The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1898-07-09

it. The Cristobal Colon was the hstest
Of the Spanish ships. and she soon oh.
tanned a lead over the others after laay-
ing the harhor. and escaped the effect
Of the shots which destroyed the other
vessels. She steamed away at great
speed. with the Oregon, Newark, Brook
lyn and several other ships in pursuit,
all OF them firing at her constantly and
receiving fire themselves from her after
guns.
| Fighting nah Evans.
There seemed no possibility whatever
Of her escape, and her tate can be readily
imagined from the words Of Captain
RObley d, Evans of the Iowa, who re-
turned from the westward with $50 pris-
Oners from the Vizcaya just as the As
ISOLATED Press dispatch boat Wanda was
leaving the flagship. In answer TO an in.
quiry he shouted through the mega
phone:
Il left the Cristobal Colon far to the
westward an hour ago, and the Oregon
was giving her hell. She has undoubtedly
gone down with the Others, and we win
have Fourth Of July eelebntion in San
tiagO tomorrow"
The New York was out of the fight al
together at every stage, but she imme-
diately put about and followed the other
vessels in the race to the westward, and
overlook them in time TO join in the
chase for the Cristobal Colon, after the
other Spanish vessels had been destroyed
by the Brooklyn, the Oregon, Iowa, Mas
saehusetts. Indiana, Texas, Gloucester
and other ships Of the feet.
seAley Was Fortunate.
Commodore Schley's flagship, the Brook
lyn. had her usual position at the ex-
treme western end Of the line, 10 miles from
the New York and Texas. II is a peeu-
liar fact that he should have been in
proper position to direct the movements
Of his flying squadron against the Spanish
fleet, which he had bottled up in Santiago
harbor six weeks before.
As matter Of fact the entire American
fleet was much farther OH shore than
usual when the Saniards made their APP
Pearanee this morning. With the exeep-
ton Of the bombardment yesterday
morning, which resulted in knocking
down the flag ON Moro castle and the
supposed sileneing Of the batteries, which
opened fire again this morning as usual,
the navy had done little recently to at
Tract interest here, and the officers and
crews themselves were watching the de-
velOpment of the operations being con
Quoted by the army which had succeed
ed in reaching the very gates Of Santiago
after an enormous loss in killed and
wounded in the fighting OF the past two
days. 1t was not believed that Cervera
would attempt to escape from his peril
Gus position at this Late day, but it was
supposed that he would keep his ships in
the harbor to she'll the advancing Ameri-
can army, and if Santiago fell he would
blow up or sink them rather than permit
them to be captured by the American
squadron lying outside.
The Spanish admiral's real plans, how
ever, were plainly not anticipated He &c
eepted the one chance open to him-that
OF running the gauntlet Of the powerful
men-of-War lying in front Of the harbor,
and saving his ships for future service
by dashing out Of the trap in which he
found himself, and going to some other
field of operations.
There seemed to be but one chance in
a hundred that he would be able to make
the move successfully, but he took that
chance, and while great piles Of naval
architecture, now ground to pieces on the
rocks, few miles from where he started
tell the mournful story OF his failure,
there are none who applaud his conduct
more than the American officers and sea
men who sent his ships to destruction
Taken by SarDrIse.
1t was about 0 o'clock this morning
when the flagship Infanta Maria Teresa
passed under the wall Of Moro castle and
steamed out to sea. She was followed by
the Cristobal Colon, Vizcaya and Oquendo,
and last by the torpedo boat destroyers
Furor and Pluton- The lookouts on the
American vessels, which were lying five
or ten miles of the entrance to the har.
Dor, sighted them Immediately. Most Il
the American cruisers were at the usual
Sunday morning quarters, without
thought OF anything as surprising as the
Spanish fleet getting past the sunken col.
lier Merrimae. which they had been deIud-
ed into believing effectually blockaded the
exit
There was great excitement at once,
and very rapid action along the Ameri-
can line. The signal for full speed
ahead was running from bridge to engine
room OF every ship, and the entire fleet
commenced to move in shore toward the
Spanish squadron and the great IL and
l3-ineh guns Of the battleships, and the
smaller batteries on the other vessels, fred
shot after shot at long range
As the ships ran in towards the shore
it soon became evident that the Span
iaTds had not come out to make an az
gressive fight, for they turned to the
westward as soon as they had cleared the
harbor and started on their race for safe
ty, at the same time sending shots at the
American ships as fast as the men could
load and fire the guns.
GIOueesteP's GIOPIous work.
The Gloucester, fast little yacht that
can not boast Of any heavier battery than
several six-pounders and three Founders,
was lying of Aguadores, three miles east
OF MORO, when the Spaniards came out.
She joined in the attack on q leading YES
sci and then held of, Captain Wainwright
to reserve his efforts for the
two torpedo boat destroyers in the rear.
The Gloucester steamed after them when
they appeared and chased tnem to a point
i've miles west Of MORO castle, pouring
shot after shot into them all the time. |
Her efforts bore abundant fruit, Tor to her
belongs the credit for the destruction OIL