The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-12
Assisted In the Destruction of Every
Spanish WarShip.
BIG BATTLESHIP'S SPEED
OVERHAULED THE COLON, UN-
DER FORCED DRAUGHT.
Thirty Spanish Shots Hit the Brook
lyn and Several Passed Clear
Through the Cruiser-How the
PluclY Little Ericsson Tackled
the Big Vizcaya.

Portsmouth, n. H, July 1.-THE few
officers who came in on the st. Louis
and who participated in the fight with
the Spanish cruisers off Santiago were
obliged to tell the whole story of the
memorable contest. While in the main
their accounts did not differ materially
from the press dispatches, yet they
seem to give credit to the work of the
Oregon.
From an account, as given by one
officer, it appears that on the morning
of the fight four American warshipS
lay off the entrance of the harbor. The
Oregon was slightly to the east; then
to the westward came the converted
yacht Gloucester, lying between the
Oregon and Iowa. To the westward of
the Iowa was the Texas. while further
along in fact eight or ten miles to
the west Of the harbor, was the Brook
Ign, with Commodore Schley on board.
The position of the feet was in keep
ing with the plan mapped out by Ad-
miraI Sampson and his command had
definite orders in case the Spanish
fleet made a dash out Of the harbor.
While ali the ships had steam up, none
OF them, with the exception Of the
Brooklyn, was under way. The latter
had, a few minutes previous to the
sighting of the Spaniards, turned away
to the westward, and when the first
shot was fired from the Iowa she was
going away from the fleet at about an
1S-lnot gait.
Just why the Brooklyn was steaming
off to the west at This time is not
known. but although she had not gone
far and was still probably quite near
the station designated by Admiral
Sampson, her commander nevertheless
had to swing around, and, in doing so,
he put his helm starboard and made
long sweep to port, going a mile or
more offshore in the maneuver.
The first Spaniard that came rushing
out of the harbor's mouth was the
CriStobal Colon. The Vizcaya was sec
the Maria Teresa fourth, while two tor
pedo boat destroyers brought up the
rear. While the Iowa got in the first
lick at the fleet as they came dashing
by, the Oregon was the first American
outside the Brooklyn in motion. She
gathered Roadway so fast that she cut
in behind the Iowa and the fleet and
pumped a good 13-inch shell at the
Colon before she had gone by. The
Oregon was. therefore, in most eX-
cellent position to meet the Vizcaya
when she came along, and, with the
help of the Texas, tackled her so
fiercely that she was on fire in a few
minutes and had headed for the beach.
While the Oregon's whole forward
starboard battery was banging at the
ViZcaya, the after guns had swung
around and were pumping shells into
the Oquendo, which also had been
tackled by the Iowa, which, in the
meantime, had disposed of the Teresa
The wreck Of the three Spaniards
was accomplished in about Is or 20
minutes, and by this time the Oregon
her forced draugnt on and every pound
of steam up, the big Pacific coast bat
tleship ploughed through the water as
she never did before, except, perhaps,
on her speed trial three years ago.
Leaving the Texas and Iowa to COM
plete the destruction of the remainder
of the Spaniards and the rescue of the
unfortunate sailors, Captain Clark
headed after the Colon.
The Brooklyn by this time had taken
her wide sweep off shore, and was
headed in for the Colon, opening up on
that vessel with her port brOadsides.
As the Colon ran by the Brooklyn, she
gave the latter the benefit of her big
guns, and no less than 80 shots took
effect on the Brooklyn's port side. a
number of them passing clear through
the Yankee cruiser.
AS the Colon went by the Brooklyn,
the latter turned her StarbOard guns on
the Spaniard. In the run up the coast
the Brooklyn was hit a dozen times on
her starboard side, while all three of
her tall smokestacks showed the effect
OF the Colon's stern chasers.
The superior speed of the Brooklyn
and Oregon sealed the fate of the
Colon, and after a. run of 40 miles she
was headed for the shore.
The little Gloucester, after destroy
ing the torpedo boat destroyers, turned
after the Oregon and made such good
time that she was Up even with the
Colon when she ran ashore. AS she
drew considerable less water than
either the Oregon or Brooklyn. her COM
mander, Lieutenant Commander Vain
wright, was able to run in quite close
to the stranded ship, and the Glouce-
sIer's boats were sent out after the
swimming crew. Admiral CerVera was
picked w just outside the surf, about
ten yards from shore, and, after his
long swim, was thoroughly exhausted.
when the New York came up, after a
long ard quick run. The flagship was
enabled to get in d dozen good shots
before the ColoIs flag came down, so
that Admiral Sampson had a hand in
the fight, although il was a brief one. |
IT will be seen, therefore, that the /
oregon, while the most eastern of ali
the American ships, nevertheless was |
enabled by her superior speed to have |
9 hand in tins destruction of all four OF |
the Spanish cruisers, and was the only |
one Of the fleet that did