Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-05
A CRUSHING BLOW
Continued from page H.


ed fire at once and the Spanish were
soon In hurricane Of shot and shell,
but the Colon kept on bravely till
about 10 miles from the westward Of
MORO Castle, when Admiral Cervera
turned his vessel to the shore and
'beaehed her. She was blazing in /,
score of places but her guns kept at
work and the white flag never showed
until she was completely disabled.
The Oquendo and Vizcaya We're OPP
posed by the Iowa, Texas and Indiana,
and went down to defeat with fearful
swiftness, covering only about half the
distance made by the Colon, before
their captains ran them ashore. Their
crews fought with desperate bravery
but their courage was no match for the
courage of our men added to their SUI
perb gunnery. The Spanish shells
went wild for the most part, but the
American gun fire was marked by mer-
CHESS precision. The two cruisers both
on fire We're beached not more than
one-quarter of a mile apart.
The most dramatic feature of the
battle was the contest between
the torpedo boat destroyers and
r the Gloucester. The latter was
struck several times and is the
only American vessel reported dam
aged. AS the destroyers came out the
Gloucester fired upon them with her
6-pounders. but they ran past her and
engaged the battleships. Finding the
fire too hot, they turned upon the
Gloucester and fierce battle ensued
until finally both destroyers were afire
and had to be beached. The crews
threw themselves into the surf to save
their lives. Just before this the New
York came up and assisted in giving
the finishing blow to the destroyers.
There was explosion after explosion
from the beached vessels. 1t was at
first reported that Admiral Cervera
was dead but this was afterwards de-
MED. AT the time the Americans least
expected him to do so, fighting every
inch of his way, even when his shir
was ablaze and sinking, he tried to es-
the muzzle of every American gun
trained upon mis- vessel.
The Americans saw him the moment
he left the harbor and commenced
their work of destruction Immediately
For an hour or two they followed tbs
flying Spaniards TO the westward along
the shore line, sending shot after sho
into their black hulls, tearing great
holes in their steel sides and covering
their decks with the blood of the killed
and wounded.
AT no time did the Spaniards shoN
any indication that they intended to d,
otherwise than fight to the last. They
showed no signals to surrender ever
when their ships comenced to sink ant
and the great clouds of smoke pourin:
from their sides showed they We're OF
fire. But they turned their heads to-
wards the shore. less than a mile away
and ran them on the beach and rocks
where their destruction was soon com
pleted.
The officers and men on board then
escaped to the shore as well as they
could with the assistance of boats sen
from the American men-ofWar ant
Athen threw themselves upon the mere.
bf their captors. who not only extende,
to them the gracious hand of American
chivalry, but sent them il guard to pro
tect them from the murdcrous bands .
Cuban soldiers hiding in the bush oil
the hillside, eager to rush down AM
attack the unarmed, defeated Dut val
4 orous foe.
One and another of the Spanish ship
became the victims Of the awful rail-
of shells which the American battle
ships. cruisers and gunboats poure,
upon them, and two hours after tn
flrst of the fleet had started out of San
Etiago harbor three cruisers and tW
fOrpedo boat destroyerS We're lying o.
fhe shore 10 to Is miles west of Morr
castle, pounding to pieces, smoke an
fiame pouring from every part of Their
and covering the entire coast line, wit
ka mist which could be seen for miles.
Heavy explosions of ammunition oc
Cured every few minutes, sendin
curls of dense white smoke Il 100 fee
in the air and causing a shower o
\ broken iron and steel to fall in tn
water on every side
The bluffs on the coast line re
echoed with the roar of every eX
plosion and the Spanish vessels san
deeper and deeper into the sand o
else the rocks pounded their hulls t
pieces as they rolled and pitched for
ward or sideways, with every way
4 that washed upon them from the ope
sea.
Admiral Cervera escaped to tn
shore in boat sent by the Glouceste