Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-07-20

meantime the brooklyn ana the
Cristobal Colon were exchanging COM
long range, and the Oregon, with her
locomotive speed, was hanging well on
the Colon, also paying attention to the
Vizcaya. The Teresa and the Oquendo
were in flames on the beach just two
minutes after the first shot was fired.
Fifty minutes after the first shot was
fired the Vizcaya put her helm to port
with great burst of flame from the af-
ter part Of the ship and headed slowly
for the rocks at Aserraderos, where she
found her last resting place.
"As it was apparent that the Iowa
could not possibly catch the Cristobal
Colon, and that the Oregon and Brook
Ign undoubtedly would, and as the fast
New York was also on her trail, I de-
cided that the calls Of humanity should
be answered and attention given to the
1900 or $500 Spanish officers and men
who had struck their colors. I there
fore headed for the wreck Of the Viz
caya, now burning furiously fore and
aft. When I was as far as the depth
Of water would admit lowered all my
boats and sent them at once to the as
sistance Of the unfortunate men, who
were being drowned by dozens or roast
ed on the decks. I soon discovered
that the insurgent Cubans from the
SlOIc were SnOOllUS Oh the Iilcn WIN
were struggling in the water after hav-
ing surrendered to us Immediately
put a stop to this.
my boats crews worked manfully
and succeeded in saving many of the
wounded from the burning ship. One
man who will be recommended for pro-
motion clambered up the side of the
Vizcaya and saved three men from
burning to death. AS knew the crews
nf 10 6r~cf oh inc cd hod
been visited by any of our vessels, I
ran down to them. I found the Glou-
sester with Admiral Cervera and a
number of his officers aboard, and in a
frightfully mangled condition. Many
prisoners had been killed on shore by
the fire of the Cubans. The Harvard
came off and I requested Captain Cot
ton to go in and take off the crews of
the Infanta Maria Teresa and the AL
mirante Oquendo, and by midnight the
Harvard had 976 prisoners aboard, a
great number of them wounded.
For courage and dash there is no
parallel in history to this action OF the
Spanish admiral. He submitted to the
fortunes of war with a grace that pro-
claimed him a thoroughbred.
THE bottoms of the boats held two
or three inches of blood. In many cases
dead men were lying in the blood. Five
They were afterward buried with mil
itary honors from the Iowa. Gradual
ly the mangled bodies and naked well
men accumulated until 1t would have
been almost difficult to recognize the
Iowa as United States battleship.
Finally came the boat with Captain
Eulate, commander of the Vizcaya, for
whom a chair was lowered over the
side, as he was evidently wounded. AS
ha no rA1n 1anlr l,n fiv,a
presented arms. He slowly raised him.
self on the chair, saluted me with
grave dignity, unbuclSled his sword
belt and, holding the hilt of the sword
before him kissed it reverently with
tears in his eyes, and then surrendered
1t to me. OF course, l declined to re-
ceive his sword. AS I started to take
Captain Eulate into the cabin to let
the doctors examine his wounds, the
magazines on board the Vizcaya ex-
ploded. Thirty officers of the Vizcaya
were picked up, besides 272 of her crew.
Our men gave up their staterooms and
furnished food. clothing and tobacco
to those naked officers of the ViZcaya.
The paymaster issued uniforms to the
naked sailors, and each was given all
the corned beef. coffee and hard tack
he could eat. The war had assumed
another aspect
his ship and her men. The Iowa fired
thirty-one twelve-inch, forty-eight
eight-inch, go four-inch. LOGO six
pound and 120 ne-pound shots.
The officers of the ViZcaya said they
simply could not hold their crews at
the guns owing to the rapid fire poured
upon them. The decks We're flooded
with water from fire hose and blood
from wounded made this a dark red.
'pno of -, hi
along the gun deck. Every instant the
crack of exploding shells told of new
havoc. One of the 12-inch shells from
the Iowa exploded a topedo in the Viz
caya's bow, blowing twenty-one men
against the deck above and dropping
them dead and mangled into the f'e
which at once started below.
The flames leaping out from the huge
shot holes in the Vizcayas sides licked
up the decks, sizzling the flesh of the
wounded who were lying there Shrek
ing for help. Between the frequent ex-
plosions there came awful cries and
groans from the men pinned in below.
This carnage was chiefly due to the
rapidity of the American fire. Corpor-
al Smith, of the Iowa, fired 1876 aimed
shots in fifty minutes from a 4-inch
gun. Two shells struck within ten feet
of Smith, but the corporal went on
pumping shots into the enemy. From
two siX-pounders 440 shots were fired
in fifty minutes. Up in the tops the
marines banged away with one-pound-
ers, too excited to duck as the shells
whistled over them.
One gunner of a secondary battery
under a 12-inch gun was blinded by
smoke and salt petre from the turret,
and his crew driven off. but sticking a
wet handkerchief over his face with
holes out for his eyes he stuck to his
gun. The siX-pounders were so close
to the S-inch turret as to make 1t i'm
possible to stay there with safety. The
men were ordered away. but refused to
leave. When the S-inch was fired the
conclusion blew two of the crew ten
feet from the guns and threw them to
the deck as deaf as posts. Back they
went and were again blown away, and
finally had to be dragged from their
stations.
During the day on the Iowa. Admiral
Cervera endeared himself to all. After
Blanco's orders were issued he want
ed to come out on the night of July 2.
but General Linares said: wait till
tomorrow morning, you will catch
them at divine service then"
The Spaniards say that no torpedo
boat ever came out to attack Admiral
SIMPSONS fleet. The Pluton and Ter
ror, they say, kept guard every night
inside the harbor.
The Indiana was hit only twice. She