Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-19

iary battery seemed in place. Evil
IDENTIFY the crew Of the Reina Mercedes
left her in a hurry. This is less to be
wondered at when it is noted that there
were great gaps in her sides, showing
where two 12-inch and two 13-inch
shells had struck her. The sea washed
gently through the after cabin of the
cruiser, which was decorated in old
fashioned style, and the wind fluttered
red silk curtain, which could be
plainly seen over an inner door, as the
launch steamed by
About 600 yards ahead of the Reina
Mercedes, and almost in line with her,
was the wreck of the Merrimac, lying
in six fathcms of water on the very
edge OF the channel. Had not the cur
rent swung the doomed ship alongside
instead of athwart the channel the lat
ter would have been we'll blocked.
When Assistant Naval Constructor
Hobson took the collier into the harbor
he was hunting for four-fathom spot
and only missed by few hundred
yards.
AT the firing station on the west side,
with Commodore Schley inspected in
person, the American party met Span
ish artillery captain who was courte-
Gus, but gloomy. Commodore Schley
was his own interpreter and advised
the officer, with the few men under his
command, to go up to the city and sur
render as quickly as possible.
When the Spanish captain was asked
to point out the route to the six-inch
battery on the west hill, he said there
was none and explained that the way
to get there was over steep, rocky and
difficult ground. 1t was learned later
that
THIS WAS NOT TRUE,
and it was surmised that the Spaniard
was anxious to prevent the Americans
from seeing the lamage done by the
mbardment.
Commodore Schley then said he was
determined to have glimpse of San
tiago city, and the launch was headed
along the west side of the channel, go
ing slowly and sticking to the shallow
water, lest some contact mine put AN
end, as the Commodore remarked, ito
our quiet plasure party" Skirting the
broad, like-like spot in the harbor
where the Spanish fleet, destroyed two
weeks ago. used to lie during the bonn
bardment, and noting the brilliantly
painted buoys which marked the shall
lows, Punta Gorda was rounded, and,
distant about two miles, the city OF
Santiago shone out, the cathedral being
especially we'll defined and the masts
and tunnels of not a few vessels show
ing at its wharves. At that distance
Santiago did not show any traces of
the destruction wrought by the 101 out
of the 1C6 eight-inch shells fired ON
the city last Monday.
Returning to the Brooklyn, Commo-
dore Schley, accompanied by his staff,
entered the harbor this evening, soon
after the mines were exploded.
Captain Cook, of the Brooklyn, is
authority for the statement that the
former Spanish flagship, the 1nfanta
Maria Teresa, has floated off the reef
on which she stranded, and that her
heavy armament is practically unin-
iured. The captain also says this
cruiser will almost surely be saved and
form an addition to the United States
navy, a trophy of the glorious Sd Of
July.
The Cristobal Colon may also be
saved though a good deal depends on
the weather, which is very uncertain
at this time of the year A heavy
storm might drive the cruiser so high
on the coral reef that it would be i'm
possible to float her.
ne Crew vi lHe DIUChiyu IeSdlutu
the Vizcaya as
THEIR PARTICULAR ENEMY,
since the time when they were both
present at Queen Victoria's jubilee dis
play, when there was much comment
abroad on what good fight might be
expected between the two ships if they
ever met.
Of the four big ships which were in
Admiral Cervera's fleet only two are
surely doomed to destruction. They
are the Vizcaya and the Almirante
Oquendo, and these, as a coincidence,
are the two cruisers which went into
Havana harbor after the blowing up of
the Maine and were moored near the
wreck Of the United StAtes battleship
in all the bravery of paint, gliding and
bunting, seemingly to gloat over the
ruin caused, while the people of Ha-
vana shouted themselves hoarse, fired
myriads of bombs and Dragged unceas-
ingly Of what the two formidable arm
ored cruisers of Spain would do with
the United States navy should ever a
fair fight be possible Surely" re-
marked Lieut.. Commander Vain
wright, of the Gloucester, formerly of
tho Maine HtbiS ovop Cer +bo Nfo;,,