Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-07-14


sent His Fleet In Swift Chase of tho Flee
lug spsniards-Terrif1o Fire OF tho Brook
Ign and Other ships Soon Accomplished
the Work OF Destruction.
Juragua, Cuba, July 4.-The follow
ing description Of tue hattls between
the American aud Spanish warships in
these waters WAS written by the only
non combatant who witnessed the Gu
tire fight That non -oomb blatant was
the correspondent OF The Associated
Press who Jaw the engagement from q
position almost ut the elbow OF COM
modore Schley, on the armored cruiser
Brooklyn:
The vessels on the blockade were the
Iowa, Indiana md Oregon, battleshins;
the flagship of Commodore Schley, the
Brooklyn, and the small yachts
Gloucester and Vixen. The Iowa was
swinging mile further out than the
rest o. the squadron, trying to fix her
forward 12-inch turret. which was out
of repair: while the Indiana was doing
the same thing to her forward l3inch
turrets. The absolutely available ships
iu the squadron, therefore, were only
the Oregon, Texas and Brooklyn.
although later both Captp Evans and
Capt. Taylor fought their ships.
1t Ia custom on ships, regulated by
the rules. that there shall be general
muster at least once each three months
and that tho articles of war shall be
read. First call hail been sounded at
y. 10 a. M, and the mep were as.
eenbling on the decks. The lookout
in the masthead of tho Bronglyn had
SONS time before reported smnke In the
harbor, but az the same thing had been
noticed several timea, NO special at
teniiou was pain to it. The Brooklyn
and the Vixen were the only ships to
the. west ot the. entrance, the other
ships having drifted we'll to the east.
On the bridge Navigator Hodgson, of
the Brooklyn, said sharply to the look-
out:
'tIsn't that smoke moving2'' And
the lookout, after a minutes inspection
with the long glass, dropped il ex-
citedly and fairly yelled, There's a
big ship coming out of the harbor,
sir..' Hodgson, who ia a particularly
cool man, looked nnce himsalf and
then, RrRsping the megapbone, shouted ;
"Aftsr bridge, there. Tell the com
modore the snemy's feet is coming
OUT
scHLEY MOVES PROMPTLY.
Commodore s'chlsy was sitting under
the awning on the quarter deck.
Going to the bridge he said, Raise
the signal to tho feet ana turning to
Capt. Cork who stood near, he said,
.Clear ship for action.
Then he went forward and took his
place on little platform of wood run
ming on the outside Of the coming
tower, which had been built for him.
He was drssssd in blue trousers, i
black alpaca Jacket and the regulation
cap, without the broad hand of gold
braid.
The men with q yell went to thsii
were given. Schley, glasses Ia hand
watched the first ship turn out and ia
her start for the west. Still ha gave
no signal to fire or move. The Oregon
opened with her l3-iuch shells. and th,
\ Indiana and Texas followed suit, Blu
H the range was q long onu. Still thu
N Brooklyn wnited. But down below th,
II coal was being forued into the furnace,
every boiler was being worked ant
every gun made ready TO fire. Schle,
wanted to know which way they were
all going, or whether they woult
scatter. In the meantime tho Oregon
began to turn to the west and the Texa
had moved In closer and was damaging
the leading ship, the Infanta Mari'
Teresa.
"poS'T WASTE SHOT,"
"They are all coming west, sir,
shouted Lieut. Sears. aud just the
the western batteries openetl up. "Ful
speed ahead, open fire., shouted tn
commodore. "Fire deliberately an
don't waste q shot, he added; an
the ortierlies carried the word 10 til
turrets. In an instant the Brooklyn
terrific eight and tivs-inoh batteries o
her port aids opened and the cruise
headsd for point in front of the frs
4 escaping ship, firing at and receiyin
the fire from two of them.
IN Then Commodore Schley saw tina
B the first ship was coming out from th
shore, headed directly for the Brool
lyn,' with the evident intention {
ramniipg her. A clever manmuyre wa
here accomplished. lizard aport wit
your helm shouted Schlsy, and TIL
cruiser began to go around, the snlo1
coming from her tunnels in hug
volumes. Quickly shu turned an
quickly her big steel ram was pointin
at the first ship. The InfantR Mari
Teresa had to work in shore to avoi
being ralnmed. The shella of the Texi
and Oregon, with the terrible storm
of shall from the Brooklyn. had dor
thsir work, and the smoke began pou
ing from her decks.
M In the meantime the converted yacl
5 ) luucestsr could be seen, with the he
z,X | the Iowa, destroying two torped
Ma boat destroyers that had followed II
"a last ship out.
At 10 O'Clock the entire sguadrt
was outside the harbor and heHriI
rapidly westward. The Iowa and ii
/ Indiana could not keep the pace, b
the Oregon was coming across to Il
assistance Of the Brooklyn, which
"a 1905 was engaging the first three shiI
4 this Infanta Maria Teresa, ihe Cristot
Colon and the Vizcaya. At 10. IL d
n Spanish ships had all concentrate
y their Ehors on the Brooklyn, and q
was In perfect rain of shells, most
which went over her.
KILLED BY scHLEY's SIDE. j.
Standing 10 this hail of shells, Col
A mo,iore Schlsy asked young m
named Ellis, who stood near him will
stadimstsr, what is the distance
the viscayaf'' The man took the G
servaiion.-" Twenty two hundred yart
air." he said, and there wac whist
followed by splash, and his head v
literally torn from his shoulders by