Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-07-21
ABOARD TIE CRlsTOeAL COLON.
The Exciting Scenes on the Ship After
the Surrcnder-Gatherin Relies and
Souvenirs.

The Exciting Scenes on the ship After
the surrender Gathering Relies and
| Souvenirs.
A correspondent of tho The Philadelphia
| Times who was on tho flagship New York
writing of the fight, fight and surrender
or destruction of Cervera's Spanish fleet
outside Santiago Ifarbor, says:-
THE Cristobal Colon appeared to he
| resting easily on the beach, with her stern
clear and af1oat. Boats were ordered to be
/ lowered from all our ships present, and
/ transfer of the Spaninrds to the transport
| Resoluto, which arrived soon after, was
| Immediately begun. When our men ar
/ rived on board tho captured ship they
/ round water on the berth deck this COM
| ing through shot holes and probably from
the injured bow. The engine and fore
rooms were slightly filed with water, but
no apprehension was felt on this account,
as there appeared TO be n certain buoyar-
cy about the vessel that gave promise to
save her.
| "Plenty of time was given the Spanish
officers and sailors to pack their belong
! lngs into bundles and leave the ship.
! Wine was flowing freely the sailors were
nearly all drunk and the officers quite
free and nHectionatc in their manner to
the boarding officers our mon had the
chance Of n lifetime for a loot. Some
stuffed their belts full of pistols and their
bosoms with small shells and cartridges.
4 The Spaniards, before the Americans had
| boarded threw great part Of the brcech
blocks Of the small arms and tho machine
guns into tho sea In order to render them
useless. They were still doing this aftero our
boats were alongside and the mon gong
through the ship.
QUICK WORK TO SAVE A GUN.
zone spaniurd in the act of throwing
overheard a valuable piece of gun mcchau.
ism was warned by an Oregon man to
leave II alone. The Spaniard was deter
mined to destroy IT. the American to save
it. Finding IT was the only course left him
! to pursue, the American knocked tho
Spaniard scnseloss with the butt of his
pistol. This had some effect upon the
Spanish sailors. who. crazed with drink
and the excitement Of the morning would
nave destroyed everything. Some of them
as they stepped down into our boats swore
I fearful oaths; others wcpt.
"A few of them could speak little
4 English. and others enough to let YOU
know they could swear. When they
drew nigh our ships they were eloquent
/ in the way they expressed tho firing of
the Orcgon's gums. Too much boom
boom. BOOM is the way they explained IL.
The Brooklyn they considered minor
danger and it seems that had the Oregon
not been there they would have made
great EFFORTS to heht the Brooklyn
"rhc Indiana Is their idea of our most
powerful ships, and they were surpr 81
when told that the ship pursuing them
was tho Oregon. ono Of four of the same
class rs the Indiana. They had boon toll
/ that the Indiana was our only ship worth
considering.
SPANISH DELUSIONS.
"Thc night before their mad break for
liberty they had been fighting our soldiers
and had not had anything to eat for some
/ time. To encourage them and raise their
/ spirits they were Informed by their officers
that all we had outside to prevent their
escape were a few yachts with guns ON
| them, and that as soon as they left the
/ harbor they would be met by some more
Spanish ships to cover their escape.
! What kind of yachts they met Is now
known to the whole world. The sailors
seem to have a great fear for tho name
of Sampson. They dread the latter as
much as our men respect him.
"All afternoon the work of rescuing the
prisoners and transferring them to the
Rosolute continued, And also did tho
sailors Of our navy fiji up their bags and
ditty boxes with curios that will be looked
ut admiringly for many years To come.
Silverware was strewn all about the decks
of the ward room and cabin, mixed with
bottles of wine and liquors.
RELICS FROM THE SHIPS.
Every one of our men who was FORUM
ate enough to get into the boats 'aamc
/ back with either a rife or IA cutlass some
with both. Others bristlcd with pistols
and captured knives. Medical outfits, sill
Yer cases. swords. fancy wooden boxes,
| linen. and even live pig were carried
away in an indiscrminate manner with
out the least idea of the choosers wants
/ or needs.
"Itad the live cows on the forecastlc not
been too heavy, probably one of the best
fed of the sailors would have carried them
away too, As 1t is, they went down with
the ship, one man struggled with Il string
/ of twelve chickens. but for some reason or
other he was compelled to leave them be-
hind, probably By some higher i'm author
/ ity. who had poor mess ON board ship.
Never before have American sailors
been placed in the midst OF so much spoil
to choose from. 1t was n case OF select
and appropriate quickly for the ship was
/ doomed to go down very soon, as about ]
O'Clock it was discovered that she was
making water rapidly. Therefore man
with his arms full of bunting and flags,
tools and relics, would drop piece after
piece in his travel aft and replace il with
something more valuable, until eventually
all his original load would be scattered
! in his tracks for the next man TO choose
| from.
The more sensible and sober of tho
Spaniards were quite affahle, and pleas.
| antly showed our men around the ship
| and helped to gather the spells. There
| was not much regret shown by them at
the loss of their splendid ship ana the loss
of the entire feet What seemed to toucl,
| their feelings most was when they spoke
of the treatment they had been receiving
! in their service. The Cristobal Colon af-
| ter the surrender reported twenty-five
killed and wounded on board. OF this
number but a few had been hurt by shells
| These were lying on the decks In ham
mocks, some of them moaning pitlfully.
SCENES BELOW THE WATER LINE.
THE remainder of those who had lost
their lives we were told by the sailors,
| had been shot down in the fire room by
| one of the engineers, who, with pistol In
| hand, had shot every man that tainted or
gave the least sign of exhaustion in that
! hell below the water line. This has been
| told us by several of the Spanish prison
! ers, Imagine that exciting chase-de-
struction inevitable and nothing to hope
| for even did the present attempt to es-
cape succeed. With matches battened
down to prevent any attempt to get out
OF That furnace below, where men were
being literally roasted alive and an Of
! nj OF tn