El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-08-20
WRECKS OF WARSHIpS.
Graphic Description OF The Appear
ance OF The Oquendo And Te-
resa After The Great Battle.

July S-To-dsy has been one which,
with me, will never be forgotten.
What have this day seen is so indeli-
bly, stamped on my memory that should
L live to the age OF Methuselah still
/ could close my eyes and recall it's
the Oquendo and Teresa and inspected
the terrible devastation wrought by
shot, shell and fire. oh, it is horrible.
/ can not convey to you even q portion
of an intelligent conception of the
havoc. Had not seen il myself, no
description could have ever impressed
upon my mind so thoroughly the awful
consequences of thirty minutes fire
from n modern battleship as did the
first glance upon the decks or rather
upon what had been the decks of the
unfortunate Almirante Oquendo.
went over in the first cutter, to-
gether with a number of others who
had obtained permission to inspect the
wrecks, and as we approached first the
Teresa, as she was lying nearest us, the
outward evidences OF the battle became
more and more apparent. From the
decss of the Texas / had only been
able to discern the holes made by .the
shells from the turret 12-inch guns,
but on near approach we could see holes
made by the 6-lnch rifles, and closer
still could distinguish those of the Il
and l-pounders, with which she was
fairly riddled. There were holes in
her sides ranging from two inches up
to II feet. Now this last statement
may sound off color to you, but I saw
myself. The largest hole being fully
tn At area, was eau sed eli her by the ex-
plosion of l2-inch shell after passing
inside OF her, or the explosion of one of
her own torpcdoes; this latter may
have been the case, As sne had quite q
number of torpedoes on board. saw
one torpedo without the war head on
IL, having hole clear through it, as il
struck by 6-pounder she'll.
Our boat came alongside and man
aged to catch the sea ladder and clam
Der up the side OF the hulk and into the
gaugway on what was once her spar
deck, hut was nov nothing but a mass
of burned and twisted crossbeams
Her.declSs had been built of wood, with
the exception OF q small portion OF the
forecastle and quarterback, which, be-
ing OF steel, still stood. though badly
warped and wrung by the intense heat.
Just inside the gsngway was a6-inch
gun, mounted behind slsnting shield.
Through this shield was a ragged hole,
cut through the armor steel as IL it bad
been tin, while behind the shield were
two bodies, evidently killed by the ex-
plosion of the shell penetrating the
shield: both were badly burned: in fact
so badly burned that one could hardly
tell that IL was the remains OF what
once was q man, from its shape. pass
on by the grewsome sight only to meet
others still worse further on. The dead |
are strewn around the lower deck, the
protective deck, which, being steel,
stood the attack OF the flames, aud, act |
ing as reservoir, caught all that fell
from the upper decks. You would see
little pile OF ashes, think possibly il
was nothing more: strike it. lightly
with your foot, and ugh,it was the rem
nants OF some poor devil. cnarred and
burned to ashes. l saw sights that dav
would not see again for any induce |
ment on earth. Still, now that it's |
over, / admit would not have missed
the opportunity to examine the ship |
for anything. In one place / noted |
where q shell had entered her side ten |
feet above the water line, probably |
about on line with her living quart |
ers: had passed through an interyen-
ing bulkhead around the smokestack, |
the stack, on through the op-
posite side of the ship, there piercing
her once more in passing out, leaving
behind in its path God alone knows /
how many unfortunate fellows. 1t is
all over now, and we can afford u pity Il
them and say that we regret-not that /
we did it-but that 1t had to be done.
The interior of the whole ship was
literally gutted-torn out on the second
deck from stem to stern, and below
that deck, in her bow, where the heav-
lest explosions took place, evidently
hose OF Finch shell, there was no.
thing left of either deck. Itwas blown
Away clear from side to side: an i'm
nense hole in the bow, through which
The waters surged back and forth with
he rise and fall of the long ground
swell. AT one point the armor plating
was forced out, leaving q large gap in
he side, through which the waters
rushed rs in the bow. The entire for
ward second and first decks had burned |
way all the woodwork, and the steel
beams and girders were twisted, bent,
srenched and broken up as II by the
land OF some mighty Titan with the
trength OF thousand giants. The
was simply appalling; to
adequately describe one-tenth part of
It Is beyond me,
| went forward and entered the tur-
let containing the 1l-inch gun. This
iai in a measure withstood the terrible
'hock being out OF the direct line OF the
explosion; but IL had not escaped. lust
inside the emit ance to the turret lay 4 |
spanish etficer, his arms tightly clasp
ID scross his breast, his head turned
o one side, As IL to escape the bias.
rom the flames, and the body lying at
Yearly right angles from the lower
imbs, a. IL 10 the last agony of death
10 had made q final attempt to throw ,
himself toward the opening where lay
'ossible life. But twas not to be. ,
overcome by fire, he met the same
o~rible death that hundreds of his
nipmstes found that day. Further in
be turret was one more. He also was ,
barred by fire and the clothing burn :
d OH him, as he was the first one at ,
he entrance. On looking closely | dis- !
Nv red what, in all probab, lily. caus- /
d their death. It was an eXplodinpI :
he from one Of the American guns:
truck the turret st underneath the =
un at point here il extends out from )
ne turret, and there exploding had
leared the urret OF life. DO care to !.
&c all this again? No, no, 10, it is as a
be first shot | saw can shut nv ewes
nd see IL plainly now. Would that | | !,
ould forget that picture, but twill re- q
lain with me forever. In the after n
irret there was no evidence of such =
as the men had evidently a
cen able to get out in time But on Il
lie deck, Just out side the turret, on :
L.