Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1898-08-05


ished, and TIE American ships were
now gaining upon her. Behind the
Brooklyn and Oregon came the
Texas, Vixen and New York.
Itwas evident from the bridge of the
New York that all the American
ships were gradually overhauling the,
chase, and that she had no chance of
escape.
At 1880 the Brooklyn and the
Oregon opened fire and got their
range = the Oregon's heavy shells
striking beyond ber-and at 1:10 she
gave up without firing another shot,
hauled down her colors and ran ashore
at Rio Toruquino, forty-eight mics
from Santiago. Capt Cook of the
Brooklyn went on board to receive
the surrender.
While his boat was alongside ! came
up in the New York, received his re-
port and placed the Oregon in
charge of the wreck, to save her if
possible, and directed the prisoners to
be transferred to the Resolute,
which had followed the chase. Com
modore Schley, whose chief of staff
had gone on board to receive the sur
render, had directed that all their per-
sonal effects should be retained by the
officers. This order | did not modify.
The Cristobal Colon was not in
jured by our firing, and probably is
not injured much by Bleaching, though
she ran ashore at high speed. The
beach is SO steep that she came off by
the working of the sea. But her sea
valves were opened and broken, treach-
erously, am sure, after her surrender,
and despite all efforts she sank
When it became evident that she
could not be kept afoat, she was
pushed by the New York bodily
upon the beach, the New York's
stem being placed against her for this
purpose-the ship being handled by
Capt. Chadwick with admirable judg-
ment-and sank in shoal water and
may be saved. Had this not been
done she would have gone down in
deep water and would have been to a /
certainty total loss.
Eleventh. regard this complete !
and important victory over the Span
ish forces as the successful finish of /
several weeks of arduous and close |
blockade, so stringent and effective /
during the night that the enemy was /
deferred from making the attempt to
escape at night and deliberately elect
ed to make the attempt in daylight
That such was the case l was informed
by the commanding officer of the
Cristobal Colon.
BLOCKADE OF HARBoR.
Tweifth-It seems proper to briefly
describe here the manner in which
this was accomplished. The harbor of
Santiago is naturally easy to blockade
there being but one entrance-and
that narrow one; and the deep water
extending close up to the shore line
no difficulties of navigation
outside of the entrance. At the time
of my arrival, before the port-June
-the.moon was at its full, and there
was sufficient light during the night
to enable any movement outside of the
entrance to be detected. But with the
of the moon and the coming of
lark nights, there was opportunity for
The enemy to escape, or for his torpedo
boats to make an attack upon the
vessels l was certain
With fair conclusiveness that the
Merrimac did not obstruct it.
therefore maintained the blockade as
To the little ships was assigned the
luty, in turn, of lighting the channel.
Moving up to the port, at a distance of
rom one to two miles from the MORO ,
upon the condition of the
threw a searchlight
,eam directly upon the channel and
leld it steadily there. This lighted
ID the entire breadth of the channel
or half mile inside of the entrance
o brilliantly that the movement of
mall boats could be detected.
Why the batteries never opened fire
pom the searchlight ships was always
matter of surprise to me, but they
ever did. Stationed close to the en-
rance of the port were three picket
lunches and, at little distance farther
ut, three small picket vessels-usuallv
inverted yachts-when they were
one or two of our torpedo