Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-07-12
DETAILED ACCOUNT OF HIS VIC
TORY OVER CERvERA.
SAMPSON HAD NO PART IN 1T
NOT IN SIGHT WHEN THE COLON
STRUCK HER CoLOKs.
He Arrived i'm Time. However. to Rob
the Real Victor of the Honor of
Receiving the Surrender
of the Spanish
-. OmceFs.
Copyright. 1895. by the Associated Press,

tCopyrlght, ls9s, by the Associated fress.J
JURAGUA, CUBA, July 4.-The following
description of the battle between the Amer
lean and Spanish warsbips in these waters
was written by the only non-combatant
who witnessed the entire fight. That nom
combatant was the correspondent of the
Associated Press, who saw the engagement
from a position almost at the elbow of
Commodore Schley on the United States
armored cruiser Brooklyn:
Sunday, July 3, the fifth Sunday for the
American squadrons before Santiago and
the ninth weekly anniversary of the day
Of the Dewey victory at Cavite and the
fifth of the discovery by Commodore Schley
of the whereabouts of Admiral Cervera's
squadron, brought no particularly different
situation from that marking the preceding
Sundays. The monotony. the lack of pic
turesqueness at daybreak, the heat of the
tropical sun-alI were there.
Over the tops Of the supposedly destroyed
earthworks appeared the muzzles OF the
same old guns, quite ready, despite the
Saturday bombardment. to speak their
piece IL called upon. On the slightly roll
ing sea the great gray battiesfrips Of the
American feet swung lazily at a distance
Of from four to five miles from the harbor
entrance. The lire, which at all times was
supposed to be a half circle, inclosfng the
more than ordinarily broken UP this hot
morning. The big battleships had drifted
10 the east considerably, and the Massa-
chusetts, the New York, the New Orleans
and the Newark were not in sight. the
New York having taken Admiral Sampson
down to Altares, eight miles east of the
Brooklyn to make visit to the camp of
the American army; while the other miss
ing vessels were at Guantanamo, forty
miles to the east.
The vessels on the blockade were the
Iowa, Indiana and Oregon, battIeships; the
flagship of Commodore Schley. the Brook
lyn. and the small yachts Gloucester and
Vixen. The Iowa was swinging a mile
further out than the rest of the squadron.
trying to fix her forward -twefve-inch tur-
ret. which was out Of repair. while the In
diana was doing the same thing to her
forward thirteen-inch turret. The absolute
ly available ships in the squadron, there
fore, were only the Oregon. Texas and
Evans and Captain Taylor fought their
ships.
IT is a custom Of ships, regulated by the
rules, that there shall be a general muster
at least once each three months and that
the articles Of war shall be read. First
call had been sounded at 9.15 a. m. and the
men were assembling on the decks. The
lookout in the masthead Of the Brooklyn
had some time before reported smoke in
the harbor but, as the same thing had
been noticed several times, no special at
tention was paid to 1t.
The Brooklyn and the Vixen were the
e1iy ships TO the west of the entrance the
other ships having drifted well to the east,
On the bridge. Navigator Hodgeson, of the
Brooklyn, said sharply to the lookout: rs
: not. that smoke moving?" and the look
cut: after a moments inspection with the
fcng glass. dropped it excitediy and fairly
: yelled, "There's big ship coming out of
the harbor, SIR" Hodgeson. who is a par
ticuIarly cool man, looked once himself.
=. and then. gsasping the megaphone. shout
ed: After bridge. there. Tell the commo-
: tore the enemy. is coming out.
Commodore Schley was sitting under the
awning quarterback. Going to the bridge.
he said. Raise the signal to the fleet"
and turning TO Captain Cook, who stood
near. he said: "Clear the ship for action. =
Then he went forward and took HIS place
on little platform OF wood running on
the outside of the coming tower. which had
been built for him. He was dressed in blue
.-4rousers a black alpaca jacket and the reg
uIation cap, without the broad band of gold
braid.
The men, with yell, went to their guns
and the rapid preliminary orders were
given. Schley, glasses in hand, watched
the first ship turn out and saw her start
3. for fhe west. Still he gave no signal to fire
or move. The Oregon opened with hel
thirteen inch shells and the Indiana anf
Texas followed suit. But the range was ;
long. one Still the Brooklyn waited. Bn
down below the coal was being forced into
The furnace. every boiler was being worked
and every gun made ready to fire. Schiey
wanted to know which way they were al
going. or whether they would scatter. II
The meantime. the Oregon began to turn
10 the west and the Texas moved in closer
and was damaging the leading ship. thu
iufanta Maria Teresa.
They are all coming west. sir" shouted
Lieutenant Sears. and just then the west
ern batteries opened up. Full speed
ahead, Open fire. shouted the commo
dore Fire deliberately and don't waste
"A shot" he added. and the orderly carried
BrookIyn's terrific eight and five-inch bat
teries on her port side opened. and th'
cruiser headed for a point in front of thu
first escaping ship. firing at and receiving
The fire from two of them.
Then Comodore Schley saw that the frs
ship was coming out from the shore. head
cd directly for the Brooklyn. with tn
evident Intention of ramning her. A cleve
rnaneuver was here accomplished. ''Har'
aport with your helm,'' shouted Scnley
and the cruiser began to go around. tn
smoke coming from her tunnels in hug
volumes. Quickly she turned and quickl
her big steel ram was pointing at th
first ship. The infanta Maria Teresa ha
10 work inshore TO avoid being rammed.
The shells of the Texas and Oregon. wit
the terrible storms of shell from the Brook
lyn. had done their work and the srnok
began to appear pouring from her decks.
In the meantime the converted yach
Gloucester could be seen, with the help @
the Iowa. destroying the two torpedo boa
destroyers that had followed the last shi
out.
At 10 o'clock the entire Cape Verde squad
ron was outside the hGrbor and going rar
idly westward. The Iowa and the Indian
could not keep UP the pace, but the orego
WAS coming across to the assistance of tn
Brooklyn, which at 1896 was engaging til
first three ships, the Infanta Maria Teres;
cristobal Colon and the yizcaya.
Al lo:l1 the Spanish ships I'D all COZ
centrated their shots on the Brooklyn, ar
she was In perfect rain of shells most
which went over her.
Standing in this hail of Shells Comm
dore Schley asked a young man name
Ellis. who stood near him. with a stad
meter. what is the distance to Il