The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-09

Dauntless via Port Antonio, Jamalca,
July 9, by way OF Kingston, July $3.50
p. m.-The battlsship Iowa was the first
ship 70 see the Spanish feet coming out
Of the harbor.
Somebody on the bridge shouted:
'FWhass that black thing coming out Of
the haTborT
A moment later the Iowa was at gem
eral quarters and the signal was hoisted
that the enemy's ships were coming out.
A gun was fred to attract the attention
OF the feet at 9;3s q. m.
Fighting Bob" Evans, the comman-
der Of the Iowa, was sitting IN hls cabin,
talking TO fis son. cadet on the Massa-
chusetts, who. luckily, had been left be-
hind in picket launch when the
Massachusetts went to Guantanamo TO
eonl at dawn.
Captain Evans account Of the battle,
as told in the cabin OF the Iowa to a cor
respondent OF the Associated Press, is
intensely interesting. He said:
"At the time general quarters was
sounded, the engine bell rang full speed
ahead ana put the helm to starboard
and the Iowa crossed the bows OF the
Infanta Maria Teresa, the first ship out.
As tho Spanish admiral swung to the
westward, the Pinch shells from the
forward turret Of the Iowa seemed to
strike him fair In the bow and the fight
was q spectacle.
nAs the squadron came out In column,
the ships beautifully epaced as to dis
tance and gradually increasing their
speed to thirteen knots It was superb.
'The Iowa, from this moment kept up
a steady fire from her heavy guns, head
ing all the time to keep the 1nfanta
Maria Teresa on her starboard bow and
hoping to ram one OF the leading ships.
'In the meantime the Oregon, Indi-
ana Brooklyn and Texas were doing e1-
cellent work with their heavy guns.
an very short space Of time the
enemy's ships were all clear of the mar
Dor mouth and It became evidently I'M
possible for the Iowa to ram either the
iirst or the second ship on account OF
their speed.
Ia a Torrent of Shells.
'The range at this time was 1000
yards from the leading ship. The Iowa's
he,m was Immediately put hard to the
starboard and the entire starboard
boardside was poured into the Infanta
Maria Teresa. The helm was then
dulcIily ehifted 20 port and theship went
Scross the stern OF the Teresa In an et-
fort 10 head of the OQuendo. All the
time the engines were driving At full
sneed ahead, Aperfect torrent OF shells
from the enemy passed over the smoke
stack and supersturcture Of the shlp, but
none struck her
faster than the rest Of the Spanish
shIps. passed rapidly to the front In an
efFort to escape. In passing the Iowa
Inc Colon placed two slx-inch shells
fairly in our starboard bow. One passed
throbrh the eofferdam and dlspensarY.
wrpckinE the latter and burstlng on the
berth deck, doing considerable damage.
The other passed through the side at
the water line within the coferdam,
where It stili remains.
WAs Il was now obviously impossible
to ram any OF the Spanish ships on &c
count OF their superior speed. the Iowa's
helm was put TO the starboard and she
ran on a course parallel with the enc
nv. Being then abreast OF the Alml-
rante Oduendo at n distance OF 1,l0O
Yards the Iowa's entire battery, tnclud-
ing the rapid FIRE guns, was opened on
oouendo. The punishment was terrific,
Many twelve and eight inch shells were
seen to explode inside Of her and smoke
came out through her matches.
IoyVn's Good Atm.
Two twelve-lnch shells from the Iowa
pierced the Almlrante oquendo at the
same moment, one forward and the
other aft. The oquendo seemed to stop
her engine for moment and lost pead-
way, but she Immediately resumed her
speed and gradually drew ahead OF the
Iowa and came under the terrific fire OF
the Oregon and Texas.
"At this moment the alarm OF tor
pedo boats was sounded and two tor
pedo boat destroyers were discovered In
Tho starboard quarter at O distance OF
1000 yards, Fire was at once opened on
them with the after battery and
tveiye-inch shell cut the stern OF one
DESTROYER suuarely OF. As the shell
struck small torpedo boat fired back
at tho battleship, sending O shell WITH
IL a few feet OF my head. I said TO e&-
eo1tive oflcer Rogers that little chap
hSS got a lot OF check Rogers shouted
bnoE 'she shoots very well all the same
Iyyeil up among tho advancing erui-
sars. spIttlbg shots at one and then an
other was the little Gloucester, shoot-
Inry Arst at a cruiser and then at tor
pedo boat and hitting head wherever
she saw It. The marvel was that she
was not destroyed by the rain OF shells.
In the meantime the Vizcaya was slow
ly drawing abeam OF the Iowa ana ior
the space OF fifteen minutes Il was give
and take between the two ships. The
VIzcaya fred rapidly, but wildly not
one shot taking effect on the Iowa, while
the shells from the Iowa were tearing
great rents In the sides Of the ViZcaya.
As the latter passed ahead OF the lowe
she came under the murderous Gre OF
the Oregon,
rounded Them Numerically.
Az this time the Insauta Maria Teresa
and the AlmIrante oquendo, leading the
cnemy's column, were seen to be head
ing for the beach and IN iiames, The
Texas, Oregon and Iowa pounded them
uumercifully. They ceased TO reply to
the fire and In q few moments the Span
ian cruisers were a mass Of flames and
on the rocks with their colors down, the
Teresa tiying white flag at the fore,
The crews OF the enemy's ships strip
ned themselves and began jumping
overheard, and one Of the smaller niaga-
slncs began TO explode.
'Menntlmc tho Brooklyn and the
Chrlstobal Colon were exchanging COM