Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-07-07
Spanish Fleet Destroyed !!
Cervera's Ships Leave Santiago Har'
Dor and Every One Is Sunk.

did fleet. 1he spanish Meet was ooin'
posed of the armored cruisers Crlstobal
Colon, Almirante Oquendo, Infanta
Maria Teresa and Vizcaya, and the
torpedo boat destroyers Furor and
Pluton. These ships had been "bot-
tied up" in the harbor of Santiago for
six weeks by the combined squadrons
of Admiral Sampson and Commodore
Schley.
Desperate but magnificent was the
bold dash by which Cervera attempted
to get his feet out Of Santiago harbor.
Cervera himself led the way with his
flagship, the CristObal Colon. 1t was
to be a dash to liberty or to death,
and the Spanish admiral made the
plunge with eyes open. Sunday quiet
rested over the entrance to Santiago
harbor. No signs of life were visible
about old Moro. Beyond and to-
ward the city of Santiago all was still,
After two days of fighting the armies
of both nations were resting In their
trenches. Most of the vessels of Adj
miral SIMPSONS fleet lay lazily at an
Choir.
The Americans saw his feet the mo-
ment it left the harbor, and they be-
gan their work of destruction immedi-
ately. For an hour or two they fol-
lowed the flying Spaniards to the west
ward, along the shore line, sending
shot after shot into their blazing bulls,
tearing great holes in their steel sides
and covering their decks with the
blood of the killed and wounded. AT
no time did the Spaniards show any
indication that they intended to 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 showed they
were on fire. But they turned their
ships toward the shore, less than mile
away, and ran them on the beach and
rocks, where their destruction was
soon complete.
Two hours after the first Of the fleet
had started out of Santiago harbor,
three cruisers and two torpedo-boat
destroyers were lying on the shore ten
or fifteen miles west of Moro Castle,
pounding to pieces, smoke and flames
pouring from every part OF them and
covering the coast line with a mist
which could be seen fifteen miles.
Heavy explosions Of ammunition &C.
Cured every few minutes, sending
curls of dense white smoke a hundred
feet in the air and causing a shower
of broken iron and steel to fall in the
water on every side. The bluffs on
the coast line echoed with the roar OF
every explosion, and the Spanish YES
sells sank deeper and deeper into the
sand or else the rocks ground their
bulls pieces as they rolled or pitched,
forward or sideways, with every wave
that washed upon them from the open
sea.
The officers and men on board then
escaped to the shore as we'll as they
could, with the assistance Of boats sent
from the American men-of-war. They
then threw themselves upon the mer-
cy of their captors, who not only ex-
tended to them the gracious hand Of
American chivalry, but sent them a
guard to protect them from the MUIR
delous bands Of Cuban soldiers hiding
in the bushes on the hillside eager to
rush down and attack the unarmed,
defeated, but valorous foe. 1t is esti-
mated that about 800 prisoners were
taken.
Admiral Cervera escaped to the
shore in a boat sent by the Gloucester
TO the assistance Of the cruiser Infanta
Maria Teresa. AS soon as he touched
the beach he surrendered, with his
command, to Lieutenant Morton, and
asked to be taken on board the Glou-
cester, which was the only American
vessel near at the time, with several
Of his officers, including the captain
of the flagship. The Spanish Admi-
raj was wounded in the arm. He was
taken to the Gloucester and was re-
ceived at her gangway by her chief
officer, Lieutenant-Co Commander Rich
ard Wainwright. who grasped the
hand of the gray-bearded Admiral
and said to him: II congratulate you,
sir, upon having made as gallant a
fight as was ever witnessed on the
sea-" Lieutenant-C Commander Vain
wright then placed his cabin at the
disposal of the Spanish officers. 1t is
coincidence that he was one of the
officers of the battleship Maine in Ha-
vana harbor.
A. +bot f;poa tba Swami 40 ncbi N