The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-12
ADMIRAL CERvERA'S DEFEAT.

modore Schey's Kind Words-The
Spanish Story of the Disaster.
Copyright by the Associated Press
Correspondent of the Associated Press. J
Off Santiago de Cuba July S.-If we
could have gotten by the Brooklyn, and
| believe we could" said Admiral Ger
vera to Commodore Schley and Captain
Bob" Evans in the cabin of the Iowa
Yesterday, Il could have gotten away.
My orders to concentrate the fire on the
Brooklyn were carried out. but your ship
has a charmed life. sir, and the sad
faced Admiral with tears in his eyes,
added:
My career is ended. | shall go back
to Spain to be killed or die in Disgrace
Commodore Schley put out his hand
and rested it on Cervera's shoulder. lie
speaks perfect Spanish. and the liquid
language flowed easily as he said:
admiral, you are brave man and
coming out as You did i'll the face of Il
superior force is but an eXemplification
of that bravery. Your country can but
do You honor"
The story of Cervera's attempt to es-
cape is an interesting one, and is told
briefly by the commander of the frigate
AdolphO CentrorcS, n prisoner on board
the converted. yacht Vixen, taken off
the battleship Cristobal Colon. Chief
Engineer Stanford Il. Moses. of the Nix-
en-. acted as interpreter for the CORE
spondent of the Associated Press. the
conversation being in the international
language of the navy, French. Com
mander Centrores told this interesting
story:
1T is not true that the heavy fire of
the American ships drove us out. Be
side the accident to the Reina Mercedes.
we had no casualties. The dynamite
shells of the Vesuvins did no damage,
| except to terrorize people A shell did
not strike Smith Cayo ut all. but hit
near the base (Sic). We arrived in San
tiago harbor on the 10Th of May. We
did not know that our whereabouts
were Il secret. We made no attempt to
hide or cover mp our plans. We simply
took easy stages to get to Cuba 1t was
frightfuly hot in the harbor. and we
suffered greatly. We made no attempt
to get out, and did not use our torpedo
boats. as all our machinery was defec-
tive and we were trying to repair it.
The frequent bombardments by the
~ al
of life but did little other damage. The
batteries were not harmed to any eX-
tent. 1t is not true that we diSmounted
our ship guns. The Reina Mercedes
guns were all on the forts when Com
modore Schley arrived. On Saturday,
the 2Sth of May. we got word that
Schley had left Cienfugos for Santiago,
and we started to get out. The news
had come too late. as Schley had left
couple of his ships TO act as decoys
before CienfuegoS, and in the meantime
had come down here. On Sunday morn
ing. May Doth. we found Schley block
aiding our way. 1t was then Cervera's
intention to come out and give battle,
but General Linares and the citizens OBJ
jccted and we stayed"
What about the Hobson eXpedition?'
was asked.
''Well, we were very much surprised.
and at the first alarm believed that a
torpedo boat attack was going on. The
shore batteries opened up and the ships
used their rapid fire guns. The dyna-
mos were not going. however and we
had no search lights. so that we could
not find the object. We did not sink
her with our batteries or our mines.
She sunk herself with her own torpe-
does by blowing out her bottom. Ad-
miral Cervera. in making Il tour of the
shore batteries in n steam launch lit
Tie later, found HobsOn swimming in the
entrance and trying to get out to sea.
He had on a life preserver, and when
picked up asked that they save his COM
panians. This was done, all of the men
being in the water, and not on a raft
as has been said.
Then Mr. Centrores began the most in
teresting part of his narrative, that re-
lating to the movements of CeFvera. lie
said:
admiral Cervera, after the arrival of
IL great American fleet. did not believe
it wise to go out and try to fight it. He
| argued that the best policy for the fleet
was to hold the harbor against the enc
my and be ready by an enflading fire
over the hill tops to drive back the in
vading army. At first the people of
Santiago believed this wise. but pro-
visions ran short. dispatch after dispatch
came from Madrid and it was found
that public sentiment demanded a naval
battle. On Saturday last a conference
was called on the flagship Maria Teresa
and all the officers of the fleet were
present. AUIilTul ttTNeId dHlluuHttt
his intention of going out and it was de-
cided to try it at night. Just after dark.
after the ships had got up their anchors,
ready to start, search lights were seen
on the western hill, and it was decided
that the American fleet had been
warned of our intention and would close
in on us. In addition to that it was
found that the searchlights flashed in
the entrance from the American ships
would prevent us steaming by the Mer-
rimac wreck in Il very narrow channel.
1t was afterwards. too late, learned that
the supposed signal lights were insur-
gents burning up block houses.
The order of coming out and the tac-
| ties to be employed were these: The
Maria Teresa, carrying Admiral Ger
vera's flag. was to go first and then was
| to follow the Nizcaya, the Oquendo and
the Cristobal Colon. The torpedo boat
destroyers Furor and Pluton. We're to
come out last and run inside or the
ships. which were to hug the shore to
the west The west end of the blockad-
ing station was chosen because it was
thought that the Brooklyn, being light
in protection, would be the easiest to
sink and as she was fast would be best