The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-07-07

sfa5tee llOlh lIeIl Ill twenty places as
10y slipped along after the Vizcaya.
ep.fq water all about the Gloucester
Ta;it kept splashing by shells and by
/, Jets from machine guns. But the
Alcht steamed ahead, keeping the
tIestroyers directly between her and
tIheshore and hammering them. The
Zorro was throwing shells from be-
Nind, and occasionally the Vizcaya
Turned gun or two to aid her fol
l aMers.
IhIhe yacht was often completely
Hidden by smoke. One could not but
Wonder if she had been sunk, but she
always forged ahead, and appeared
again buster than ever.
I'm ten minutes the fire of the de-
stfoyers slackened, but although some
ssf their guns We're disabled, their
dIsch.nery was all right, and they
moved on until Moro could no longer
take part in the battle.
Then the New York appeared, hav-
ing been summoned to return from
Aguadores. She was six miles away
when the destroyer saw her. The
Moro thundered at Sampson as he
came within range, but the Admiral
never needed, seeing only in the dis
tance the dim forms of the Vizcaya
and the Oquendo, hopelessly hemmed
in by a circle of fire, and in the fore
ground the Gloucester, fighting two
destroyers at short range.
When the destroyers saw the flag
ship they sped away from the Glou-
cester and tried to overtake the Viz
caya and get into shelter on her star
board side. Ifthat could not be done
there ought to be a chance to torpedo
the Indiana and break through our
line to the open sea, where speed
would save them, but the Indiana
steamed in shore and the Iowa went
further away.
The Indianas secondary battery
had the first destroyer's range, and
rained shells upon her. Splintered
and torn, but still with their steering
gear and machinery intact, both de-
stroyers turned back to run for the
mouth of the harbor and seek safety
inside, but it was too late. The fight
had been carried nearly four miles
west of the Moro, and the New York
was already past the harbor mouth.
The Gloucester was ready for the
destroyers close at hand. She and the
destroyers and the Indiana formed a
triangle of which the destroyers was
the apex, and the American fire, con-
verging, was too fierce for human
beings to withstand.
One destroyer drifted into the surf
of a battered wreck, and then
crept on toward the Gloucester and
the New York with her guns silent
and showing flag of truce. She was
on fire, and her crew ran her ashore
to save the lives of those who had
escaped the shells. She blew up soon
after they abandoned her.
was standing behind DR.. Simonds,
of the Iowa, when the Gloucester was
in greatest peril, and he could not
help turning from the main battle to
watch her heroic work, and shouting
his hope that she would not run short
of ammunition. Her commanders
skill and courage were simply magnif-
icent
The Spanish admiral was lost in
smoke to the westward, when the
Oquendo went ashore, with flames
bursting from her decks The Iowa,
Indiana, Texas and Massachusetts
ceased firing, the Massachusetts going
to join the Oregon and the Brooklyn
in hunting up and smashing Cervera' s
ship.
Once headed off the Oquendo turned
into a small bay four or five miles west
of Santiago, where she lay close to the
land. With an weakening broad
side the Vizcaya followed, first head
ing out as if to break through the line
of battle. The Indiana and Iowa
closed in, and their formation made
her escape in that direction impossi-
BILE.
Captain Eulate then attempted to
reach the east side of the bay, occu-
pied by the Oquendo, but in vain
With glass could see that the Viz
caya's bulwarks near the stern had
been torn away. Smoke poured out
where shells had exploded inside, and
she was on fire. Her guns, with the
exception of those forward, were out
OF action. Her bow guns were still
fired at intervals. Those who were
not working the bow guns crowded
forward to escape the smoke and fire
aft.
The Oquendo was soon ashore, her
guns silent and smoke rising in thick,
black clouds from her.
There was laundering of guns to
the westward now, and flashes told
that Cervera still fought, but to the