The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-07-16
LETTER FROM HARRY HUBER.
His Account of the Destruction OF the
Spanish Fleet.

(The following letter was received on Tues
day, July 18th, by his brother
U. S. FLAG SHIP New YORK, |
OFF SANTIAGO, CUBA, July 4th, 1898. !
DEAR BRoTHER.-By this time you have
heard of the Spanish feet getting out of the
harbor.
Yesterday morning, Sunday, about 9. SO
O'Clock, while our ship was off blockading
duty, and on our way to Guantanamo, and
our Admiral and Staff Just getting ready to 60
ashore to meet General Shafter, some one on
the lookout said, ''the Spanish fleet is coming
out the harbor!' looked back and sure
enough there came one of the ships pushing
out for the open sea. Immediately our ships
began to open fire on her.
The New York was Immediately turned
and with only two boilers in use we started
back at full speed. By this time the smoke
from the fighting ships became so dense that
we couldn't see anything but smoke. In a
few minutes we had all our boilers going
Then you should have seen us. All of the
Spanish ships by this time had cleared the
harbor, and they were doing their best TO get
away. The Oregon and Brooklyn got ahead
of them however, while the Texas. Iowa,
Indiana and Vixen were on the left hand and
our ship astern. The Spaniards were thus
penned in against the shore. All the time
our guns were pouring into them a tremendous
fire.
The first ships of the enemy to make for
the beach were the two torpedo boat destroy
ers. Both of them were run up thigh and
dry" As our ship passed them the Glouces-
ter was standing by them. The Splniards
were swimming ashore, and as they reached
the beach fire was opened on them by some
of the Cubans, who were on the land. A
connie M ha
swimmers endeavored to reach our ship, but
oar Captain hadn't time just then to stop and
so we threw them several life buoys. After
wards We sent one of our torpedo boats to
pick them up.
The first ship that came out the harbor was
the lnfanta Maria Theresa. After her beach
ing the next to turn on shore was Vizcaya
and then came the balance of the fleet. They
were all run up on the beach and fired. |
tell you, Winter, it seemed pity to see such
splendid ships on fire. The Christobal Colon
was the only ship that gave us any sort of
chase. Tho chase was at least fifty miles be-
fore we compelled her Captain to beach her.
This he did, and then opened all her valves.
We tried save her. but she sunk last night.
think it will take wrecking machine to
raise her.
The Spaniards have a cruel discipline in
their navy. Seventeen men in the fire room
of the Christobal Colon, it is said, were shot,
because of their inability to perform work,
all of them having been overcome by heat.
We lost one man killed and two wounded,
aud all on the Brooklyn, against which Ce
vera directed his fire. The Brooklyn was the
only ship hit
We are still off Santiago Three men-of-
war, two of them English and the other Aus
trian, have just asked permission of our AID,
miral to go into the harbor and look after
their people who reside in the city.
| will have to close as | am just now called
to deck duty. | am very we'll.
From your Brother,
HARRY ROVER HUBER.