Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-05

placed his cabin at the disposal of the
Spanish officers.
At that time the Spanish. flagship
and four other Spanish vessels had
been aground and burning for
hours and the only one Of the escaping
| fleet which could not be seen at this
| point was the Cristobal Colon. But
| half a dozen curls of smoke far down
| on the western horizon showed the
| fate that was awaiting her.
The Cristobal Colon was the fastest
of the Spanish ships and she soon OBJ
tanned lead over the others after
leaving the harbor and escaped the
effect Of the shots which destroyed the
other vessels. She steamed away ut
great speed with the Oregon. New
York. Brooklyn and several other
ships in pursuit, all of them firing at
her constantly and receiving fire them
selves from her after guns.
| There seemed no possibility whatever
| for her escape, and while her fate is not
definitely know at this hour, it can be
| readily imagined from the words of
Capt. Robley d. Evans of the Iowa, who
| returned from the westward with $40
| prisoners from the Vizcaya just as The
| Associated Press dispatch boat Wanda
was leaving the Spanish flagship.
| In answer to an inquiry, he shouted:
| 81 left the Cristobal Colon far in the
westward an hour ago. and the Oregon
was giving her HE'LL. She has undoubt-
eddy gone down with the others. and we
will have a Fourth of July celebration in
Santiago. tomorrow"
| Capt. Evans. who had been in the
thick of the engagement UP to the time
| he took the ViZeaya's officers and crew
| from the shore said that to the best of
his knowledge not one American ship had
been struck.
The torpedo boat Ericsson. which also
returned from the westward about the
| same time, made the same report saying
! it was believed that no man was injured
| on board the American ships though re-
port had it that one man was killed on
board the Brooklyn. which could not be
verified as this dispatch is sent.
| There is no means of now telling what
| the Spanish loss was, but it is believed
to have been very heavy. as the prisoners
in custody report their decks strewn with
dead and wounded in great numbers. and
besides there is a statement that many
bodies could be seen fastened to pieces of
| wreckage floating in the after the
fight was over A large number of the
| icl removed the
American ships.
| There can be no doubt that Admiral
Cervera's plan to escape from Santiago
harbor was entirely unexpected by Ad-
mra Sampson, and the best evidence OF
this is the fact that when the Spanish
vessels were seen coming ont of the har-
Dor the flagship New York was seven
miles away, steaming to the eastward
toward Juragua. the military base nine
miles east of MORO.
The New York was out of the fight alto
gether al every stage. but she immeii-
ately put about and followed the others
But she Immediately put about ana
followed the other vessels in the race
) to the westward and overlook them in
time to join in the chase for the Girls
tobal Colon. after the other Spanish
vessels had been destroyed by the
Brooklyn. Oregon. Iowa, Massachu-
sets, Indiana, Texas, Gloucester and
other ships of the fleet.
Commodore Schley's flagship, the
Brooklyn, had her usual position at the
extreme western end of the line, miles
from the New York and the Texas. Il
is a peculiar fact that he should have
been in proper position to direct the
movement of his flying squadron
against the Spanish fleet which he had
bottled up in Santiago halbor six
weeks before. AS a matter of fact thai
, the entire American fleet was much
further off shore than usual when tn"
Spaniards made their appearance. this
morning.
1t was not Believed that Cervera
would attempt to escape from his pres
ent position but it was supposed that
he would keep his ships in the harbor
to shell the advancing American army
ana that if Santiago fell he would blow
up or sink his ships befo:e
permitting them to be captured
by the fleet lying outside.
The 81 anish admirals real plans.
l however, were plainly not anticipate /.
He accepted the one chance open to him.
, and while great piles of naval archtec-
ture now ground to pieces on the rocks
few miles from where he started, tell
the mournful story of his failure. there
, are none who applaud his conduct more
, than the American officers and seamen
who sent his ships to destruction.