River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1898-07-07
A COMPLETE ROUT.
Account of the Destruction of Ger
vera's Fleet.
He Makes q Heroic Dash for Liberty
from Santiago Harbor Hut Fails
-Beaches His Vessel and
Surrenders.

Ten Miles West of the Entrance of the
Harbor of Santiago de Cuba, Sunday, July
8, by the Dispatch Boat Wanda TO Port An
tonic, Jamaica, via Kingston, Jamaica,
July 5.-Admiral Cerveras fleet, consisting
OF the armored cruisers Cristobal Colon,
Almirante Oquendo. Infanta Maria Teresa
and Vizcaya and two torpedo boat de-
stroyers. the Furor and the Pluton, which
had been held In the harbor of Santiago
de Cuba for six weeks past by the combined
squadrons Of Rear Admiral Sampson and
Commodore Schley. lies at the bottom of
the Caribbean sea off the southern coast
of Cuba. The Spanish admiral IS a pris-
oner of war on the auxiliary gunboat
Gloucester formerly Mr.. j. Pierpont Nor
gan's yacht Corsair) and LOCO TO 1900 other
Spanish officers and sailors, all who es-
capped the frightful carnage caused by the
shells from the American warshps. are
also held prisoners of war by the United
States navy.
Only One American Killed.
The American victory is complete, and,
according to the best information at this
time, the American vessels were prac-
tically untouched, and only one man was
killed, though the ships were subjected to
the heavy fire of the Spaniards all the time
the battle lasted.
Cervcra's Gallant Dash.
Admiral Cervera made as gallant dash
tOf liberty ana IOT the lEtScINdlIOil VI il4S
ship Sunday morning as has ever occurred
In the history of naval warfare. In the
face OF overwhelming odds, with nothing
before him but inevitable destruction or
surrender If he remained any longer In the
trap in which the American fleet held him,
he made a bold dash from the harbor at
the time the Americans least expected him
to do So and, lighting every inch of his
way even when his ship was ablaze and
sinking, he tried TO escape the doom which
was written on the muzzle of every Amer
lean gun trained upon his vessels.
Americans Open Fire.
The Americans saw him the moment he
left the harbor and commenced their work
of destruction Immediately. For an hour
or two they followed the flying Spanards
to the westward along the shore line, send
ing shot after shot into their blazing hulls,
tearing great holes in their steel sides and
covering their decks with the blood of the
killed and wounded.
Pluck of the Spaniards.
At no time did the Spanlards show any In
dication that they intended to do other
wise than fight to the last. They showed
no signals TO surrender even when their
ships commenced to sink, and the great
clouds of smoke pouring from their sides
showed they were on fire. But they turned
their heads toward the shore, less than
a mile away, and ran them on the beach
and rocks, where their destruction was
soon completed.
Destruction of the Fleet.
One after another of the Spanish ships be-
came the victims of the awful rain of shells
which the American battleships poured
upon them, and two hours after the first OF
the fleet had started out Of Santiago harboT
three cruisers and two torpedo boat de-
stroyers were lying on the shore ten "a
Of act1a n O
TO pieces, smoke and flame pouring from
every part Of them and covering the entire
coast line with a mist which could be seen
for miles
Heavy explosions of ammunition &C.
Cured every few minutes, sending CurlS of
dense white smoke q hundred feet in the
air, and causing a shower of broken Iron
and steel to fall In the water on every
side. The bluffs on the coast line echoed
with the roar of every explosion, and the
Spanish vessels sank deeper and deeper
into the sand, or else the rocks ground
their hulls to pieces as they rolled OF
pitched forward or sideways with every
wave that washed upon them from the
open sea.
Cervern's Surrender.
Admiral Cervera escaped to the shore
in a boat sent by the Gloucester to the
assistance of the Infanta Maria Teresa,
and as soon as he touched the beach he
surrendered himself and his command to
Lieut.. Morton, and asked to be taken on
board the Gloucester, which was the only
American vessel near him at the time, with
several OF his officers, including the cap
tain of the flagship. The Spanish adj
miral, who was wounded In the arm. was
taken to the Gloucester, and was received
at her gangway by her commander,
Lieut. Commander Richard Wainwright,
who grasped the hand of the gray-bearded
1,R,fp- al N cot a QnI1 AZ a
you. sir, upon having made as gallant a
fight as was ever witnessed on the sea"
Lieut.. Commander Wainwright then
placed his cabin at the disposal of the
! Spanish officer.
CristobaI Colon Chased.
At that time the Spanish flagship and
four other Spanish vessels had been
aground and burning for two hours, and
the only one of the escaping fleet which
could not be seen at this point was the
Cristobal Colon. But half 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 obtained a
lead over the others after leaving the
harbor, and escaped the effect of the shots
which destroyed the other vessels. She
steamed away at great speed with the
Oregon, New York, Brooklyn and several
other ships In pursuit, all of them firing at
her constantly and receiving nfe them-
selves from her after guns. About ten
miles from the westward of MORO castle,
Admiral Cervera turned his vessel to the
shore and beached her. She was blazing
in a score of places, but her guns kept at
work and the white flag never showed
until she was completely disabled.
The Only Man Killed.
Washington July 5-George II. Ellis, the
only man in the United States navy who
was killed in the glorious engagement of
Santiago Sunday, was chief yeoman OF
| Commodore Schley's flagship Brooklyn, In
which office he succeeded Downing, the
Spanish spy captured by secret service Of
fcers in Canada and who ended his career
by suicide In the Washington barracks
while awaiting trial. Ellis is native Amer
lean, having been born in Peoria, Ill. DC
| tober 81, 1871. His naval career was very
brief, he having enlisted on May 80, 1881
and his only cruise being that which re-
suited in his death. His next of kin Is his
wife, Sadie Ellis, who lives at Bullshead
". "
\ Gratifying situation.
Pittsburgh, Pa, July 1.-The close
of the scale year, which expired
Thursday night, finds a gratifying con.
Z ~ ~. 1 nd