The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-07-21
FIGHT AT SANTIAGO.
DAVID THELEEN WRITES OF THE
GREAT NAVAL BATTLE.
HOW CERvERA ESCAPED DEATH
He Was On the P1uton and Not on the
Vizcaya, Which Flew the Admiral's
Flag-other Notes of the Great
Battle.

Well, | suppose you know all the
glad news, and perhaps what little |
can tell you will not add much to the
rejoicing What a Fourth you must be
having! | can imagine how things are
in New York and Chicago just now.
Therell be hot time in the old town
tonight, " and today, eh!
The luck of our ship is something
discouraging; we are all way down in
the mouth now. Yesterday morning
at $3.50 a. H., after having finished our
search light, our ship was ordered to
Guantanamo to coal. We are here
still coaIing, forty five miles from San
tiago, but expect to leave for the scene
of action this afternoon.
tell you we all feel bad. Here we
have kept our position in front of the
entrance for thirty five days, faithfully
and more carefully than other ship,
and then just six hours before the
enemy came out we were ordered to
leave.
Perhaps my little version of the en-
gagement yesterday, as Ihave heard it,,
may have some little news for you. So
I will write you few extracts from my
diary. We have the dispatch sent to
the Chicago Record, but you no doubt
have already read it.
When we got here we learned from
the marine camp, Camp McCalla, that
our army losses so far number 1000
and that the outlook was discouraging.
At about l p. m. we learned " that
the French consul with number OF
French citizens had reached Garcla's
camp with the news that Admiral
Cervera had told him that at 10 a. m.
he would come out, preferring to fight
and sink outside than to be drowned in
side like rat. The Spanish fleet had
come out and was escaping" The
Marblehead and several torpedo boats
left Immediately for Santiago, but we
were ordered to remain and continue
coaling, as it would take about four
hours to get to Santiago.
At about $50 p. N. we read signal:
"Spanish feet totally destroyed" The
men aboard simply went wild. About
9 p. m. the torpedo boat Ericsson came
in with the whole story.
At about $50 on the Sd the enemy's
shore batteries began firing without
provocation. A few minutes later the
Cristobol Colon came out under full
steam, flying the Admirars flag, firing
| forward guns, and started along the
coast to westward. The Oregon i'm
mediately opened fire and all the ships
began to close in. The Brooklyn was
too far to westward of her position to
be of much service at first. Admiral
Sampson had made arrangements with
Gen. Shafter to visit the army front,
and the New York with the Erickson
was headed east for Siboney, where the
firing began. Both turned and headed
full speed, so the New York got in the
latter part of the engagement.
After the Colon the Oquendo fol-
lowed 10 minutes later, then came the
Vizcaya, Maria Teresa and the two
torpedo destroyers, Pluton and Furor.
The fighting became general. Several
shells we're put through the destrOyers
and then the little Gloucester tackled
, both of them, about II miles west of
entrance, and gave them some awful
broadsides. They fired two torpedOes
without effect. Both boats were run
upon the rocks and are now almost
submerged in the surf. Much to the
surprise of ALL Admiral Cervera and
several of his officers were taken pris-
oners from the Pluton, while his flag
foated on the Vizcaya. That looks
rather bad for Cervera.
The Iowa stopped the Oquendo and
Vizcaya, Indiana and Texas joined
and fought Is minutes, driving enemy
ashore and setting them on fire. Some
white flags were seen on several places
on the Vizcaya and Teresa. The
Erickson picked up wounded, but tC
get near the burning ships, with ex'
plosions and guns firing every minute
IDS DIS DIS OuO I1IO w DIS WI I'LL
1t seems as if the ships were set afrt
by the Spaniards, for they all blazed uI
in the Same places. Shrieks of wound
ed and dying were something awful
About 500 prisoners were caught OF
the beach, they having jumped over
board and swan ashore. Prisoner
taken from some of the ships state tina
many of the younger officers shot them
selves or cut their throats, believing
that they would be killed as soon al
captured. All ships were af1re. The
Vizcaya's boilers exploded and sht
sank near the beach, a few miles ives
of entrance. During the night the
Oquenda and Teresa had awful explo
sions and sank. White flags were re-
ported to have been seen on Puntf
Gorda and in Santiago.
The Golon was chased nv the Brook