New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-06
SINKING OF CERvERA'S FLEET
HOW SHIPS WERE DESTROYED
oloRh OF AMERICAS GREAT NAVAL
VICTORY ON THE SOUTHERN
COAST OF CUBA

maica. July 5.-The hgif-sunken hulks Of the
entire Spanish feet under the command OF
Admiral Cervera dotting the coast Of Cuba
for sixty miles west Of the entrance TO the har-
Dor Of Santiago tonight From the Crstobai
Colon. which was the last of the feet to bs
run ashore by her despairing commander, TO
the torpedo-boat destroyer Furor. which lies
upon the beach A burned and broken wreck.
not one OF Spain's fleet Of splendid fighting ships
escaped the American squadron
Commodore schley has reduced SPANS naval
power in the West Indies to half-dozen shat
tered wrecks which even at this moment lie
smoking on the shore OF the Caribbean Sea.
Admiral Cervera himself with all the conn
manders Of his vessels. are prisoners Of war, to-
gether with no less than thirteen hundred OF his
men. The officer to whom the Spanish Admiral
surrendered himself is none other than Lieuten-
ant-Commander Wainwright. who was the ex-
ecutive officer of the battle-shp Maine tho
night when in a twinkling. she was hurled sky
ward. shattered coffin for 266 OF her heroic
men.
THE MAINE is AVENGED"
Small wonder that Lieutenant Commander
Wainwright. he stood the bridge OF the
Gloucester this afternoon and watched the burns
waters. should have said
The Maine is avenged"
The Sabbath morning dawned fair and CLIQUE.
less and peaceful. There was not hint Of tho
coming battle. The American fleet lay swing
ing idly in the tide at distances varying at from
five to ten miles off the mouth Of the harbor.
Soon after o'clock a heavy volume OF smoke
appeared off the walls Of Morro Castle. Scarcely
had the lookouts reported when II was followed
by another. Then the entire Spanish fleet swept,
swiftly out toward the In instant all
was action on the American vessels. Every
crew was summoned to quarters; the stokers.
stripped to their waists. bent to work.
Commodore Schley was in command Rear
Admiral Sampson having gone cruising TO i'm
spect the coast defences near Aguadores. The
Commodore at once signalled to the captains
to close in on the fleeing Spaniards, and the
Brooklyn was the first to get in motion.
OREGON JOINS THE CHASE
The Infanta Maria Teresa. which led the flight.
for such it was at once headed west. The
oregon was the first TO join the Brooklyn in the
| chase.
! The Iowa, the Indiana the Texas the Vixen
! and the Gloucester followed Immediately. and
| the Massachusetts as soon as she could get up
The Crstobal Colon. the fastest OF the feet, was
/ ,ion nd n
her the Brooklyn turned her attention. closely
followed by the Oregon.
The Infanta Maria Teresa fired the first shot
from her 11-inch gun 1t fell with tremendous
splash near the Indiana, and huge column ~
water spouted skyward in an instant every ship
in the two fleets had opened fire The thunder
was terrific One OF the first shells fired by the
Indiana fell upon the deck Of the Infanta Maria
Teresa, but she never slackened speed, and the
Almirante Oquendo and the vizcaya also fired.
as they
The Crstobal Colon already far In the
lead. with the Brooklyn and the oregon follow
ing her. pouring shower Of missiles into her
as they slowly but surely drove her toward the
reefs.
THE GLOUCESTER'S GALLANT FIGHT.
The Gloucester meanwhile had engaged tho
torpedo-boat destroyers Furor and F1uton best
Of their class The little converted yacht fired
14OO shots in the short time she was in action.
and the Spanish craft soon turned and sped.
terribly shattered. for the shore. where they
were beached Both boats broke In pieces
after she ran aground. Only half their crews
reached the shore through the surf
The fighting now entirely out Of range
OF the guns Of Morro but shots from the fortress
were still aimessly and frantcally fred.
OF the big ships, the flagship Infanta Maria
Teresa was the first to give up the hght. Two
13-inch shells from the Indiana tore huge holes
in her sides and a rain OF smaller pro1ectiles
swept her decks
The Admiral turned her toward the shore and
ran her head on upon the beach. She was al
most Immediately followed by the Almirants
Oquendo and the vzcaya. There is not the
slightest doubt that every OF them would
have gone to the bottom had this course not
been followed.
SHIPS FOUGHT AS THEY FLED
They fought they fed. but without skill or
certainty. Even after they grounded their gun
ners fired one two shots before they threw
themselves int the surf and swan for shore.
When the complete destruction Of the rest OF
the Spanish fleet had been wrought the Brook
lyn and the Oregon were still chasing the Cris-
tobal Colon far down on the western horizon.
Slowly they forced her inshore. until at last she.
too, grounded and hauled down her colors
Captain Cook OF the Brooklyn, went aboard
OF her and received her captains surrender.