The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-07-14
"TIGMTING BOB'S'' STORY.
Commander Rehley u. Evans OF tie
Iowa Tells the Story Of the Battle With
Ceryera's Ships.

Associated Press Dispatch Boat
Dauntless, via Port Antonio, July ..
by way OF Kingston, July S.-(Copy-
righed by the Associated Press y
The battl eship Iowa was the first
ship to see the Spanish feet coming
from the harbor. Somebody on the
bridge shouted: whats that black
thing coming out OF the harDor."
4 moment later the Iowa was at
general quarters and the sigma was
hoistad that the anemy's ships were
coming out, A Gun was fired TO at
tract attention 0: tie leet Ut 1888
a. III.
Fighting Bob" Evans, the COM
mander OF the iowa, was sitting in
his cabin, talking to his son, Il cadet
ON the Massachusetts, who luckily
had been LETT behind in a picket
launch when the Massachusetts went
TO Guantanamo to coal at dawn
Capt. Evans account OF the battle
as told in the cabin OF the Iowa to a
correspondent OF the Associated
Press, is intensely interesting. He
said:
AT the time general quarters
was sounded the engine bel rang ful!
speed ahead and put the helm to
starboard aud the Iowa crossed the
bows of the Infantn Maria Teresa,
the first ship out As the Spanish
admiral swung to the westward, the
12-inch shells from the forward turret
OF the Iowa seemed ( o strike him fair
in the bow and the sight was spec
taclc. AS the squadron came out IN
column, the ships beautifully spaced
as to distance and gradually increas-
ing their speed TO thirteen knots, it
was superb.
1.-THE Iowa from this moment kept
UP steady fire from her heavy guns,
heading all the time to keep the In
fanta Maria Teresa on her starboard
bow and hoping to ram one OF the
leading ships.
Sin the meantime, the Oregon, In
diana, Brooklyn and Texas We're do
ing excellent work with their heavy
guns. In very short space OF time
the enemy's ships were all clear OF
the harbor and it became evidently
impossible for the Iowa to ram either
the first or second class ship on ac-
count OF their speed The range at
this time 1000 yards from the lead
inc ship. The lowa's helm was inn
mediately put hard to the starboard
and the entire starboard broadside
was poured into the lnfanta Maria
Terera. The helm was quickly shift
,ad TO port and the ship went to the
stern OF the Teresa in an effort to
head off the Oquendo. All the time
the engines were driving ut full speed
ahead. A perfect torrent OF shells
from the enemy passed over the
smokestacks and superstructure OF
the ship, but none struck her.
1.-THE Crist obai Colon, being much
faster than the rest OF the Spanish
ships, passed rapidly to the front in
an effort to escape. In passing the
Iowa the Colon placed two six-inch
shells fairly in our starboard bow.
One passed through the cofferdam
and dispensary wrecking the latter
and bursting on the berth deck doing
considerable damage. The other
passed through the side at the water
line within the cofferdam, where it
still remains.
''As it was not obviously lmpossi-
BILE toram any OF the Spanish ships
on account of their superior speed
the Iowa's helm was put to the star
board and she ran on a course par
allel with the enemy Being then
abreast OF the Almirante Oquendo,
at a distance OF LOO yards, the
Iowa's entire battery, including the
rapid fire guns, was opened on the
Oquendo. The punishment was ter