The San Francisco call., 1898-07-27
Thrilling Narrative of tbe Destruction of CerVe-
 ru's Big Fleet.
Sampson Makes No Mention of tbe Good Work of CoDmodore
 Scbley.

careers or the Furor ana Futon were ended and two-thirds of their people killed. The Furor was beached and sunk in the surf; the Pluton sank in deep wa ter few minutes later. The destroyers probably suffered much injury from the fire of the secondary batteries of the h. diana, Iowa and the Texas. and yet think very considerable factor in their speedy destruction was the fire at close range of the Gloucesters battery. After rescuing the survivors of the destroyers the Gloucester did excellent service in landing and securing the crew of the h. fanta Maria Teresa.
 The method of escape attempted by the Spaniards-all steering in the same direc- tion and in formation-removed all tac- tical doubts or difficulties and made plain the duty of every United States vessel to close in and immediately engage in pur- suing these ships. which was promptly and effectually done. As already stated, the first rush of the Spanish squadron carried it past a number of blockading ships which could not immediately work up to their best speed, but they suffered heavily in passing. The Infanta Maria Teresa and the Oquendo were probably set on fire by shells fired during the tif- teen minutes of the engagement. It was afterward learned that the Infanta Ma ria's fire main had been cut by one of our first shots and that she was unable to extinguish the fire With large volumes of smoke rising from their lower decks aft these vessels gave up both fight and flight and ran in on the beach-the Infan- a.. n. amina, six and half miles from Santi- ago harbor entrance, and the Almirante Oquendo at about 10:S0 a. m. at Juan Gonzales, seven miles from the port
 The Nizcaya was still under the fire of the leading vessels; the Cristobal Colon had drawn ahead, leading the chase, and soon passed beyond the range of the guns of the leading American ships. The Nizcaya was soon set on fire and at HE she turned in shore and was beached at Aserradero, fifteen miles from Santiago, burning fercely and with her reserve of ammunition on deck already beginning to explode. When about ten miles west of Santiago the Indiana had been sig naled to go back to the harbor entrance, and at Aserradero the Iowa was sig naled to resume blockading station" The Iowa, assisted by the Ericsson and the Hist, took off the crew of the Viz caya, while the Harvard and the Glou- cester rescued those of the Infanta Ma ria Teresa and the Almirante Oquendo.
 This rescue of prisoners, including the wounded, from the burning Spanish yes sels, 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 reserve ammunition were exploding and it was not known at what moment the fire would reach the main magazines Tn addition to this a heavy surf was running just insidexof the Spanish ships. But no risk deterred our officers and men until their work of hu- manity was complete.
 There remained now of the Spanish ships only. the Cristobal Colon, but she was their best and fastest vessel Forced by the situation to hug the Cuban coast her only chance of escape was by superior and sustained speed: When the Vizcaya miles ahead of the Brooklyn and the Ore gon, but her spurt was finished and che American ships were now gaining upon her. Behind the Brooklyn and the Oregon came the Texas, Vixen and New York It was evident from the bridge of the New York that all the. American ships that she had no chance of escape. At 12:5O the Brooklyn and the Oregon opened fire and. got their range-the Oregons heavy shells striking beyond her-and at shot, hauled down her colors and ran ashore. at Rio Toruquino, forty-eight mil miles p1doT1,,S iron Santiago; Captain Cook of the surrender. While his boat was along side l came up in the New York, received his his re report ar and placed the Oregon in sible, and directed the prisoners to be transferred to the Resolute,, which had followed the chase: Commodore Schley, to receive the surrender. had directed that all their personal effects should be med fRe TRe Ge9n ondsr ad injured by our firing, and probably is not much injured by bleaching. though she So steep that she came off by the working of the. sea. But her sea valves wero opened and broken, treacherouslv. I am fn, sTre; after @ her, her surrender, and despite all that she could not be kept afoat she was pushed by the New York bodily upon the beach. the New York's stem being placed against her for this purpose-the ship being handled by Captain Chadwick with admirable judgment-and sank in shoaI water and may be, saved. Had this not been done she would have gone down in deep water and would have been to a certainty, total loss.
 regard this complete and important victory over the Spanish forces as the successful finish of several weeks of ar duous and close blockade, so stringent and effective during the night that the enemy was deterred from making the at tempt to escape at night and deliberately elected to make the attempt in daylight. That such was the case I was informed by the commanding officer of the Cris- tobal Colon.
 It seems proper to briefly describe here the manner in which this was accom- plished. The harbor of Santiago is nat urally easy to blockade, there being but and the deep water extending close up to the. shore line, presenting no difficult ties of navigation outside of the en- trance. At the time of my arrival before the port-July 1.-the moon was at it's full, and there was sufficient light during the nght to enable any movement out side or the entrance to be detected. But With the waning of the moon and the coming of dark nights there was oppor- tunity for the enemy to escape or for his torpedo boats to make an attack upon the blockading vessels. It was ascer- tained with fair conclusiveness that the Merrimac, so gallantly taken into the channel on June 3, did not obstruct it. I therefore maintained the blockade as fol- lows:
 To the little ships was assigned the duty in turn of lighting the channel. Moving up to the port, at distance of from one to two miles from the Moro dependent upon the condition of the at mosphere-they threw a searchlight beam