The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-07-13
GuRRery Of Americans
Was Most Deadly,
Spanish Sailors Deserted Their Guns
And were Shot Down by Their
Own Officers.
BUoYED UP WITH FINE WINES


cruiser Vizcaya, now lying beached on
the southern coast of Cuba, gaping
shot wounds in her port side, her bow
blown out by theexplosion of some for
ward magazine or torpedo, blackened
by fire, beaten by waves, and as nearly
collection of scrap iron as once
splendid battleship can be, July 4, by
way of Port Antonio, July 5.
Last nights story of the mighty
fight, of our glorious victory and of
the complete destruction of the Span
ish fleet has been told. Early this
morning we headed our press boat Sill
via down the coast to inspect more
closely than we could yesterday, when
the fire was sweeping them, the wreck
ed and ruined leviathans of Spain's
navy. They lie with their heads buried
in the sand, as if to hide from them
selves the sight oi their own destruc-
ton and humiliation.
The first wreck we approached was
the Almirante Oquendo. She lies in a
small bay well up on the beach, her
steel sides SCARED by many shots, and
with one tremendous hole on the port
bow, showing where big 13-inch shell
from one of our battleships must have
exploded. She has also a large rent aft
on the port quarter, near the water line.
Her military masts have been swept
overheard and her decks are clear of
top hammer down to the turrets and
the guns. We lowered a boat to visit
her, and as we came alongside a shock
ing sight met our eyes. Dead Span
iards were floating all about in the wa
ter, stripped to the waist, as they had
stood to man their guns. We steered
nervously among the bodies, feeling
much pity, and some satisfaction, too,
that the Maine had been again so well
remembered. About this time the Su-
vance came up and sent the famous
Lieutenant Blue ashore in her whale
boat to look for survivors and take them
pi4otuSis. we ucNcALnllCU W lplAOWf
though we had neither lifeboat nor life
preservers, and though the surf was
running high and strong on the rocky
beach. But, deciding 10 swim for it if
we were upset, We dragged off our cloth
ing, and headed our jollyboat for the
shore.
Lieutenant Blues boat was some 20
yards ahead of us when we saw a huge
breaker lift it forward and throw the
officer overheard into the white froth
of the sea. We would have turned
back then IL we had been able, but it
was too late. We were in the breakers.
One after another the huge rollers broke
under us and over Us, lifted us high on
their curling backs and shot US at the
shore. When the first scrape of gravel
sounded under our keel we jumped out
and dragged the boat onto the beach.
Lieutenant Blue had been safely
hauled ashore by his crew and was in
terviewing band of Cubans, who like
wise were looking for Spaniards- But
as of Spaniards there were none, the
Lieutenant pushed out through the
breakers, boarded the Suwanee and put
to sea again.
We had concluded, however, that it
would be a glorious thing to capture
few Spanish prisoners ourselves, so we
joined some press boats and headed for
the Infanta Maria Teresa, further along
to the east.
This vessel is not in quite so bad a
condition as the Oquendo. Blaekened
10y fire and battered by shells she GER
tainly is, but her after military mast
still stands, her bridge, though much
bent and twisted, is recognizable, and
she has not such terrible shot wounds
ia her hull as the Oquendo has. New
ertheless she was the first of the Span
ish ships Yesterday to give up the fight
and head for the shore. We found her
still smoldering. IN the fire the car
tridges occasionally popped, as thop==.,l
feebly endeavoring to continue the
fight.
While William Hemment photo
graphed the wreck, l scanned the
shore for Spaniards, and finally saw
score of figures huddled together in
one corner of the beach. We shouted
to them, at the same time making a
with our firearms, and
the poor, eowed fellows with great alae-
rity waved white handkerchief or
shirt in token of surrender. l jumped
overheard, SWAN ashore and told them
we were going to take them aboard our
boat to the admiral. They appeared
rather gratified than otherwise, and
seemed to dread the Cubans far more
than the Americans.
| sent our small boat for the ships
launch, first having landed Mr.. Hem
ment and his assistant. We three stood
guard over our wretched Spaniards un-
til the launch arrived. Several Span
ish bodies, upon which the vultures
fed, lay along the beach. Mr.. Hem
ment took some rather gruesOme pho
tographs while made the Spaniards
bury their dead.
Most Of the prisoners were wounded |
and had been in the heat of the fight. |
We learned from them how the gun
lery of the Americans had become
iercer and deadlier, until the Spanish
,rews had deserted their guns and had
)een shot down by their own officers;
low, as the conditions of the battle be-
anne more and more desperate, the fine
vines and liquors of the officers mess
lad been handed out to the crews, so
hat with drunken courage they would
ight on in the hopeless fight, and how
{ last the officers themselves gave up,
nd, scuttling their ships, drove them
n the shore.
OF our prisoners, l6 were from the
Tizcaya, 6 from the Oquendo, and
-om the Maria Teresa, making a total
{ %. We took them aboard the Silvia
nd headed for the feet. As we passed
le Texas we signaIed our capture and
eceived hearty cheer from her jack
3 Admiral Sampson thanked US very
and asked US to deliver our
risoners on board the st. Louis We ;