The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-14

tlagO ue CuDa OIl July D was ScoSP"
Wright Graeme, of Wilkes-Barr ca
dct on board the battleship Iowa. In
IL letter to his father, Thomas Graeme,
he gives a graphic description of the
battle. He said.
of Santiago De Cuba.
July g. 1898.
The day was clear and bright. not a
cloud in the sky and a fine breeze blow
ing-an ideal Sunday morning.l was on
the bridge with Lieutenant Scheutze as
three bells had just gone and the men
were forming at quarters for SUNDAY
inspection, when he Uieutenant 81 said:
what is that coming out OF the harpor
Let's have your glasses
He took my Christmas present bin
oculars and the instant he got them TO
his eyes exclaimed There's a. Spanish
ship coming out of the harbor.'
Murfn, who is signal officer, at once
sang out: Hoist No. -" the signal
agreed upon). The quartermaster sound
ed the general alarm and Lieutenant
Hill. who had the deck, ran to six
FOUNDER and fired ii at the enemy for an
alarm gun.
The effect was electrical: the men left
their quarters at a run, cheering and
throwing their caps in the air, yelling
1.-The Spaniards are coming out, boys!
Hurrah"'
The guns were manned instantly. !
looked through my glasses at the enemy
a second after Lieutenant Scheutzc. A
splendid big dark colored cruiser, flying
a very large Spanish flag, was coming
out past Morro at full speed the white
spray flying from her cutwater. l
jumped to my turret and saw everything
ready in a hurry. The guns are always
kept loaded and it did not take ten Sec
onds to prime them.
ORDER OF EXIT.
The Spanish ships came out in the
following order, as we afterwards learned
from the NiZcaya's officers: Infanta Ma
ria Teresa 0lagship). Vizcaya, Cristobal
Colon, Oquendo and the torpedo boat de-
stroyers Pluton and Furor. The Iowa
was headed in towards MORO at about
6.OOC yards distance. The Spanish vessels
all headed to the westward and before
we had turned to follow them / got in
three shots at the Vizcaya, l think.
One of the cadets said he saw one OF
my shots land right on the Vizcaya S
forecastle and burst. This was the only
shooting I did in the action, as our star
board side was towards the enemy all
the rest of the time. Our heavy guns
began firing within two minutes after the
first alarm and you should have heard
the racket they made. Twelve-inch and
eight-inch guns went off every few sec
onds with terrific roars and the inter
walls were filed in with the boom of four.
inch and the incessant crack, bang
whang of the six-pounders.
The enemy's shells came over in show.
ers. the big one making a choo-choo oil
ripping-silk sound and smaller ones
whistlng and screaming. The smoke was
almost impenetrable-thick. heavy anc
of a pale yellow color. It overhung and
enshrouded everything. making it diff
cult to see the enemy. 7 saw the Texas
on our port hand and beyond her the
Brooklyn. The Oregon was to the cas-
ward of us. but she passed astern of Us
and headed in towards the enemy.
When the first ship came out she fired
an eleven-inch shell at us. which passed
just over the starboard quarter anC
struck the water near the quarterback
If 1t had struck us the effect would have
been terrific, as it was a raking shot. The
enemy fired great deal of shrapnel at u!
and the whistling of the rife balls as th'
shells burst could be heard plainly. The
two destroyers followed the Oquendo anC
they met with a warm reception, I car
tell you. We We're only 1900 yards from
the ships and even closer to the destroy
erS.
TORPEDO BOATS DESTROYED.
One of our 12.inch shells struck tn,
| Pluton on the port quarter and her boile
at once blew up, cloud of steam an'
| splinters going high in the air. Just pre-
vious to this both boats turned as If t.
re-enter the harbor, but their fate wa
| sealed. The Pluton drifted helplessly oil
| the beach. a flaming mass and the Euro
| was riddled by six Founders and by shot
| from the Gloucester, which ran towards
| them at full speed, firing with great ra
pidity.
| The two wrecks OF the dcstroyers ar
! on the beach about three miles west o
| Moro. The smokcstack is above TIL
| water.
| All this time a running fight was beinl
| kept up with the cruisers. Our twelv
| and eght-nch shells hulled them witt
| splendid effect and the lighter guns mad
| their sides look like pepper boxes. TIL
| Maria Teresa and the OQuendo We're seel
| to be on fire in about twenty minute
| from the beginning OF the action. The.
| headed for the shore and were on tn
beach in thirty-four minutes from tn
| first gun, complete wrecks. burning
| fercely. the Spaniards swimming ashor
on gratings, ladders and other wreckage
| The Oregon was with us, but she AM
| the Texas and Brooklyn devoted them
selves principally TO the Colon and Viz
| caya. We at once set out at full spec
| after these two ships.
The Oregon and Brooklyn kept up
| not 1lTe at lne TWO HeclUB
| and the Texas fired an occa sional LON
range shot. We were too far astern I
fire at them, but we began to gain slow
| ly on the Nizcaya. Our first action last
| ed fifty-four minutes and it seemed W
were to have another taste of battle, s
the men were sent to their guns agar
| However, it was not to be, for the Viz
caya put her helm aport and headed /
| for the beach in a sinking condition. Sh
| also fire Two hpDNV shells hu
hit us on the starboard bow forward @
the armor. The water-tight doors had a
been closed at the beginning Of the aC
tion, so the leak was not serious. We le
the other ships chase the Colon and W
turned in toward the Nizcaya. We lei
our guns and the words "out all boats
were passed
NEW YORK CAME UP.
While we were thus employed the Ne
York came astern. The men felt so happ
| il was almost impossible to keep thei
quiet. They yelled and shouted In by.
terical glce. They had licked the Don'
it seemed too good to be true. The bugl,
sounded "silence" and the men crowde
TO starboard side and waited for the fat
ship to pass What a fine looking lot
fellows they were. Many were Stripe
to the waist, grimy with powder and sbiI
ing with sweat from the tremendous el
ertion in the burning heat Of the tn
rets. There were engineers anc fireme
who had rushed up from below, the
faces black with the oily dirt OF the Ell
gines and coal dust. Every one of the
had smile on his face a yard long an
| seemed as If he could burst with enthus
asm and JOY
When the New York passed us CAPITA
Evans sang out "three cheers for Il
admiral" I never heard three sue
. cheers in my life. The very HEAVIER
echoed the Inspiring shouts. The Ne
York's men manned the rail and returns
the salute. Our cheers will not