames IS and l9
 The first projectile did not pass beyond the inner bulkhead of the cofferdam ALB. The hole made by it was large and ragged being about sixteen inches in a longitudinal direction and about sev- en inches in vertical direction. It struck with a slight inclination aft and perforated the cofferdam partition bulk head A41-43-45-47. It did not explode and remained in the cofferdam.
 The second prOjecCile pierced the side of the ship and the cofferdam A105. the upper edge of the hole being immediate ly below the top of the cOfferdam on the berth deck in compartment A104. The pro- jectile broke off the hatchplate and comb ing of the water-tank compartment. ex- poded and perforated the walls of the chain locker. The explosion created a small fire, which was promptly extin- guished
 The hole in the side made by this pro- jectile was about five feet above the water line and about two or three feet above the berth deck. One fragment of this shell struck a link of the shot chain. wound around the six-pounder ammuni-