The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-07-29
SIMPSONS REPORT.
The Account Of the Destruction of
Cervera's Fleet Made Public.
GALLANT FIGHT OF THE GLOUCESTER
The Rescue Of the Spanish Prisoners Com.
mended-The Chase OF the Different
Vessels Described-Inmunity Of
Our ships from Damage.


dore Schley, Capt Clark, of the Ore
gon, and Capt. Evans, of the Iowa, on
the battle of July 3, which resulted in
the destruction of Cervera's squadron.
Capt Sampson in his report says:
have the honor to make the following
port upon the battle and the destruction Of the
Spanish squadron. commanded by Admiral
Cervera, of Santiago de Cuba on Sunday July
2, 1898 The enemy's vessels came out OF the
harbor between 9;S5 and ten m, the head Of
the column appearing around Cayo Smith at
e:Sl ana emerging from the channel five or six
minutes later
Capt. Sampson then tells the position
of his vessels and how the enemy's
vessels emerged from the harbor. He
then goes on:
The men Of our ships in front OF the port
were at Sunday quarters for inspection"
The signal was made simultaneously from sew
eral vessels, enemy 5 ships escaping " and gem
eral quarters was sounded The men cheered
as they sprang TO their guns and fire was
opened probably within eight minutes by the
vessels whose guns commanded the entrance
| The New YORK turned about and steamed for
the escap ny fleet. flying the signal close in
toward harbor entrance and attack vessels,
and gradually increasing speed, until toward
the end Of the chase she was making 1917 knots
and was rapidly closing on the Cristobal Colon.
| out was uON, ~ any Tune, WlInlU Lne range OF
| heavy Spanish ships, and her only part in the
| firing was to receive the undivided fire from
/ the forts In passing the harbor entrance and to
/ fire few shots at one Of the destroyers.
thought at the moment to be attempting to
! cape from the Gloucester
The Spanish vessels. upon clearing the har-
Dor, turned to the westward in column in
creaslng their speed TO the full power of their
engines The heavy blockadin vessels which
/ had closed in toward the MORO at the instant
| of the enemvs appearance and at their best
/ speed. delivered rapid fire, well sustained
and destructive, which speedily overwhelmed
and s.lenced the Spanish fire The initial
/ speed Of the SpaniHrdS carried them rapidly
past the blockading vessels and the battle de-
/ veloped into chase. in which the Brooklyn
and Texas had at the start the advantage Of
! position. The Brooklyn maintained this lead.
| The oregon. steaming with amazing speed
! from the commencement of the action. took
| FIRST place The Iowa and Indiana having
/ done good work, and not having the speed OF
/ the o'her ships, were directed by me, in sue
cession, at about the time the Vizcaya was
! beaChed to drop out of the chase ami resume
/ blockading stations These vessels rescued
many prisoners The Vixen finding that the
| rush Of the Spanish ships would nut her be-
/ tween Two hres. ran outside OF our column ana
| remained there during the battle and chase
The skiliful handling and gallant fighting Of
/ the Gloucester excited the admiration OF every
/ one who witnessed IT, and merits the com
mendation OF the navy department She is
| fast and entirely unprotected auxiliary vessel
the yacht Corsair-and has good battery of
/ light rapid-fre guns She was lying about
/ two miles from the harbor entrance, to the
/ southwark and eastward, and Immediately
steamed IN. opening fire upon the large ships
Anticipating the appearance Of the Pluton
/ and Furor, the Gloucester was slowed there
/ by gaining more rapidly high pressure OF
steam, and when the oestroyers came out
] ha SIN for thavp f,,11
able TO close TO short range where her fire
| was accurate, deadly and OF great volume
! During this fight the Gloucester was under
the fire Of the Socapa battery. Within
/ 20 minutes from the time they emerged from
Santiago harbor the careers of the Furor ind
the Pluton were ended and two thirds Of their
| people killed The Furor was beached and
/ sunk in the surf, the Pluton sank in deep water
/ few minutes Inter The destrOyers probably
suffered much injury from the hre OF the sec
ondary batteries OF the battleships Iowa In
diana and the Texas. vet think q very consid-
cradle factor In their speedy destruction was
the fire, at close range Of the Gloucesters but
terry. After rescuing the survivors OF the de-
stroyers the Gloucester did excellent service in
landing and securing the crew OF the Iufanta
Maria Teresa
The method Of escape attempted by the
Spauiards-all steering IN the same direction
and in formation--removed all tactical doubts
or difficulties AMI made plain the duty of every
United States vessel 10 close in, Immediately
engage and pursue This was promptly and
effectively done AS already stated. the first
rush Of the Spanish squadron carried it past u
number of our 6lockading ships, which
could not Immediately work up 10 their
best speed hut they suffered heavily in
passing and the lnianta Maria Teresa and
the Oquendo were probably set on fire by
shells fired during the first Is minutes
of the engagement 1t was afterward learned
I . hot . Inf a.
been cut by one OF our first shots, aud that she
was unable to eXtinFuish the fire. With large
volumes of smoke from their lower decks aft
these vessels gave up both fight and flight and
ran in on the beach, the Intanta Maria Teresa
at about 1915 "a m, at Nina Nina 6is miles
from Santiago harbor entrance, and the Almi.
rante Oquendo at about lO;30 u m, NJ Juan
Gonzales, seven miles from the port
The Nizcaya was still under the fire of the
leading vessels; the Cristobal Colon hal drawn
ahead leading the chase, and soon passed be-
yond the range OF the guns Of the leading
American ships Tbs Vizcaya was soon set on
fire, and at l:l5 she turned 10 shore and was
beached AT Aserraderos, 10 miles from San
tiago, burning hercely, and with her reserves
OF ammunition on deck already beginning TO
explode When about ten miles west of Santi-
ago the Indiana haybeen signaled 10 30 back
20 the harbor entrance. and at AserradSros
the Iowa was signaled TO resume
blockading station" The Iowa assisted
by the Ericsson and the Hist, took
on the crew of the Vizcaya, while the Harvard
and the Gloucester rescued those OF the In
fanta Maria Teresa and the Almirante Oquen-
do, This rescue OF prisoners including the
wounded, from the burning Spanish vessels
was the occasion Of some of the most daring
and gallant conduct of the day The ships
were burning fore and aft their guns and re-
serve ammunition were exploding, and il was
not known at what moment the fire would
rench the main magazines In addition TO this
heavy surf was running just inside OF the
Spanish ships But no risk deferred our ofti-
GERS and men until their work of humanity was
complete
There remained now OF the Spanish ships
only the CrlstOOal Colon, but she was their
best and fastest vessel Forced by the situa-
tlon TO hug the Cuban coast. her only chance OF
escape was by superior and sustained speed
When the Vizcaya went ashore the Colon was
about six mi es ahead of tn Brooklyn and the
Oregon, hut her squirt was finished and the
American ships were now gaming upon her
Behlnd the BroolIlyu and the Oregon came the
Texas, viz and New YORK II was evident
from the bridge q ina Nav Nnrlr that an