The record-union., 1898-07-12

straight for the entrance of Santiago
harbor in order to block the way Of the
flying fugitives in case their flight was
baked and they attempted to return.
Through the smoke Of their bow guns.
the Ericsson darted, plunging into
whirling cloud Of the smoke, enshroud-
ing fleet A bit on the starboard bow
a huge hull loomed through the mist
of bursting shells and through the
whirling white glimpse was had of
the flag of Spain riddled but still fly
ing.
Over went the helm Of the torpedo
boat around swung the torpedo tubes
The long looked for opportunity to sink
an enemys ship was at last at hand.
Nearer and nearer the great hull loom
ed through the smoke. At last the
mark was fair Wait for the next roll
to plant the splitting mine we'll under
her armor belt.
Stand by" was the order There
she goes over. Hold on. SIR" was the
quick hail from forward as the order
to fire is given. .She has hauled down
her colors,' and SO it was. Cut to
pieces by shells, the decks on fire, the
Vizcaya had struck her flag. Blindly
cropping she found a ledge on which to
rest her keel and the Ericsson, intent
on her destruction moment before
came near to rescue. Many of the Viz
caya's men were then in the water. the
flagship signaled the Ericsson to range
near the Vizcaya and rescue the survl-
yors of the now fiercely burning wreck.
In prompt obedience the Ericsson ran
as close to the burning hulk as the heat
would permit. A horrible sight was
there. On the port beam, off which
the Ericsson lay, frightful wounds had
been torn in the vessels side, and
through the gaping orifices the crew OF
the Ericsson could see the men of the
Vizcaya's fireroom force being broiled
alive in the fierce flames of the she'll
wrecked compartment. 1t has been
since learned that they had been bat
tened down and had nomeans of egress,
But that was not all the horror. Swing
ing from boat falls We're dozens of men
who, apparently could not swim and
who had been driven to those scorch-
ing threads of life by the fierce heat
of the burning ship. The Ericsson
could approach no nearer for fear of be-
ing dashed to pieces against the wreck.
Her men shouted to the wrecked vic
Tins to jump; but they would not or
could not understand the efforts to save
them and not until a number of the
Ericsson's crew had made lines fast
around their bodies and flung them
selves into the sea did the Spaniards
seem to understand
One by one they dropped off and some
We're hauled on board the Ericsson, but
the majority were drowned.
The engines of the Vizcaya had not
stopped, and for hours after she had
struck they We're faithfully throbbing
at their useless task. Her guns, too,
had been left loaded and one by one
these doomed a requiem over the dying
ship. In all the Ericsson picked up
nearly 100 survivors, among them the
Vizcaya's commander, Captain Eulate
of Competitor fame. He was the officer
who ordered the execution of the cap
tives of that vessel. All the survivors
We're barefooted and scantily clothed,
and this added to the horror of the
tragedy. The decks of a torpedo boat
are uncomfortably hot, and the bare
footed Spaniards were compelled to ex-
ecute continual dance on the heated
plates to prevent the soles of their
feet from blistering. Many of them
were wounded and here the grim SER
iousness of war shuts in again.
The padre of the Vizcaya was asked
by Lieutenant Usher to lend a hand in
helping the wounded, but he was un-
concerned about their sufferings. Turn
ing deaf ear, he seated himself on a
chest. That chest happened to be need
ed for wounded man who was writh-
ing on the heated deck, but the padre
refused to surrender 1t. Usher notion
ed to his muscular young executive, En-
sign Edo, and the padre vacated the
chest Immediately and with some loss
of dignity.