Connecticut western news., 1898-07-28
SIMPSONS STATEMENT
Official Report of Destruction
 of Cervera's Fleet.
PRAISE FOR ALL WHO TOOK PART

The Overwhelming Victory Over the
 Spaniards Was . Successful Finish of
 Weeks of Arduous Duty-How the Work
 of Destruction Was Accomplished.
 Washington. July 27.-The navy de- partment has made public Admiral Sampson's report of the destruction of Admiral Cervera's fleet of Santiago de Cuba. It is as follows:
 United States Flagship New York. First Rate, off Santiago de Cuba, July Is. 1s9S.-I have the honor to make the following report upon the battle with and the destruction of the Spanish squadron commanded by Admiral Ger vera off Santiago de Cuba on Sunday. July 3, 1898:
 The enemy's vessels came out of the harbor between 9:35 and 10 a. m., the head of the column appearing around Cayo Smith at s:31 and emerging from the channel five or six minutes later.
 The positions of the vessels of my command off Santiago at that moment were as follows: The flagship New York was four miles east of her blockading station and about seven miles from the harbor entrance. She had started from Siboney, where I intended to land, ac- companied by several of my staff. and go to the front and consult with Gen. eral Shafter. A discussion of the situa- ton and a more definite understanding between us of the operations proposed had been rendered necessary by the un- expectedly strong resistance of the Spanish garrison of Santiago. I had sent my chief of staff on shore the day before to arrange an interview with General Shafter. who had been suffer ing from heat prostration. I made ar engagements to go to his headquarters. and my flagship was in the position mentioned above when the Spanish squadron appeared in the channel. The remaining vessels were in or near their usual blockading positions, distributed in a semicircie about the harbor en- trance. counting from the eastward to the westward. in the following order: The Indiana, about IF miles from shore; the Oregon, the Iowa, Texas and Brook lyn. the latter two miles from the shore west of Santiago. The distance of the vessels from the harbor entrance was from 212 to miles, the latter being the limit of day blockading distance. The length of the arc formed by the ships was about eight miles. The Massa-
 
 namo for coal. Her station was between the Iowa and Texas. The auxiliaries Gloucester and Vixen lay close to the land and nearer the harbor entrance than the larger vessels, the Gloucester to the eastward and the Vixen to the westward The torpedo boat Ericsson was in company with the flagship and remained with her during her chase un- til ordered to discontinue, when she rendered very efficient service In rescu- ing prisoners from the burning Vizcaya-
 Spanish Vessels Moved Rapidly.
 The Spanish vessels came rapidly out of the harbor at a speed estimated at from to Io knots and in the following order: 1nfanta Maria Teresa Alag shipp, vizcaya, Cristobal Colon and the Almirante Gquendo. The distance be- tween these ships was about 800 yards,
 which means that from the time the first one became visible in the upper reach of the channel until the last one
 was out of the harbor an interval of only about F minutes elapsed. Follow ing the Oquendo. at distance of about l,200 yards. came the torpedo boat de- stroyer Pluton and after her the Furor. The armored cruisers. as rapidly as
 they could bring their guns to bear. opened "a vigorous fire upon the block ading vessels and emerged from the
 channel shrouded in the smoke from their guns.
 The men of our ships in front of the port were at Sunday quarters for in-
 spection." The signal was made si- multaneously from several vessels,
 "Enemy's ships escaping" and general quarters was sounded. The men cheer
 ed as they sprang to their guns, and
 fire was opened probably within eight minutes by the vessels whose guns
 commanded the entrance. The New York turned about and steamed for the escaping fleet, flying the signal, Close
 in toward harbor entrance and attack
 vessels" and gradually increasing speed, until toward the end of the chase
 she was making l6h knots and was rapidly closing in on the Cristobal Colon. She was not at any time within range of the heavy Spanish ships. and her on- ly part in the firing was to receive the undivided fire from the forts in pass ing the harbor entrance and to fire a few shots at one of the destroyers, thought at the moment to be attempt ing to escape from the Gloucester.
 Good Work of Brooklyn and Oregon. The spanish vessels upon clearing the harbor turned to the westward in col umn. increasing their speed to the full power of their engines. The heavy blockading vessels. which had closed in toward the Morro at the instant of the enemy's appearance and at their best speed, delivered a rapid fire. we'll sus- tained and destructive. which speedily overwhelmed and silenced the Spanish fire The initial speed of the Spaniards carried them rapidly past the blockad- ing vessels, and the battle developed into a chase in which the Brooklyn and Texas had at the start the advantage of position. The Brooklyn maintained this lead. The Oregon, steaming at amazing speed from the commence ment of the action. took first place. The Iowa and the Indiana, having done good work and not having the speed of the other ships. were directed by me in succession at about the time the Viz- caya was beached to drop out of the chase and resume blockading stations. These vessels rescued many prisoners. The skillful handling and gallant fighting of the Gloucester excited the admiration of every one who witnessed 1t and merits the commendation of the navy department. She is a fast and en-  yacht Corsair-and has a good battery of light rapid fire guns. She was lying about two miles from the harbor en- trance to the southward and eastward and immediately steamed in, opening fire upon the large ships. Anticipating the appearance of the Fulton and Furor. | the Gloucester was slowed. thereby | gaining more rapidly a high pressure of steam. and when the destroyers came | out she steamed for them at full speed l and was able to close at short range. l where her fire was accurate, deadly and | of great volume.
 Gloucester Under Heavy Fire
 | During this fight the Gloucester was | under the fire of the Socapa battery. | Within 20 minutes from the time they l emerged from Santiago harbor the ca | reers of the Furor and the Fulton were | ended and two-thirds of their people | killed. The Furor was beached and