The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-09
ElGHIING BOB,S Story.
An Interesting Account of the Big Naval
Battle.

bdtttts
Copyright 1895 by Associated Press.
on Santiago de Cuba, July s, per
associated press dispatch boat Daunt-
less. via o Antonio, July 8, and
Kingston. July s, $40 p. m.-The battle
ship Iowa was the first ship to see the
Spanish fleet coming out or the harbor.
A m later her crew was at gen.
eral quarters and at 9:33 a. m. a gun
was fired to attract the attention of
the fleet. Captain Evans account Of
the battle. as told in the cabin Of the
Iowa to a correspondent of the asso-
ciated press, is intensely interesting. lie
said:
A the time general quarters were
sounded. the engine bell rang full speed
ahead. and l put the helm to starboard
and the Iowa crossed the bows of the
Infanta Maria Teresa. the first Span
ish ship out. As the Spanish admiral
swung to the westward the twelve
inch shell from the forward turret of
the Iowa seemed to strike her fairly in
the bow, and the fight was a spectacle.
As the squadron came on: in column,
the ships beautifully spaced as to dis
lance and gradually increasing their
speed to thirteen knots. is was superb.
THE Iowa from this kept UP
a steady fire from her heavy guns. head
ing all the time to keep the lnfanta Ma
ria Teresa on her starboard bow and
hoping to ram one of the leading ships.
In the meantime the Oregon, Indiana,
Brooklyn and Texas were doing excel
lent work with their heavy guns.
I'm a very short space of time the
enemy's ships were all clear of the har-
Dor mouth. and il became evidently i'm
possible for the Iowa to ram either the
first or the second ship on account of
the speed.
The range at this time was 1000
yards from the leading ship. The
Iowa's helm was Immediately put hard
to ~starboard and the entire starboard
broadside was poured into the Infanta
Maria Teresa. The helm was then
quickly shifted to port and the ship
went across the stern of the Teresa in
an effort to head off the Oquendo. All
the time the engines were driving at
full speed ahead. A perfect torrent of
shells from the enemy passed over the
smokestack and superstructure Of the
ship. but none struck her.
The Cristobal Colon. being much
faster han the rest of the Spanish
ships. passed rapidly to the front in an
effort to escape. In passing the Colon
placed two-inch shells fairly in our star
board bow. One passed through the cof-
ferdam and d~ispensary, wrecking the
latter, and bursting on the berth deck,
doing considerable damage. The other
passed through the sid at the water line
within the cofferdam, where it still re-
mains.
A it was now obviously impossible
to ram any Of the Spanish ships on ac-
count of their superior speed, the Iowa's
helm was put to the starboard and she
ran on a course parallel with the enc
my. Being then abreast of the Almi-
rante Oquendo, at a distance of LOO
yards, the Iowa's entire battery, in
Guiding the rapld-fire guns, was opened
on the Oquendo. The punishment was
terrific. Two 12-inch shells from the
Iowa pierced the Almirante Oquendo
at the same moment, n forward and
the other aft. The Oquendo seemed to
stop her engines for a ome and
lost Roadway. but she Immediately re-
sumed her speed and gradually drew
ahead of the Iowa and caught the ter
rifle fire of the Oregon and the Texas.
AT this moment the alarm of torpedo
boats was sounded, and two torpedo
boat destroyers We're discovered in the
starboard quarter at a distance of 1000
yards. Fire was at once opened on
them with the after battery. and a H.
inch shell cut the stern of one destroyer
suuarely off. As the shell struck "A
small torpedo boat fired back at the
battleship, sending a shell within a Few
feet Of my head.
We'll up among the advancing cruis-
erS, splitting shots at one n the othef,
was the little Gloucester, shooting first
at a cruiser and then at a torpedo boat
and hitting a head wherever she saw it.
The marvel was that she was not de-
stroyed by the rain of shells.
In the meantime. the NiZcaya was
slowly drawing abeam of the Iowa, and
for the space of 10 minutes IL was give
and take between the W ships. The
Nizcaya fired rapidly, but widely, not
one shot taking effect on the Iowa,
while the shells from the Iowa were
tearing great holes in the side of the
yizcaya. As the latter passed ahead of
the Iowa, she caught the murderous
fire of the oregon. At this time the
rante Oquendo. leading the enemy's
column, were seen to be heading for
the beach and i'm flames.
THE Texas, Oregon and Iowa pound
ed them numerically. They ceased TO
reply to the fire, and IN a few moments
the Spanish cruisers were a mass of
flames and on the rocks with their flags
down, the Teresa flying a white flag.
The enemy's crew stripped themselves
and began jumping overheard. and one
of the smaller magazines began to eX-
plode.
Meantime. the Brooklyn and the
Cristobal Colon were exchanging COM
pliments i'm lively fashion at apparent
ly long range, and the oregon. with
her locomotive speed. was hanging we'll
onto the Colon, also paying attention
to the Nizcaya.