The record-union., 1898-07-05


day morning, July 4, via Kingston, Ja-
maica. July 4. 4:45 a. m.-Admiral
Cervera's fleet, consisting of the arm
ored cruisers Cristobal Colon, Almiran-
tie Oquendo, Infanta Maria Teresa and
Vizcaya and two torpedo boat destroy
ers, the Furor and the Pluton, which
have been held in the harbor of San
tiago de Cuba for six weeks past by
the combined squadrons of Rear Ad-
miral Sampson and Commodore Schley
lie to-day at the bottom of the Carib-
bean Sea off the southern coast of Gu
ba. The Spanish Admiral is a prisoner
of war on the auxiliary gunboat Glou-
cester formerly j. Pierpont Morgan's
yacht Corsair) and 1000 to 1850 other
Spanish officers and sailors, all who
escaped the frightful carnage caused
by the shells from the American war
ships, are also held as prisoners of war
by the United States navy. The Span
iards, when they found they would be
permitted to live, adapted themselves
comfortably to the situation, rolled
their cigarettes and began playing
cards among themselves.
The American victory is complete,
and, according to the best information
vessels We're practically 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.
Admiral Cervera made as gallant a
dash for liberty and for the preserva-
tion of his ships as has ever occurred
in the history of naval warfare. In
the face of pvaf.Ur rbal, odds wifi,
nothing but inevitable destruction if
he remained any longer in the trap in
which the American fleet held him, he
made bold dash from the harbor at
the time the Americans least expected
him TO do so, and fighting 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 American gun trained upon
his vessels
The Americans saw him the moment
he left and commenced the work Of de-
struction Immediately For an hour
they following the flying Spaniards to
the westward along the shore line,
sending shot after shot into their hulls,
tearing great holes in their steel sides.
and covering their decks with the blood
did the Spaniards show any indication
that they intended to do otherwise than
fight to the last They showed no sig
nails of surrender even when their
ships commenced to sink, and the great
clouds of smoke poured from their
sides showed that they were on fire.
But they turned their heads toward
the Shore less than a mile away, and
I1<e,f 1F hn
where their destruction was soon COM
pleted.
The officers and men on board then
escaped to the shore as well as they
could, with the assistance of boats sent
from the American men-of-war, and
then threw themselves upon the mercy
Of their captors, who not only extended
to them the gracious hand of American
chivalry, but sent them a guard to
protect them from the murderous bands
of Cuban soldiers hiding in the bush ON
the hillside. eager to rush down and
attack the unarmed, defeated, but val
orouS foe
One after another of the Spanish ships
became the victims of the awful rain
of shells which the American battle
ships, cruisers and gunboats poured
upon them, and two hours after the
first of the fleet had started out Of
Santiago harbor, three cruisers and two
torpedo boat destroyers were lying on
the shore ten to fifteen miles west of
Moro Castle, pounding to pieces.
smoke and fame pouring from every
part of them, and covering the entire
coast line with a mist which could be
seen for miles, with the explosions of
ammunition occurring every few min
utes, sending curls Of dense white
smoke a 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 sunk deeper and deep
er into the sand, or else the rocks
ground their hulls to pieces as they
rolled or pitched forward or sideways
with every wave that washed upon
them from the open sea-
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 Lieutenant Morton, and asked to be
taken aboard the Gloucester. which
was the only American vessel near him
at the time, with several of his officers.
including the Captain of the flagship,
The Spanish Admiral, who was wound
ed in the arm. was taken to the Glou-
cester and was received at her gang
way by her commander. Lieutenant
Commander Richard Wainwright. who
grasped the hand of the gray-bearded
Admiral and said to him: Il congratu-
late you. sir, upon having made as gall
liant fight as was ever witnessed on
the sea-"
Lieutenant Commander Wainwright
then placed his cabin at the disposal of
the Spanish officers
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
Crlstobal Colon. But half a dozen
curls of smoke far down on the western
horizon showed the fate that was await
ing her. The Cristobal Colon was the
fastest of the Spanish ships, and she
soon obtained lead over the others
after leaving the harbor. and escaped
the effect of the shots which DESTROYED
the other vessels. She steamed awav
at great speed, with the Oregon, New
York, Brooklyn and several other shins
in pursuit, all of them firing at her
constantly, and receiving fire them
selves from her after guns. There
seemed no possibility for her escape. and
& NOT Il o&x.s.