The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-27

| lanQlnS d smell just duedd Va iaOA' 49,
eral other shells were fired al the Colon,
now In range of the Brooklyn's and Ore
CONS guns. Her commander. seeing all
| chances of escape cut of and the destruc-
| ton awaiting his ship. fired lee gun ana
struck her flag at lis p. m, ana ran
ashore at point come 80 miles west OF
Santiago harbor. Your flagship was COM
! ing up rapidly at lifetime. as was also the
Texas and Vixen. A little later. after
your arrival, the Christobal Colon. which
had struck to the Brooklyn and the Ore
gon, was turned over to you as one OF the
trophies of This great victory OF the
squadron under your command
During my official visit htuelater,
Commander Eaton, Of the Resolute. ap-
peared and reported to you the presence
Of a Spanish battleship near Altares.
Your orders to me were to take the Ore
gon and go eastward TO meet her and this
was done ythe Brooklyn. with the re-
suit that the vessel reported as an enemy
was discovered to be the Austrian cruiser
Infanta Maria Teresa, seegink the com
mander in chief.
I would mention for your consideration
that the Brooklyn occupied the most west
ward blockading position, with the Vixen,
ard being more directly in the route taken
by the Spanish squadron. was exposed for
some minutes. possibly ten. to the gun
IRE OF three of the Spanish ships and the
west battery, at a range of 1,5O0 yards
from the ships and about 5000 yards from
the batteries. but the vessels of the en-
tire squadron. closing in rapidly, soon d.
verted this fire and did magnificent work
at close range. l have never before wit
messed such deadly and fatally accurate
shooting as was done by the ships of
your command as they closed in on the
Spanish squadron, and 1 deem it high
privilege to commend to you for such
action as you deem proper the gallantry
and dashing courage, the prompt decision
and skillful handling of their respective
vessels, of Captain Phillips, Captain Bob
Evans, Captain Clark and especially or
my chief-of-staff, Captain Cook, who was
directly under my personal observation,
and whose GOODNESS, promptnesS and cour-
age were of the highest order. The dense
smoke of the combat shut out from view
the Indiana and the Gloucester but as
these vessels were closer to your flagship
no doubt their part in the conflict was
under your immediate observation.
Lieutenant Sharp, commanding the Viz
en-, acted with conspicuous courage AL
though unable to engage the heavier
ships of the enemy with his light guns,
nevertheless was close in to the battle line
under heavy fire and many of the enemy's
hot passd beyond mis- vessel.
1 beg to invite special attention to the
conduct Of my flag lieutenant, James II.
Sears. and Ensign Edward McCauley,
40
ing the enga cement and who exposed
themselves fearessly in discharging their
duties; also to the splendid behavior of my
secretary, Lieutenant B. w. Wells, Jr..
who commanded and directed the fighting
of the fourth division with splendid eff
feet
Iwould commend the highly meritorious
conduct and courage in the engagement,
of Lieutenant Commander N. E. Mason.
the executive officer, whose presence did
much to secure the good results OF this
ships part in tn victory.
The navigator, Lieutenant A c. Hodg-
son. and the division officers, Lieutenant
T. D. Griffin, Lieutenant w. r. Rush,
Lieutenant Edward Simpson. Lieutenant
J. G. Doyle Ensign Charles Webster
and the junior divisional officers were
most steady and conspicuous in every de-
tail of duty contributing to the accurate
firing of this ship in her part of the great
victory of your forces.
THE officers of the medical, pay and
engineer and marine corps responded to
every demand of the occasion and wero
fearless in exposing themselves. The
warrant officers, Boatswain VIM L. Hill,
Carpenter G.. II. Warford and Gunner W.
7. Applegate, were everywhere exposed,
in watching for damage, reports of which
were promptly conveyed to me.
Il have never in my life served with q
drawer, better or worthier crew than that
of the Brooklyn. During the combat, last
ing from 9:35 till lis p. m, much of the
time under fire, they never tagged for a
moment and were apparently undisturbed
by the storm of projectiles passing ahead,
astern ard over the ship.
''The result of the engagement was the
destruction Of the Spanish squadron and
the capture of the admiral and some 1900
to 800 prisoners, with the loss of several
hundred killed, estimated by Admiral
Cervera at 500 men.
The casualties on, board the ship were:
G. H. Ellis. chief yeoman, killed; ].
Burns, fireman, first class, severely
wounded.
The marks and scars show that the ship
was struck about twenty-five times, and
she bears in ali forty-one scars as the
result of her participation in the great
victory of your force on July 3. 1885 The
speed-cone halEards were shot away and
nearly all the signal halliards. The en-
sign at the main mast was so shattered
that in hauling it down at the close of
the action it fell to pieces.
Il congra tulata you most sincerely
upon this great victory to the squadron
under your command and / am glad that
had an opportunity to contribute in the
least to a victory that seems big enough
for ali.
II have the honor to transmit herewith
the reports of the commanding officers |
and a drawing in profile of the ship show
ing the location Of hits and scars; also
a memorandum Of ammunition expended
and the amount to I'll her allowance.
Since reaching this place and holding
conversation with several Of the captains /
viz: Captain Aulate Of the Vizcaya and
tho second in command of the Colon !
Commander Contreras, have learned
that the Spanish admiral's scheme was
20 concentrate all the fire for a while on
the Brooklyn and the Vizcaya TO ram her
In hopes that # they could destroy her
the harce OF escape would be increa sed. /
as il was supposed she was the swietsst