Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-27

or tnls &nlp IN 1er paIJ q tho
great victory Of your forces.
1.-THE officers Of the medical,
pay and engineer and marine corps
responded to every demand OF the
occasion and were fearless IA exc
posing themselves. The warrant
officers, Boatswain William L. Hill,
Carpenter G.. H. Warford and Gun
ner F. T. Apologize were every
where in watching for damage, re-
ports of which were promptly con-
veyed to me.
III have never in my life serv-
ed with a Drawer, better or worth
Ter crew than that Of the Brooklyn.
During the combat, lasting from
9:35 a. m. until 1:15 p. M, much
Of the time under fire. they never
tagged for a moment and were ap-
parently undisturbed by the storm
OF projectiles passing ahead,
astern and over the snip.
13.-The result of the engage
ment was the destruction Of the
Spanish squadron and the capture
of the admiral and some thirteen
to fifteen hundred prisoners, with
the loss of several hundred killed,
estimated by Admiral Cervera at
eco men.
1.-THE casualties son board
this ship were: G.. H. Ellis, CHIEF
yoeman, killed; J. Burns, fireman,
first class, severely wounded.
The marks and scars show that
the ship was struck about twenty
five times, and she bears in all
forty-one scars as the result or her
participation in the great victory
of your force of July 3, 1898. Inc
speed cone halliards were shot
away and nearly all the signal
halliards. The ensign at the main
was so shattered that in hauling
it down at the close of the action
it fell in pieces.
15.-I congratulate you most sin
cerely upon this great victory to
the squadron under your command,
and am glad that l had an oppor-
tunity to contribute in the least
to a victory that seems big enough
for all OF us.
16.-Since reaching this place
and holding conversation with
several of the captains, viz: Cap
tain Eulate of the Vizcaya, and
the second in command Of the
Colon, Commander COntreras, l
have learned that the Spanish adj
miral's scheme was to concen-
trate all fire for a while on the
Brooklyn, and the Vizcaya was to
ram her, in hopes that if they
could destroy her the chances Of
escape would be increased, as it
was supposed she was the swiftest
ship of your squadron. This ex-
plains the heavy fire mentioned
and the Vizcaya's action in the
earlier moments of the engage
ment. The execution of this pur-
pose was promptly defeated by the
fact that all the ships Of the
squadron advanced into close range
and opened an irresistibly furious
and terrific fire upon the enemy's
squadron as it was coming out Of
the harbor.
Ill am glad to say that the
injury supposed to be below the
water line was due to water
valve being opened from some I'M
known cause and flooding the
compartment The injury to the
belt is found to be only slight and
the leak small.
1S.-I cannot close this report
without mentioning in high terms
of praise the splendid conduct and
support of Captain c. e. Clark,
Of the Oregon. Her speed was
wonderful and her accurate fire
splendidly destructive.
Yaurs respectfully,
w. s. SCHLLY,
Commodore U. S. Navy, Command
er Second Squadron North At
lantic Fleet
To the Commander in Chief,
United States Naval Forces,
North Atlantic Squadron.
Following is the report Of Cap
tain c. E. Clark, of the Oregon:
L. S. S. Oregon, First Rate,
Off Santiago de Cuba, July 4.
IL have the honor to report
that at $50 a. m. yesterday the
Spanish fleet was discovered stand
ing out of the harbor of Santiago
de Cuba. They turned to the
westward and opened fire, to which
our ships replied vigorously. For
short time there was an almost
continuous fight Of projectiles
over this ship, but when our line
was fairly engaged and the Iowa
had made swift advance as if
to ram or close, the enemy's fire
became defective in the train az
well as the range. The ship was
only struck three times, and at
least two Of them were by frag-
ments of shells. We had no
casualties.
2.-As soon as it was evident
that the enemy's ships were try
ing to break through and escape
TO the westward, we went ahead at
full speed with the determination
OF carrying out to the utmost your
order IF the enemy tries to
escape the ships must clo-e and
engage as soon as possible and
endeavor to sink his vessels or
force them to run ashore"
We soon passed all Of our ships
except the Brooklyn, bearing the
broad pennant of Commodore
Schley. At first we only used our
main battery, but when it was dis
covered that the enemy's torpedo
boats We're following their ships
we used our rapid fire guns as we'll
as the skies upon them with tell
Ing effect. AS we ranged I'D near
the sternmost Of their ships she
headed for the beach, evidently on
fire. We raked her as we PASSED