Evening journal., 1898-07-27

| upon the blOCkading vessels. IL was as
certained with fair conclusiveness that
the Merrimac. so galantly taken into
the channel on June 3. did not obstruc,
| Il.
1 therefore maintained the blockade
as follows: To the battIeships was as
signed the duty in turn, of lighting the
channel Moving up TO the port at
distance OF from one TO two miles from
the MORO. dependent upon the condi-
tion OF the atmosphere. they threw
search;ight beam directly up the chan
mel and held II steadily there. This
lighted up the entire breadth OF the
channel for half a mile inside Of the en-
trance so brilliantly that the movements
of small boats could be detected. Why
the batteries never opened fire upon the
/ searchlight ship was always q matter
OF surprise TO me, but they never did.
| Stationed close 10 the entrance Of the
port were three picket launches. and at
q little distance farther out three small
picket vessels, usually converted yachts.
and. when they were available one or
| two of our torpedo boats. With this
arrangement there was at least a GER
tainty that nothing would get out Of the
harbor undetected. After the arrival OF
the army, when the situation forced
upon the Spanish admiral n decision,
our vigilance increased. The night
blockadlng distance was reduced to two
miles for all vessels. and a battleship
was placed alongside the searchlight
ship with her broadslde trained upon
the channel in readiness to fire the in
stant a Spanish ship should appear.
| The commit ding officers merit great
praise for the perfect manner in which
| they entered into this plan and put It
| into execution. The Massachusetts,
which, according to routine, was sent
| that morning to coal at Guantanamo,
| like the others had spent weary nights
upon this work and deserved a better
fate than to be absent that morning. /
inclose for the information OF the de-
| partment copies of orders and memo
randums issued from time to time re-
lating 10 the manner of maintaining the
/ blockade.
When all the work was done so well,
| II is difficult to discriminate In praise.
The object Of the blockade OF Cervera's
squadron was fully accomplished. and
each individual bore well his part in it.
the commodore in command OF the Sec
! ond division. the captains of ships.
/ their officers and men. The fire OF the
battleships was powerful and destruc-
! tive. and the resistance Of the Spanish
squadron was in great part broken al
most before they had got beyond the
range OF their own forts. The fine speed
OF the Oregon enabled her to take
front position IN the chase. and the
Cristobal Colon did not give UP until
the Oregon had thrown a 13 inch shell
beyond her. This performance adds to
the already brilliant record Of this fine
battleshlp and speaks highly Of the
skill and care with which her admirable
efficiency has been maintained during
service unprecedented in the history OF
vessels Of her class
The Brooklyn's westerly ckadlng
position gave her an advantage in the
chase. which she maintained to the end,
and she employed her fine battery with
telling effect. The Texas and the New
York were gaining on the chase during
the hst hour and had any accident be-
fallen the Brooklyn or the Oregon
would have speedily overhauled the
Cristobal Colon. From the moment ths
SpaHish vessel exhausted her first burst
OF speed the result was never in doubt
She fell. in fact, far below what might
reasonably have been expected OF her
Careful measurements Of time and dis
tance gave her an average speed, from
the time she cleared the harbor mouth
until the time she was run on shore at
Rio Tarquino, of 1877 knots. Neither
the New York nor the Brooklyn stop
ped to couple up their forward engines,
! but ran out the chase with one pair,
! getting steam, Of course. as rapidly as
possible on all boilers. To stop TO cou-
pie up the forward engines would have
meant a delay Of five minutes. or four
miles in the chase.
Several of the ships were struck. the
| Brooklyn more often than the others.
but very slight material injury was
done, the greatest being aboard the
Iewa our loss was one man killed and
one wounded. both on the Brooklyn. It
is difficult 20 explain this immunity
from loss OF life or injury TO ships In a
combat with modern vessels of the best
type, but Spanish gunnery Is poor at
the best and the superior weight and
accuracy Of our fire speedily drove the
men from their guns and silenced their
Gre. This is borne out by the state
ments Of prisoners and by observation.
The Spanish vessels as they dashed out
OF the harbor were covered with the
smoke from their own guns. but this
speedily diminished in volume and soon
l almost disappeared 4Ne IRE lIplu lut
rapid fire batteries of n battleships
appears to have been remarkably de-
structive. An examination Of the
stranded vessels shows that the Al
mirante OQuendo especially had suffer-
ed terribly from this fire. Her sides
are everywhere pierced. and her decks
were strewn with the charred remains
Of those who had fallen.
The reports Of Commodore W. S.
schley and the commanding officers are
inclosed.
a board appointed by me several days
ago has made a critical examination Of
the stranded vessels. both with a view
OF reporting upon the result of our FIRE
and the military features involved and
Of reporting upon the chance of saving
any Of them and of wrecking the re-
malnder The report Of the board will
he speedily forwarded.
New York Markets.
Fl.OUR-State and western dull and