The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-12
SPANISH STORY OF THE SINKING.
One OF the Captured Officers of Cerve-
ra's Fleet Tells of the Battle

The New York Herald's special cor
respondent at Portsmouth On. H. says;
This is a plain tale OF Spanish disaster
as rendered by Captain MaocrOhon, sec
ond captain of tire Maria Teresa. His
chief, it will be remembered, Ha5 des-
perately wounded during the fight
Il love my country" said the Span
lard, simply "aud my heart blceds Tor
her now. Our feet, my country's pride
has been destroyed 1 fear that there
will be an uprising at home when It's
destruction is made known
"Our plan for escape was well ar
ranged, but better formulated than ex-
ecuted. We had arranged 10 force our
way out on Saturday night, and the
Maria Teresa was to have led. But, con-
trarv to our expectations, the search
lights of your ships did not illumine the
channel that night. as had been usual
and without that light We were unable
TO discern the wreck Of the Merrimac
so we could not get out You know now
we came out the next morning-Sunday,
that was. Great crowds were expected
to come 10 down to the wharf TO see us
depart, but the American troops were
pushing the city too hard ia front ana
there were none to see us on. our ORDERS
we're 70 steam at fun speed 10 the west
centrate our attack on the Brooklyn,
paving no attention to any Of the other
ships. unless they forced US TO attack
them.
$50 in the morning, they signalled TO
ia from the battery that only the Texas
and the Brooklyn were TO the westward
and we got under way, the Maria le-
resa. being the flagship. taking the lead.
We opened fire on the Brooklyn, ana the
Texas answered IL, but her shot teil
short. otherwise she would have struck
ne for il was a straight line shot. The
BROOKLYN and tho Iowa then fired, but
neither shot hit Again the Brooklyn
and the Texas fred. The Brooklyn's shell
went into the admirals cabin. and ex-
ploding. set fire to the after part or the
ship The shell from the Texas pierced
our side armor and exploded in the en-
CINE room. bursting the main steam pipe.
we signalled to the engineer 10 start
the pumps. but got no reply, and then
found that all below in that part or the
shin had been killed. At that time it was
like hell on our bridge. Shells were burst
ing all around us. and the ships hui
was being riddled below.
THE captain turned to me and said:
Sir do you think 1t best 20 continue the
hopeless fight, or, for the sake OF hui
manity and 10 save life. should we not
beach tn ship? Many OF our guns are
dismounted, and our engines are GRIP
Pied
Sir 7 replied we are unable TO fight
longer. Let US beach the ship
"Then. as ] said that, a shell struck
our captain. HIS last words were 10 haul
down the colors. The American fire was
so fierce and their shells were bursting
around us so fast and making so much
smoke that the Americans could not see
that the flag was down and continued
firing. / sent below for o blanket, ana
as soon as that vas run up the iring
ceased.
Meanwhile the Vizcaya had run be-
tween US and the Texas and was then
engaging three ships-the Brooklyn, ore
gOn and Texas. She made a desperate
but hopeless fight. Now that We have
learned that we lost between eight nun
Gred and a thousand men and the Amer
cans lost only one man, II amazes Us. IL
Is incredible. We cannot comprehend II.
Ii does not seem possible. And yet we
must believe IL. Have We not seen with
our own eyes the utter wrecks or our
ships and how yours were not hurt, even
the smallest injury. that We could see.
'If you had managed TO escape. where
would you have gone. 20 CienfuegosY
by no means" the officer replied.
''Our intention was to run TO Havana
raise the blockade there ana enter the
harbor"
what win be the result OF the battleF
the Spanish commander was askd.
"Ah. / do not know" was the mourn