The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-27
TIE SALT LAKE HERALD: WEDNESDAY. JULY 81, 1898

course was approximately that of the
Spanish ship. IN this position With a
range of LOO yards the IRE of the en-
tire battery. including the rap.d-fire guns,
was poured into the 'enemy's snip
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
6. About 10 O'Clock the enemy's tor
pedo boat destroyer F'uror and Piuton
were observed 10 have left the harbor and
10 be following the Spanish squadron At
the time that they were observed and,
in fact, most of the time they were under
fire. they were at a distance varying from
4.5C0 and 1850 yards. As soon as they
We're discovered the secondary battery OF
this ship was turned on them. while the
main battery continued TO engage the
Nizcaya. Oquendo and Maria Teresa. me
fire from the main battery of this ship
. when the range was below 900 yards, was
most effective and destructive and AFTER
a continuance of this fire for perhaps 70
minutes, il was noticed that the Har1a
Teresa and Oquendo were in flames and
were being headed for the beach Their
coiors We're struck about 1920 and they
We're beached about eight miles west OF
Santiago.
Z. About the same time about 1925 p.
M the fire of this vessel. together with
that of the Gloucester and that of another
small vessel. became so destructive that
one of the torpedo destroyers Pluton)
was sunk and the Furor was so much
damaged that she was run on the rocks.
s. After having passed, at 1885 the
Ocueneo and Maria Teresa on fire and
ashore, this vessel continued TO chase and
fire upon the Vizcaya until 1896 when a
signal to cease firing was sounded on
board. it having been discovered that the
ViZcaya had struck her colors-
8. AT II the Iowa arrived in the vicinity
of the Vizcaya, which had been run
ashore, and as it was evident that she
could not catch The Cristobal Colon and
that the Oregon, Brooklyn and New York
would. two steam cutters and three cut
tiers were Immediately sent to the Vizcaya
TO rescue her crew. Our boats succeeded
in bringing off large number of officers
and men of that ships company and in
placing many of them on board the tor
pedO boat Ericsson and the auxiliary dis
10. About 80 the New York passed in
chase of the Cristobal Colon, which was
endeavoring to escape from the oregon,
Brooklyn and Texas.
IL we received on board this vessel
from the Vizcaya Captain Eulate, the
commanding officer, and % officers, to-
men. of whom 50 were wounded There
were also received on board five dead
bodies which were Immediately buried
WI the honors due to their grade.
IOWA DAMAGED.
Il. The battery behaved well in all re-
spects- This ship was struck in the hull,
on the starboard side. during the early
part of the engagement. by two large
projectiles of about 6-inch cSiibre. one
striking the hull two or three feet above
the water line. AM almost directly on the
line of the berth deck, piercing the ships
side between frames and 10, and the
other piercing the side and the cofferdam
between frames Is and 10
The first projectile did not pass beyond
the inner bulkhead of A 4-43. The hole
made was large and ragged, being about
l6 inches in longitudinal direction and
about eight inches in vertical direction.
1t struck with a slight inclination aft and
perforated the cofIerdam partition bulk
head a 41-4S-45-s7. 1t did not explode and
r-e.r, f-a6 ~, FL low.
The second projectile pierced the side of
the ship and the cofferdam A los, the up
per edge of the hole being immedi ely
below the top of the cofferdam on the
berth deck in compartment A 10i. The
projectile broke off the hatch plate and
coaming of the water tank compartment.
chain locker. The explosion created a
small fire. which was promptly eXtin-
guished. The hole in the side made by
this projectile was about five feet above
the water line and about two to three
feet above the berth deck. One fragment
of this shell struck a link of the shot
chain wound around the six-pounded am
munitfon hoist, cutting the link in two.
Another perforated the cofferdam on the
port side and slightly dished the outside
plating.
of serious importance. Two or three o-her
projectileS of small calibre struck about
the upper bridge and smokestacks. in
ficting trifiing damage. ana four other
small projectileS struck the hammock net
tings and the shade aft.
There are no casualties among the ships
company to report. No officer or man was
injured during the enga cement.
Naval Cadets Frank Taylor. Evans and
John r. Lewis and five men belonging to
the Massachusetts were on board the
Iowa when the enemys ships came out
They were stationed at different points
and rendered efficient service.
The officers and men of this ship be-
haved admirably. No set of men could
have done more gallant service.
/ take pleasure in stating to you. sir
that the GOODNESS and judgment OF the
executive officer, Lieutenant Commander
Raymond p. Rodgers. deserves and will
hope. receive a proper reward at the
hands of the government. The test of the
executive officers work is the conduct of
ship and crew in battle. In this case it
was simply superb.
l cannot express my admiration for my
magnificent crew. So long as the enemy
showed his flag they fought like American
seamen; but when the flag came down.
they We're as gentle and tender as Ameri-
can women.
In conclusion. sir, allow me to congratu-
late you on the complete victory achieved
by your fleet. Very respectfully.
r. D. EVANS.
Captain Z. S. N, Commanding
To the commandments L. S Naval
Force, North Atlantic Station