Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-07-09
IOWA WAS IN THE THICK OF 1T
STRUCk BY TWO SHELLS FROM THE
CRIsTOBlL COLON.
One Passed Through Her Side ut the
Water Line-Cnptain Evans Tried
tn Ram the Leaders as They
Emerged From the
HarbOr.
Copyright. 1sys BIZ the Associated Press,

battleship Iowa was the first ship to see
the Spanish feet coming out of the har.
Dor. Somebody on the bridge shouted
| What's that black thing coming out O,
the harbor?-'
A moment later the Iowa was at general
| quarters. and the signal wGs hoisted tha,
the enemy's ships were coming out a
| gun was fired TO attract the attention OF
| the fleet, at a:Ssa Il. m. Fighting Bob
Evans, the commander of the Iowa. was
sitting in his cabin talking to his son. a
| cadet on the Massachusetts, who luckily
had been left behind in a picket launch
| when the Massachusetts went to Guanta-
| namo TO coal at dawn.
Captain Evans account of the battle. as
| told in the cabin of the Iowa to Il corre-
| spondent OF the Associated Press. is in
tensely interesting. He said:
AT the time general quarters was
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 ship out. As the
Spanish admiral swung to the westward
the twelve-inch shells from the forward
turret of the Iowa seemed to strike him
fairly in the bow. and the fight was spec
tacle
As the squadron came cut in column.
and gradually increasing their speed to
thirteen knots. il was superb.
The Iowa from this moment kept up Il
steady fire from her heavy guns heading
all the time to keep the Infanta Maria Ter
esa on her starboard bow. and hoping to
ram one of the leading ships.
In the meantime. the Oregon, Indiana,
Brooklyn and Texas were doing excellent
work with their heavy guns.
In,
mys ships were all clear of the harbor
mouth. and it became evidently impossible
for the Iowa to ram either the first OR sec
ond 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 the starboard,
and the entire starDoard broadside wps
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 of the Oquen-
do. All the time the engines were driving
at full speed ahead. A perfect torrent of
shells from the enemy passed over tie
smokestacks and superstructure of the
ship. but none struck her
THE Cristobal Colon being much fast
er than the rest of the Spanish ships,
passed rapidly to the 'front.' in an effort
to escape. In passing the Iowa, the Colon
placed two six-inch shells fairly in our
starboard bow. One passed through the
cofferdam and dispensary. wrecking the
latter and bursting on the berth deck, do
ing considerable damage. The other passed
through the side at the water line, with
In the cofferdam. where it still remains
As 1t was now impossible to ram any
of the Spanish ships. on account of their
superior speed. the Iowa's helm was put
to the starboard and she ran on a course
parallel with the enemy. Being then
abreast of the Almirante Oquendo at q dis
tance of l.leo yards, the Iowa's entire bat
terry, including the rapid-fire guns was
opened on the Oquendo. The punishment
was terrific. Many twelve and eight-inch
shells were seen to explode inside Of her,
and smoke came out through her matches
Twelve-inch shells from the Iowa pierced
the Almirante Oquendo at the same mo-
ment, one forward and the other aft. The
oquendo seemed to stop her engines for
moment and lost headway, but she i'm
mediately resumed her speed and eradual-
iy drew ahead of the Iowa and came under
the terrific fire of the Oregon and Texas.
AT this moment the alarm of torpedo
boats was sounded. and two torpedo boat
destroyers were discovered in the STAR
board quarter at a distance of 1000 wards.
FIRE was at once opened on them with the
after battery. and a twelve-inch shell cut
the stern of one destroyer squarely off. As
the shell struck. small torpedo boat fred
back at the battleship. sending a shell
within few feet of my head. 1 said to
Executive Officer Rogers: That little chan
has got lot of cheek Rogers shouted
back: She shoots very well, all the
same
Well up among the advancing cruisers
splitting shots at one and then another,
was the little Gloucester shooting first at
cruiser and then at n torpedo boat. and
hitting a head wherever she saw it. The
marvel was that she was not DESTROYED by
the rain of shells.
I'm the meantime the Vizcaya was slow
ly drawing abeam of the Iowa and for the
space of fifteen minutes it was give and
take between the two ships. The yfzcaya
fired rapidly but wildly. not one shot taking
effect on the Iowa. while the shells from
rue Iowa were tearing great rents in the
sides of the NiZcaya. As the latter passed
ahead OF the Iowa. she came under the
fire of the Oregon At this time
the infante Maria Teresa and the Amir
ante Oquendo. leading the enemy's column
were seen to be heading for the beach and
in flames. The Texas. Oregon and Iowa
pounded them numerically. They ceused |
TO reply to the fire and in few moments /.
flames !
and on the rocks with their colors down. |
the Teresa flying white flag;
THE enemy's crew stripped themselves
and began jumping overheard and the |
smaller magazines began to explode
Meantime. the Brooklyn and the Cristo- |
pal Colon were exchanging compliments in |
lively fashion at apparently long ranges. |
and the Oregon. with her locomotive speed. |
was hanging well on tine Colon, also paving
s@v, .
the Oquendo were in flames on the beach |
Just twenty minutes after the first shot
was fired. Fifty minutes after the first |
shot was fired. the Niscaya put her helm to /
port with Il great burst of flame from the
after part of the ship. and headed slowly
for the rocks at Acceraderos where she
found her last resting place.
As II was apparent that / could not
possibly catch the Cristobal Colon and that
The Oregon and Brooklyn undoubtedly
would. and as the fast New York was also
'n her trail. decided the calls of human
ty should be answered and attention given
The 1900 or i,5Do Spanish officers and mon
who had struck their colors to the Ameri-
,an squadron commanded by Admiral
sampson. | therefore headed for the wreck
,f the Nizcaya. now burning furiously
fore and aft
When l was in as far as the depth of
water would admit, l lowered all my boats
and sent them at once to r.1stance
1f the men who were being Drowned by
iozens or roasted on the decks I soon
discovered that the insurgent Cubans from
he shore were shooting on men who were
struggling in the water, after having sur
rendered to us. I Immediately put a stop |
o this, but l could not put a stop to the
nutilation of many bodies by the sharks
inside the reef
.sThe Crpatr,res bad ho.a., .., -. |