The Portland daily press., 1898-07-13
BEFORE SANTIAGO.
An Interesting Letter from the Sur
geOn of the Iowa.
Fears Tribute to the Great Bravery of the
Spaniards.

Eears Arlpute to the Great Bravery OF the
spaniards.
A lady of this city received letter yes
terday from DR.. NJ. Fl. Simons, surgeon
of the Iowa, giving his experiences in the
battle off Santiago in which Cervera' s
fleet was destroyed.
Speaking of Saturday, July I'd, the doc
tor says: "We are all we'll on board, but
somewhat disguised. Yesterday we were
all day at quarters, but only roasted and
starved; the soldiers who were to make a
lodging to the westward of the railroad
bridge at Aguadores ran across some bat
teries placed where the ships could not
help them, and were blocked, though the
New York, Newark and some of the
smaller vessels wasted lot of shells and
knocked down the Spanish flag, on a
little stone work there. The army, it has
just been told us, succeeded in getting
into the outskirts Of Santiago, but made
q permanent advance of about three
quarters of a mile. The army loss was
800 killed and wounded, several promi-
nent officers among the number. Roose-
welt h ad his boot heel shot away. This
morning at o. IN. we commenced in
earnest and rained shot and shell on the
batteries and kept them silent while the
army moved up again; we have not heard
the result of today's engagement, but
think that 1t has been mostly between in
fantry, as we have heard no heavy firing.
We are Disguised because one Of our
guns was disabled again, ard we hauled
out, though we might have kept on.
We are not certain what our detached
duty will be, or whether it is absolutely
certain that we are in it, but there is
something in the wind, for Commodore
Watson is here in the Newark, and
Schley, after a long consultation with
Sampson the other day, came past us to
his station and signalled How do you
like your orders? Sorry to lose you. ,
Evans signalled back, What are my or
ders?' and Schley answered only Il
thought you had received Them We have
not heard another word, and it has put
us on the guess whether it is San Juan, Ma
Mia or the Spanish coast. Santiago may
fall any day, but it is we'll defended, and
the ships increase the difficulty tenfold.
1t seems to be quite certain that the
Spanish are short of provisions. The
forces will hold out as long as they can,
hoping for help
Under the date of July 4th an account
of the great battle with Ceryera's fleet is
given. He says it was a brave action of
the Spanish and they fought most g;l-
lantly. lone Of our shells struck tor
pedo on the Vizcaya and killed seventy
two men. I went down to help out the
army, which lost on Friday over 1900 in
killed and wounded. They are short Of
doctors. nurses and appliances, food and
other things. I stayed all night and got
the Herald boat to bring me down. AS
we came up l saw the Iowa and Glouces-
ter rush in and begin to fire, and then I
saw the vessels coming out and standing
to the west with the whole fleet in pur-
suit, except the New York, which passed
us going to Altarez to sac the army and
take Groatt and other doctors to the hos
pital. ] stirred up MaoCready, the Her.
aid man, and legged him to run down
on the Iowa and let me board her, but
when tho shells from the ships and the
batteries began to fy around he shoercd
out. We saw the destroyers run down
past the Gloucester, which stuck by
them like leech, then run first into the
Indiana, then to the Iowa, turn and
break for Santiago again. Very slowly
T11Oa 10 ha Novx- VonI- 7iv,rr
and met the leading destroyer and the
Gloucester, but the destroyer was
beached. and soon blew up, and the other
sank soon after. An auxiliary yacht
came up and got aboard and reached
the Iowa, where [ received royal well
come One shell had pierced us on the
berth deck, just abaft the bulk head,
which separates the two forward COM
partinents, setting fire to US in the com
partment below deck where the water
tanks are. The shell struck the hatch
covering, blew off the cover and went
down. In action no men are in this part
Of the deck. The Sergeant of Marines
and Mate Olsen ran down, and soon raj
salt water in and put out the fire, while
the carpenter plugged the hole through
the cofferdam with cellulose and an iron
clamp. The dispensary door and some
fixtures were stove in, but nothing in
jured that cannot be repaired. The Span
E ish wounded, 80 in number, came aboard
1rightfully wounded, and Crandall and
myself set to work on them. We cut off
an arm and leg, but dressed the other
wounds. Spanish doctor and apothe.
cary came off and rendered assistance,
and later our feet surgeon. Everything
was soon covered with blood, but by