The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-19


the leading ship. But this is the chance
of war and not so grave as many taken
during the civil strife, nor as serious as
would have been the situation had there
been good batteries, properly manned, in
the harbor.
Commodore Schley's party first
steamed around the wreck of the Rena
Mercedes, which lies with her bow
pointed toward the city She had list
to starboard and rested on IA reef near
the foot of Moro cliff. The cruiser was
sunk to the upper deck, on which one
siX-inch gun remained. One torpedo
tube was loaded and the auxiliary bat
terry seemed in place. Evidently the
! crew of the Reina Mercedes left her in
! a hurry This is less to be wondered at
when it is noted that there were great
gaps in her sides, showing where two
twelve-nch and two thirteen-inch shells
had struck her.
| The sea washed gently through the af-
ter cabin of the cruiser, which was dec
grated in Old-fashioned style, and the
wind f1uttered red silk curtain, which
could be plainly seen over an innner
door, as the launch steamed by.
About 600 yards ahead of the Rena
Mercedes and almost in line with her
was the wreck of the Merrimac, lying
in fully six fathoms of water on the
very edge of the channel.
Had not the current swung the doomed
ship alongside instead of athwart the
channel, the latter would have been well
blocked. When Assistant Naval Con
structor HobsOn took the collier into the
! harbora ahe was hunting for four
fathom spot and only missed it by a few
yards.
At the firing stations on the west side.
which Commodore Schley inspected in
person, the American party met Il Span
ish artillery captain, who was courteous
but gloomy. Commodore Schley was his
own interpreter and advised the officer,
with the few men under his command, to
go up to the city and surrender as quick
| ly possible.
When the Spanish captain was asked
to point out the route to the six-nch
battery on the west hill, he said there
was none, and explained that the way to
| get there was over steep. rocky and diff
| ficult ground. 1t was learned later that
this was not true. aed it was surmised
| that the Spaniard was anxious to pre-
vent the Americans from seeing the
damage done by the bombardment.
Commodore Schley then said he was
determined to have glimpse ut Santi-
ago city and the launch was headed
along the west side of the channel, going
slowly and sticking to the shallow water.
lest some contact mine put an end as the
| Commodore remarked, Ito our quiet
pleasure party.
! Skirting the broad, lake-like spot in the
harbor where the Spanish fleet. de-
stroyed two weeks ago today, used to lie
during the bombardments, and noting
the brilliantly painted buoys which
marked the shadows. Punta Gorda was
rounded. and distant about two miles.
the city of Santiago shone out the ca
thedral being especially well defined and
the masts and tunnels of not Il few YES.
sells showing at its wharves.
| At that distance Santiago did not
| show any trace of the destruction
wrought by the 101 out of the 106 eight
inch shells fired on the city last Monday.
Returning to the Brooklyn, Commodore
Schley, accompanied by his staff. entered
the harbor this evening, soon after the
mines were exploded.
/ Captain Cook, of the Brooklyn, is au-
thorty for the statement that the former
Spanish flagship the Inafnta Maria
Teresa had foated off the reef on
which she stranded and that her heavy
armament is practically uninjured. The
Captain also says this cruiser will al
most surely be saved and form an addi-
ton to the United States navy, tro-
ply of the glorious July Third.
The Cristoba Colon may also be saved
although a good deal depends on the
weather, which is very uncertain at this
time of the year. A heavy storm might
drive the cruiser so high on the coral
reef that it would be impossible to float
her.
Many of the naval men are outspoken
in their criticism of the treatment of the
Colon Immediately after her surrender.
They believe the ship could have been
saved when she slipped back from the
reef into deep water had divers. carpen-
ters and machinists with competent
prize crew been sent on board of her.
Continued on Second Page)