The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-07-06

deeper into the sand or else the
rocks ground their hulls to pieces as
they rolled or pitched forward or
sideways, with every wave that
washed upon them from the open
sea.
Admiral Cervera escaped to the
shore in boat sent by the Giouces-
ter to the assistance of the Infanta
Maria Thersa, and as soon as he
touched the beach he surrendered
himself and his command TO Lieut..
Morton and asked to be taken on
board the Gloucester, which was the
only American vessel near him at the
time, with several of his officers, in
cluding the captain of the flagship
The Spanish Admiral, who Was
wounded in the arm, was taken to
the Gloucester and was received at
the gangway by her commander,
Lieut.. Commander Richard Vain
wright, who grasped the hand Of the
gray bearded admiral and said to
him:
Il congratulate you, sir, upon hav-
ing made as gallant a fight as was
ever witnessed on the sea.
Lieut.. Commander Wainwright
then placed his cabin at the dispo-
sal of the Spanish officers.
At that time, the Spanish flagship
and four other Spanish vessels had
been aground and burning for two
hours, and the only one Of the escap-
ing feet which could not be seen at
this point was the Cristobal Colon.
But half dozen curls of smoke far
down on the western horizon showed
the fate that was awaiting her. Tie
Cristobal Colon was the fastest of
the Spanish ships, and she soon OBJ
tanned lead over the others after
leaving the harbor and escaped the
effect of the shots which DESTROYED
the other vessels. She steamed
away at great speed, with the
Oregon, New York, Brooklyn ard
several other ships in pursuit, all of
them firing at her constantly and re-
ceiving fire themselves from her
after guns. There was no possibil-
ity whatever for her escape, and
while her fate is not definitely known
at this hour, it can be readily imag-
ined, from the words of Captain
Evans, of the Iowa, who returned
from the westward with $40 pris-
oners from the V:zcaya just as the
Associated Press dispatch boat was
leaving the Spanish flagship.
In answer to an inquiry, he shouted
through the megaphone: Il left the
Cristobal Colon far to the westward
an hour ago, and the Oregon was
giving her hell. She has undoubt-
edly gone down with the others, and
we will have Fourth of July cele
bration in Santiago tomorrow.
Captain Evans, who had been in
the thick of the engagement up to
the time he took the Vizcaya's Off
GERS and crew from the shore, sail
that to the best of his knowledge not
one American ship had been struck.
The torpedo boat Ericsson, which
also returned from the westward at
about the same time, made q similar
report, saJing it was believed no
man was injured on board the Amer
ican ships, though another report
had it that one man was killed on
board the Brooklyn, which could not
be verified as the dispatch was sent.
There was no means of telling now
what The Spanish loss was, but it
was believed to have been very
heavy, as the prisoners in custody
report their decks strewn with dead
and wounded in great numbers; and
beside, there is a statement that
many bodies could be seen fastened
to pieces Of wreckage floating in the
sea after the fight was over. A large
number of the Spanish wounded
were removed to the American ships.
There can be no doubt that Ad-
miral Cerverk's plan to escape from
Santiago harbor was entirely unex-
pected by Admiral Sampson and the
best evidence of this is the fact that
when the Spanish vessels were seen
coming out of the harbor the flag
ship New York was seven miles
away, steaming to the eastward to.
ward Jaragua, the military base, nine
miles east of Moro.
The New York was out Of the
fight altogether at every stage, but
she Immediately put about and fol-
lowed the others.