The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-09
CERVERA'S WRECK.
CHASTITY Spectacle Presented
by the Lonely and Bat
tered Ships.

(By Gable. Copyright. 1898, by The Asso-
ciated Press.)
OFF SANTIAGO DE CUBA July {,
1S9S-By The Associated Press Despatch
Boat Dauntless, via Port Antonio, Jamai-
ca July s. by way of Kingston, Jamaica,
July g. 1850 P. M.-The vessels which
compose Admiral Cervera's squadron.
converted into wrecked charnel houses,
are littering the Cuban coast and the
scenes of desolation, ruin horror and
death in it's ghastly, revolving aspect pre-
sented by these at one time formidable
steel careasses battles description.
AT the entrance of the harbor of Sam
tiago de Cuba lies the Reina Mercedes,
sunk at midnight on July 3.
Westward, five miles from the harbor,
is a torpedo boat destroyer, stuck fast
in the rocks, close in shore and battered
by the surf Rocks jutting out of the
water just in front of where she lays
hide her hull from view Her davits and
the top of her coming tower alone mark
her resting place.
Visible from the sea, a few miles fur
ther, in an inlet embraced by two mighty
arms of black rocks that extend half a
mile into the sea, are the remains Of the
twin cruisers Infanta Maria Teresa and
Almirante Oquendo formerly the pride Of
the Spanish Navy
Further up lies the Vizcaya, a mass Of
ruins, and a2 miles away from Santiago
de Cuba the Cristobal Colon lies helpless
on her side with her smokestacks unaer
water.
The Infanta Maria Teresa and the AL
mirante Oquendo stand upright stuck fast
on the rocky shoals All that is left of
them is their outer hulls, the heavy arr
NOR defying total annihilation. Inside of
them the work of destruction is COM
plete. Their boilers, engines, bunkers and
magazines have been blown into unre-
cognizable masses of twisted, melted
iron. Exploded shells, burned rifles ard
revolvers. pieces of yellow brass work and
gold and silver coin, melted by the i'm
tense heat are strewn all over the re-
mains of the once proud armored cruisers
whose protected decks only stand ii
places.
But, the most CHASTITY, horrible sights
in those silent steel coffins, are the
nangled, SCARED and charred bodies of
hundreds of brave sailors, sacrificed for
their country. Over these scenes of desc
lation and ruin is the utmost fear of
death and decomposition. Bnzzards are
feeding off the dead, and others are how
erlng over the wrecks
On the beach other hoolSs of vulture sit
in ominous silence, waiting for the sea TO
give up its dead. Every tide adds to the
tale of horror, washing UP some objects
as for instance. a sleeve enclosing a
wasted arm, other portions of human be-
ings gnawed by hungry sharks, and
countless relics of the battle.
Attention has been given to the burial
of the dead of the enemy, and over loo
bodies taken from the ships or washed
ashore have been inferred upon the beach
by Rear Admiral SIMPSONS orders
Those which now remain are either all
most totally consumed by fire, eharred
beyond belief or lie in the depths of the
sea. These form the food Of the buzzards
who keep constant vigil about the wrecks.
The buried remains lie in confused
mass. unnumbered and unnamed, In a
huge Dit dug in the sandy beach, where
the vessels went ashore. A rude wooden
cross from the wreckage alone marks the
grave grave over which Spain may
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