The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12
rHIET SINKS SPANISH SHIPS
OBSTRUCTION OF CIR
1N vERA'S FLEET.

.,...est Battle Vet Fought With
inc s.rr War Ships--Ship After Ship
na'.bIed and Compelled to Run Ashore
serverer a Prisoner of War.
veek we announced the destruc-
~ Cervera's feet, being the first
"U.kIv in the State TO give the news.
could then give but few details,
gover. and therefore give the follow
~ description of the fight:
One dispatch says:
Tbo SPANISH feet, consisting of the
so,ed cruisers Cristobal Colon, AL
ante Oluendo, Infsnta Maria Teresa
u V,zeaya, and the two torpedo boat
s~oStroyers, the Furor and PIuton, has
S"on utterly destroyed by the Ameri.
O. vsrships. To day Admiral Ger
~a-o Is a prisoner of war on the auxil-
low puuboat Gloucester, which played
s,sb a gallant part in the destruction
~ the enemy's feet, while nearly 1. 500
ether officers and sailors, who escaped
tbs frightfuI carnage of the American
.beIls. are held as prisoners by the
limited States. The victory is com
plete.
tn Offset the humiliation Of the
onamv's entire feet, the Americans
Lova one man killed and two wounded.
Oar ships were practically untouched,
though the Spaniards fought with the
utmost bravery, firing their guns as
long as their ships foated.
Admiral CerverR made a gallant dash
for liberty. In the face Of oveFwhelm'
ing odds, with inevitable destruction
baFore him if he remained in the har
Dor of Santiago, where for six weeks he
had held the combined Equadrons Of
Sampson and Schley at bay, at 9 o'clock
this morning he sailed out from his
place of refuge in q bold effort to
escape. Fighting his way every inch,
n by one his ships went down before
the merciIess aud unerring fae Of the
American guns. The battle vas M Of
the grandest In the annals Of naval
warfare and the greatest eve fought
with the modern engines Of destruction
which the world now calls Warships.
Scattered along the rock bound coast
for a distance Of go miles lie the ships
Of Spain, useless and battered hulks.
The dash was made at a time when
the American feet least expected it.
As the enemy's ships rounded the mar
row neck Of the harbor they were
sighted by our warships, which were
immediately formed i'm line Of battle.
The work Of destruction began. From
the guns of the Iowa, Indiana. Massa
Ghusetts, Oregon, Texas and Brooklyn
aperfect hurricane Of solid shot and
shell was poured in upon the four fine
cruisers Of the Spaniards, while the
Gloucester attacked the destroyers.
The ENEMYs GRIM RESOLVE.
At no time did the Spaniards show
any indication that they intended to do
otherwise than fight to the last. They
showed no signals to surrender even
when their ships commenced to sink,
and the great clouds of smoke pouring
from their ships showed they were on
fire.
But they turned their vessels toward
the shore, less than a mile away, and
ran them on the beach and rocks,
where their destruction was soon com,
pleted. The officers and men on board
them escaped to the shore as well az
they could with the assistance Of boats
sent from the American men. of war,
and threw themselves upon the mercy
Oh their captors, who not only extended
70 thsm the gracious hand Of Amefi
can chivalry, but sent them a guard tc
protect them from the murderoul
bands OF Cuban soldiers hiding in the
Ouan on the hillside, eager TO rush oWr
\ and attack the unarmed, defeated, but
Valorous foe, One after another the
Spanish ships became the victims OF
the awful reign Of shells which the
American battleships, cruisers and
gunboats poured upon them, and two
hours after the first Of the hset had
started out Of Santiago harbor theil
cruisers and two torpedo boat DESTROY
es we're lying on shore ten to hfteer
miles west of Moro Castle, pounded tc
p'0ces' smoke and fame pouring from
every part Of them and covering the
on'lre coast line with a mist which
could be seen for miles.
me Cristobal Colon, the fastest o
suS SHIPS under Cervera, was the las
|SodoWn. She forged rapidly ahead
" ner consorts after crossing the har
VIZ mouth, and under full steam, annie
a[lgnttul hail Of iron, steamed west