The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-07-27

staff had gone on board to receive the
surrender, had directed that all their
personal effects should be retained by
the officers. This order did not modify
The Colon was not injured by our fir
ing, and probably is not much injured
by Bleaching, though she ran ashore at
high speed. The beach was so steep
that she came off by the working of the
sea. But her sea valves We're opened
and broken treacherously, / am sure,
and after her surrender, and despite
all efforts, she sunk. When it became
evident that she could not be kept ahoat,
she was pushed by the New York bod
lily upon the beach, the New York S
stem being placed against her for this
purpose-the ship being handled by
Captain Chadwick with admirable judg-
ment-and sank in shoal water and may
be saved Had this not been done she
would have gone down in deep water,
and have been To a certainty a total
loss
Il regard this complete and import
ant victory over the Spanish forces as
the successful finish of several weeks
of arduous and close blockade. so
stringent and effective during the night
that the enemy was deferred from MAX
ing the attempt to escape at night and
deliberately elected to make the at
tempt in daylight. That such was the
case l was informed by the command
ing officer Of the Cristobal Colon
1T seems proper to briefly describe
here the manner in which this was
accomplished. The harbor of Santiago
is naturally easy to blockade there be-
ing but one entrance and that a mar
row one; and the deep water extending
close up to the shore line, presenting no
difficulties of navigation outside of the
entrance
AT the time of my arrival before
the port-July 1st-the moon was at it's
full and there was sufficient light dur
ing the night to enable any movement
outside of the entrance to be detected
But with the waning of the moon and
the coming of dark nights there. was
opportunity for the enemy to escape,
or for his torpedo boats to make an
attack upon the blockading vessels. 1t
was ascertained with fair conclusive
ness that the Merrimac, so CALAMITY
taken into the channel on June Sd. did
not obstruct. l therefore maintained
ships was assigned the duty, in turn,
of lighting the channel. Moving up to
the port, at a distance of from one to
two miles from the Morro-dependent
upon the condition of the atmosphere
they threw a searchlight beam directly
up the channel, and held it steadily
there. This lighted up the entire
breadth of the channel for half a mile
M of he +l,-
that the movement of small boats could
be detected. Why the batteries never
opened fire upon the searchlight ship
was always a matter of surprise to
me, but they never did. Stationed close
to the entrance of the port We're three
picket launches, and at little distance
farther out three small picket vessels
usally converted yachts and when
they were available, one or two of our
torpedo boats. With this arrangement
there was at least a certainty that
nothing could get out of the harbor
undetected.
After the arrival of the army, when
the situation forced upon the Spanish
Admiral a decision, our vigilance in
creased The night biockading dis
lance was reduced to two miles for all
vessels, and a battleship was placed
alongside the searchlight ship with her
broadsde trained upon the channel, in
readiness to fire the instant a Spanish
ship should appear.
THE commanding officers merit the
greatest praise for the perfect manner
in which they entered into this plan
and put it into execution. The MaSsa-
chusetts, when, according to routine.
was sent that morning to coal at Guam
tanamo, like the others, had spent
weary nights upon this work, and de-
served q better fate than to be absent
that morning.
Il inclose for the information of the
department copies of orders and memo
randums issued from time to time, re-
lating to the manner of maintaining
the blockade
when all the work was done so well
it is difficult to discriminate in praise.
The object of the blockade of Cervera'S
squadron was fully accomplished, and
each individual bore well his part in
1.-THE Commodore in command of the
Second Division, the Captains of ships,
their officers and men. The fire of the
battleships was powerful and destruc-
tive, and the resistance of the Spanish
squadron was, in great part, broken
almost before they had got beyond the
range of their own forts.
THE fine speed of the Oregon enabled
her to take front position in the chase,
and the Cristobal Colon did not give up
until the Oregon had thrown a 13-inch
shell beyond her. This performance
adds to the already brilliant record Of
this fine battleship, and speaks highly
of the skill and care with which her adj
mirable efficiency has been maintained
during a service unprecedented in the
history Of vessels of her class.
THE BrookIyn's westerly blockading
position gave her an advantage in the
chase which she maintained to the
end, and she employed her fine battery
with telling effect.
1.-THE Texas and the New York were
gaining on the chase during the last
hour, and had any accident befallen the
Brooklyn or the Oregon would have
speedily overhauled the Cristobal Colon
From the moment the Spanish ves-
sci exhausted her first burst of speed
the result was never in doubt. She
fell, in fact far below what might rea-
sonably have been expected of her.
Careful measurements of time and dis
lance give her an average speed, from
the time she cleared the harbor mouth
until the time she was run on shore
at Rio Turquino, of 1871 knots. Neither
the New York nor the Brooklyn stopped
to couple up their forward engines, but
ran out the chase with one pair. get
ting steam, of course, as rapidly as
possible on all boilers. To stop to