The Red Cloud chief., 1898-07-08

| Wltn every WdVt tndb WdhHtu upOH
them from the open sea
Admiral Ccrvera escaped TO the shore
In n boat sent by the Gloucester TO the
assistance of the ~lnfanta Maria Teresa,
and IA soon ms she touched the beach
he surrendered himself and his com
mand 10 Lieutenant Morton, and asked
to be taken on board the Gloucester,
which was the only American vessel
near him at the time, with several OF
his officers, including the captain OF
the flagship.
At that time, the Spanish flagship
and four other Spanish vessels had
been aground and burning for two
hours, and the only one of the cscap'
ing lcet which could not he seen Mt
the point was the Cristobal Colon. But
half a dozen curls of smoke far down
the western horizon showed the fate
that was awaiting her.
The Cristobal Colon was the fastest
OF the Spanish ships, and she soon OBJ
tanned IA lead over the Others after leav-
ing the harbor. and escaped the effect
of the shots which destroyed the other
vessels. She steamed away at great
speed, with the Oregon, New York,
Brooklyn and several other ships In
pursuit, all of them firing at her con
stantly, and receiving fire themselves
from her after guns. There seemed no
possibility whatever for her escape,
and, while her fate Is not definitely
known at this hour, IL can be readily
imagined from the words Of Captain
Robley ID. Evans, of the Iowa, who re-
turned from the westward with 35C
prisoners from the Vizcaya. In answer
to an inquiry, he shouted through tho
megaphone:
II left the Cristobal far to the west
ward m hour ago, and the Oregon was
giving her hell. She has undoubtedly
gone down with the others, and we
will have u Fourth of July celebration
in Santiago tomorrow"
Captain Evans had been in the thick
of the engagement up to the time he
took the Vizcaya officers and crew
from the shore.
There eau be do doubt that Admiral
Cervera's plan to escape from Santi-
ago harbor was entirely unexpected by
Admiral Sampson, and the best evil
dcnce OF this is the fact hat when the
Spanish vessels were seen coming out
of the harbor, the flagship New York
was seven miles away steaming to the
eastward toward Juragua, the mill
tary base, nine miles cast of MORO.
The New York was out Of the fight
at every stage, but she Immediately
put about and followed the other YES
sells in the race TO the westward and
overlook them in time to join in the
chase for the Cristobal Colon after the
other Spanish vessels had been de.
stroyed by the Brooklyn, the Oregon,
Iowa, Massachusetts,, Indiana. Texas,
Gloucester and other ships of the feet.
Commodore Schley's flagship, tho
Brooklyn, had her usual position at
the extreme western end of the line,
ten miles from the New York and
Texas. 1t is a peculiar fact that he
should have been in proper position to
direct the movement OF his flying
squadron against the Spanish fleet,
which he had bottled up in Santiago
harbor six weeks before.
AS n matter of fact, the entire Amer
lean fleet was much further off shore
than usual when the Spaniards made
their appearance. 1t was not believed
that Admiral Ccrvera would attempt
to escape from his perilous position n,
this late day, but it was supposed tina,
he would keep his ships in the harbo,
to shell the advancing American army,
and that II Santiago fell he would blow
up or sink them before permitting
them to be captured by the fleet lying
outside.
The Spanish admiral's real plans
however, were plainly not anticipated,
He accepted the N chance open tC
him, that of running the gauntlet o.
the powerful men-of-war lying il
front of the harbor and saving hi
ships for future service by dashinl
out of the trap in which he found him
self and going to some other field O.
operations.
There seemed to be but one chanc,
in a hundred that he would be able Z
make the move successfully, but h,
took that chance, and while great pile.
OF naval architecture, now ground Il
pieces on the rocks a few miles from
whore he started, tell the mournfu
story of his failure, there are none VIII,
applaud his conduct more than tn,
American officers and seamen, VIII
sent his ships to destruction.