Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-07-07

pouring from every part OF them and
covering the entire coast line with a
mist which could be seen for miles.
Heavy explosions of ammunition oc-
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.
COMPLETE DESTRUCTION.
The bluffs on the coast echoed with
the roar of every explosion. and the
Spanish vessels sank deeper and deep
.er into the sand or else the rocks
ground their hulls to pieces as they
rolled or pitched forward or sideways
with every wave that washed upon
them from the open sea.
Admiral Cervera escaped to the
shore In boat sent by the Gloucester
to the assistance of the Infanta Maria
Theresa and as soon as he touched the
beach he surrendered himself and his
command to Lieutenant Morton and
asked to be taken on board the Glou-
cester The Spanish Admiral, who
was wounded in the arm, was taken
on board and was received at the
gangway by her commander, Lieuten-
ant Commander Richard Wainwright,
who grasped the hand of the gray
headed Admiral and said to him: II
congratulate you, sir, upon having
made as gallant a fight as was ever
witnessed on the sea-"
GRACIOUS COURTESY.
| Lieutenant Commander Wainwright
then placed his cabin at the disposal
| of the Spanish officers.
At that time, the Spanish flagship
and four other Spanish vessels had
been aground and burning for two
hours, and the only ono of the escap-
| ing fleet which could not be seen at
But half a dozen curls of smoke far
down on the western horizon showed
| the fate that was awaiting her.
RUNNING FIGHT.
| The Cristobal Cvlon was the fastest
| of the Spanish ships and she soon OBJ
/ tanned a lead over the others after
leaving the harbor and escaped the Of
| feet of the shots which destroyed the
other vessels. She steamed away at
4 great speed with the Oregon, New
York, Brooklyn and several other ships
in pursuit, all Of them firing at her
constantly and receiving fire them
selves from her after guns. There was
l
and while her fate is not definitely
known at this hour. It can be readily
| imagined from the words OF Captain
Evans, Of the Iowa, who returned from
| the westward with $40 prisoners from
| the Vizcaya just as the Associated
Press dispatch boat as leaving the
Spanish flagship. In answer to an in
quiry, he shouted through the mega
phone:
| INAHOT PLACE.
| 81 left the Cristobal Colon far to the
westward an hour ago and the Oregon
was giving her hell. She has undou BIT
eddy gone dawn with the others and
we will have fourth Of July celebra-
| ton in Santiago tomorrow
Captain Evans, who had been in the
thick of the engagement up to the
time he took the Vizcaya its officers
and crew from the shore, said that to
the best of his knowledge not one
American ship had been struck.
INJURIES SLIGHT.
| The torpedo boat Ericsson, which
also returned from the westward at
about the same time, made similar
report, saying it was believed no man
was injured on board the American
ships, though another report had it
that one man was killed on board the
Brooklyn, which could not be verified
as this dispatch was sent.
SPANISH LOSS UNKNOWN.
| There is no means of telling now
what the Spanish loss was but it is
believed to have been very heavy, az
| the prisoners in custody report their
decks strewn with dead and wounded
in great numbers, and beside, there is
a statement that many bodies could be
seen fastened to pieces Of wreckage
floating in the sea after the fight was
over. A large number Of the Spanish
wounded were removed to the Ameri
can ships.