The Van Buren press., 1898-07-30
OCCURRED SUNDAY.
EYeFY EreHt Of Importance that Has
Happened in Uur Naval Opera
fl0as thus Designated.

SAyTI4G0 DE- CCaa. jay 23.-Ths
sa51a1eriaa may not mi It as good 2
reason Tor thaLkfaIness aad c0ngrat1
Ia6l5a as 10 tas men 4 tae American
rsss Of Santiago DE- Cuba. 5ut tL5
singular fact remains that every event
Of supreme importance that has happen
ri ID 5ur naval operations during the
war win Spain mas fallen on Sunday
On sunday. May i Dewey Won the
great victory At Manila. IN sunday
NAV -. seHley found the feet of Ger
vera IN Santiago harDor and said
They viii never = home. - On sun ?
dar. July 3. portion o. Admiral
.s.llD-8a hses under Commodore
scaIsy defeated tire attempt Of Admiral
CerVera lD escape aud destroyed his
squadron. and On sunday, July l.
the Spanish fag on Moro Castle.
Santiago. was aauled down forever, be
ginning the finale u Spanish control in
tne Western Hemisphere.
This sunday morning was beautifuI
among Gae most beautiful that have
fallen 8 TIE lot # ctr ships before
santiago. The blockade was depleted
ne two fagsaips. New York, with Ad-
mirai Sampson : fag flying and the
Brooklyn. known 20 the spaniarls a.
the three horned devil, flying Com
mod0rs 5chley's broad penneut. being
the 0aly w4rsnips Ia sight The little
Vixen, Captain Sharpe. omuipressat,
ard the Gloucester. Captain Vain
wright, filIe1 cut quota OF our ships
Sunrise developed the fact that the red
and yellow flag Of Spain still ioated
over MORO Castle and that the span
iah soldiers were still In the forts. At
precisely 8 o clock, however, watehful
officers on deck saw the flag slowly
come down. There was a salute 81
some Kind fred inside. for guns were
heard - soon a. the flag had been
lowered tie New YORK moved malesti-
ealig III toward the entrance Of the
harb0r followed By the Brooklyn.
soon 10th these great cruisers lay close
under The batteries that for weeks had
msHaced them and swung lazily and
a0nchalantly Al anchor while steam
launches we're lowered 70 take ashore
officers who desired to see the har0or
and Qualifications. At the same time
the church pennaIt went mp on the
New YORK and in tAs very mouth Of the
har50r a service Of THANK giYing 70 the
Creator " 5 heid.
On one launch went Commodore
Schlsg and a party including a CORE
sp0ndeht Of the Associated Press. This
trip was fall Of Incident and interest.
Entering the narrow neck Of the harbor
ths eye met with great eIpanse Of
wafer, beautiful sheet, harDOr Of
fering d splendid protection and all the
great requisites for = naval station. All
along both banks were thrown mp
earthW3rEs and batteries. and these
were mounted with rapid fire guns and
revolving cannon. Looking up at
MORO, the crumbling old ruin was seen
in the same condition in which il has
been for half century, except that it
had received on one corner a large shell
that had partially demolished tower
and flag support.
Punta Gorda. just inside the Moro
and on a hill. had three guns, evidently
ship guns, pointing directly down at
the entrance. To the west were two
on the side hill, both
VITA four inch rapid-hre guns and six
Founders. To the east Of MORO the
earth work battery displayed three
modern guns with shields and three
m1zzle leaders
Turning well into the mouth Of the
harb0r the Reina Mercedes was seen
lying over on her side and about two
thirds submerged. All her boats had
been taken OF and her heavy port guns
On the star board, however, were two
heavy guns, all her rapid fire guns were
In position, so that they could be used
for harbOr defense. Around the rail
IN the quarter deck hung the crew 3
as though for an airing and
blankets and other paraphernalia
showed hurried desertion. She does
not lay in the channel but ashore in the
eastern shadows. The cause Of her
abandonment was soon discovered in
he big shell holes in her side, two or
three being visible where the Massachu-
sets and Texas had poured in hot fire.
On her starboard side is seen the effect
)f one of the shells that fell on her
1nring the second bombardment on
June 9. The whole side Of the deck is
torn away, and the steel curled up in
huge heaps. On her bow CLEANED in