The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-07-05

1SNNHN SNAAAA6p AoA
Dor, but Wa Met by the Fire of Our
Fleet, and After a Desperate Flying Fight
Was Forced to Yield to the Superiority of
Our unners-Complimented by His Cap
tor on His Gallant Fight-The Captives
Guarded by Our Troops to Save Them
From the Vengeance of the Cubans.
Kingston, Jamaica, July 5.-A news
paper dispatch boat just arrived from
the fleet ten miles west of the entrance
Of the harbor of Santiago de Cuba,
brings the following story of the de-
struction of Admiral Cervera's fleet:
Admiral Cervera's fleet, consisting of
the armored cruisers Cristobal Colon,
Almirante Oquendo, Infanta Maria Te-
resa and ViZcaya and two torpedo boat
d~estrOyers, the FurOr and the Pluton,
which had been held in the harbor of
Santiago de Cuba for six weeks past
by the combined %sQuadrOns of Rear Ad-
miral Sampson and Commodore Schley,
lies today at the bottom of the Carib-
bean sea off the coast of Cuba. The
Spanish admiral is a prisoner of war
on the auxiliary gunboat Gloucester
formerly Mr.. j. Pierpont Morgan's
yacht Corsair), and LOGO to LOO other
Spanish officers and sailors, all who es-
capped the frightful carnage caused by
the shells from the American war
ships, are held as prisoners of war by
the United States navy. The Span
iards, when they found they would be
permitted to live, adapted themselves
comfortably to the situation, rolled
their cigar es and began playing
cards among themselves.
The American victory is complete,
and, according to the best information
obtainable at this time, the American
vessels were practically untouched, and
only one man was killed, though the
ships were subjected to the heavy fire
of the Spaniards all the time the battle
lasted.
Admiral Cervera made as gallant @
dash for liberty and for the preserva.
tion Of his ships Sunday morning as
has ever occurred in the history of ma,
val warfare. In the face of overwhelm.
ing odds, with nothing before him but
inevitable destruction or surrender il
he remained any longer in the trap in
which the American fleet held him, he
made a bold dash from the harbor al
the time the Americans least expected
him to do so, and, fighting every inch
of his way, even when his ship was
ablaZe and sinking, he tried to escape
the doom which was written on the
muzzle of every American gun trained
upon his vessels.
The Americans saw him the moment
he left the harbor, and commenced
their work of destruction Immediately
For an hour or two they followed the
flying Spaniards to the westward along
the shore line, sending shot after shot
into their blazing hulls, tearing grea.
holes in their steel sides and GOVERNS
their decks with the blood of the killed
and wounded.
At no time did the Spaniards shov
any indication that they intended t
do otherwise than fight to the last
They showed no signals to surrender
even when their ships began to sink
and the great clouds of smoke pour
ing from their sides showed they wert
on fire. But they turned their head
toward the shore. less than a mile
away, and ran them on the beach ant
rocks, where their destruction was sooI
completed. The officers and men OF
board then escaped to the shore a,
we'll as they could, with the assistance
of boats sent from the American men
of-war, and then threw themselveI
upon the mercy of their captors, wit
sent them a guard to protect then
from the murderous bands of CubaI
soldiers hiding in the bush in the hill
side eager to rush down and attacl
the unarmed, defeated, but valoroui
foe.
One after another Of the Spanish
ships became the victims of the awful
rain of shells which the American bat
tleships, cruisers and gunboats poured
upon them, and two hours after tn
first of the feet had started out o
Santiago harbor three cruisers AM