The Princeton union., 1898-07-07

Both the Oquendo and the vizcaya were
sometimes within a thousand yards of
the Indiana. The range varied, but, as
rule, 1t was short and extremely dead
~ Nevertheless, the high speed and
thick armor of their class stood the Span
ISL IN good stead, as they followed in
the path of honor marked out by Ad-
miral Cervera.
Ihree-quarters Of an hour after the ac-
ton began it was evident that the Span
lsh had many guns disabled and would
nave to surrender. There were terrible
casualties on the enemy's ships.
AS the smoke cleared little one could
see the Spanish flagship, her port broad
SIDE spouting smoke, still holding on to
the westward. The Texas and the Mas
sachusetts joined the Indiana and the
Iowa. The Oquendo and the Vizcaya
hugged the shore and Steamed after
Cervera, pledged to go with him to de-
feat and death. ~.
Shells burst on the decks of the Span
ish cruisers at short intervals Often
-1ey were on fire, but again and as4lin
the men extinguished the flames and
manned again and again the guns from
which they had been driven. The green
ccs st on their starboard side smoked
with the shells which flew over them,
and
Crashing Sounds Heard
.mid the thunder of treat rifles told of
armor-piercing shells. driven into anoth-
er through the protected sides. Still they
fired. and their shots fell about the In
diana and Iowa tbickly The Golden
Rcd was close enough to see all that the
thick smoke did not hide. She was too
close sometimes for comfort I could
!,ot seq that our battleships were hit
No doubt they were, but it seemed that
nt ne of their guns were silenced, so ter
rife continued their fire.
Once 0f hiatt ,~,.o,, T
stepped the Golden Rod abreast of the
Spanish destroyers to see what would be
the fate of the Gloucester. ..-
Lieutenant Commander Wainwright,
like Nelson, seemed to have a blind eye.
If he were signalled to pull out he re-
NAMED with his six-pounders to do work
which was heroic and astonishing.
At one time, the Gloucester was being
fired at by the Vizcaya. both torpedo boat
destroyers and the Moro battery. That
she was not sunk and that she had
enough men left to work her guns was
marvellous. She lay close in to where the
Vizcaya came out and ran along, paral-
lei firing at the cruiser as f1ercely in pro-
portion to her size as did the Indiana and
Iowa. Capt. Eulate, of the Vizcaya,
probably feared a torpedo from the
Gloucester, for he turned loose his Sec
ondary battery at her as she passed on
into storm of shells from the battle
slips. - 49," ''~ ~ '..-,< ,, ..
Then the Destroyers Came Dut,
and the Gloucester accepted them at
once as parts of her contract. These
destroyers were strong in machine guns
and guns of our three and six-pounder
class. It seemed that smoke jets burst
from the destroyers in twenty places as
they slipped along after the Vizcaya, and
the water all about the Gloucester was
kept splashing by shells and by bullets
from machine guns, but the yacht
steamed ahead. keeplng the destroyers
directly between her and shore and ham
mering them. -!
The Moro was throwing shells from
behind, and, occasionally the Vizcaya
turned gun or two to aid her followers.
The yacht was often completely hidden
by smoke. I could not but wonder if she
had been sunk, but she always forged
ever. I~ 49, -. f. - O. ~
In ten minutes the fire of the destroy
ers slackened, but although some of their
guns were disabled, their machinery was
all right, and they moved on till Moro
could no longer take part in the battle.
Then the New York appeared, hurry
ing on news from the Resolute that
Cervera had dashed his wedge of cruis-
ers into the American fleet and was dy-
ing gloriously. The New York was six
miles away when the destroyers saw her.
The MORO thundered at Sampson as he
needed, seeing only in the distance the
dim forms Of the Vizcaya and the Oquen-
do, hopelessly Il ~
Hemmed in by Circle of Fire,
and sin the foreground the Gloucester
fighting two destroyers at short range.
When the destroyers saw the flagship
they sped away from the Gloucester and
tried to overtake the Vizcaya and get into
shelter on her starboard side. If that
could not be done, there ought to be
chance to torpedo the Indiana and break
through our line to the open sea, where
speed would save them, but the Indiana
steamed inshore and the Iowa. too, but
farther away. The Indiana's secondary
battery had the first destroyer's range
and rained shells upon it.. Splintered and
torn, but still with their steering gear and
machinery intact, both destroyers turned
back to run for the mouth of the harbor
and seek safety inside. But it was too
late. The fight had been carried nearly
four miles west Of Moro and the New
& Y ork was already past the harbor mouth.
The Gloucester was ready for them
close at hand. She and the destroyers
and the Indiana formed triangle of
which the destroyers were the apex and
the American fire, converging, was too
fierce for human beings to withstand.
One destroyer drifted into the surf of fire,
a battered wreck, and then crept on
toward the Gloucester and the New York
with her guns silent and showing flag