The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-05
BEACHlNG THE VESSELS

OLnOtisiSA IT,
The Enemy Ran Their flaming Ships upon
the Rocks, and, Escaping 10 the Shore
Amid the Thunder of Quick Succeeding
Explosions, Threw Themselves Upon the
Mercy Of Their Captors, who Sent a Guard
10 Protect Them from the murderous CubanS
Hiding il the Bush and Treated them With
Every Consideration that Could be Accorded
Such Gallant Foes.
Copyright 1893 by Associated Press)
Ten miles west of the entrance OF the
harbor of Santiago de Cuba, Sunday,
July 3. 4 D. m., by the Associated Press
dispatch boat Wanda, to Port Antonio,
jamaica. Monday morning, July 1, VIA
Kingston, Jamaica, Jug 4, 4:4o Il. H.
Admiral Cervera's s fleet, consisting of the
armored cruisers Cristobal Colon, Al
mirante Oquendo. Infanta Maria Teresa
and ViZcaya. and two torpedo boat de
strovers. the F'uror and the Pluton,
Santiago de Cuba for six weeks past by
the combined SquadronS OF kear Al
miral Sampson and Commodore Schiey,
lies today at the bottom of the CarfIp-
bean Sea, off the southern coast OF Cu-
4. I...sr.
of war on the auxiliary gunDoat Glouces-
ter formerly j. Pierpont Morgan's yacht
Corsair). and 1000 to 1900 other Span
ish officers and sailors. all who escaped
the frightful carnage caused by the
shells from the American warshlps, are
also held as prisoners of war by the
United States navy. The Spanards,
when they found they would be per-
mitted to live. adapted themselves com
fortably to the situation, rolled their
cigarettes and began playing cards
among themselves.
The American victory is complete, ana
according to the best information OH
tainable at this time. the American yes
sells were practically untouched, ana
only one man was killed, though the
ships were subjected to the fire of the
Standards all the time the battle lasted.
BOLD DASH FOR LIBERTY.
Admiral Ceryera made as gallant Il
dash for liberty and for the preservation
of his ships this morning as has ever
occurred in the history of naval war
fare I'm the face of Overwhelming ODDS,
with nothing before him but inevitable
destruction, or surrender if he remained
any longer in the trap III which the
American fleet held him, he made bold
dash from the harbor at the time the
Americans least expected him to do 50,
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 the harbor, and commenced their
work Of destruction immediately. For
an hour or two they followed the flying
Spaniards to the westward along the
shore line sending shot after shot into
their blazing hulls, tearing great holes
in their steel sides and covering their
decks with the blood of the killed and
wounded. At no time did the Spaniards
show any indication that they intended
To do otherwise than fight to the last
They showed no signals to surrende.
even when their ships commenced to
sink and the great clouds of smoke pour
ing from their sides showed they Were
on fire. But they turned their vessels
toward the shore. less than mile away,
and ran them on the beach and rocks,
where their destruction was soon com
pleted. The officers and men on boa fd
then escaped TO the shore az well rs
they could, with the assistance of boats
sent from the American men of war.
and threw themselves upon the mercy
their captors. who not only extended
TO them the gracious hand Of American
chiyalry, but sent them n guard to pro-
1ect them from the murderous bands of
cuban soldiers hiding in the bush on
the ohillside, eager to rush down and
attack the nnarmed. defeated. but val
orons foe. One after another the
Spanish ships became the victims Of the
awful rain of shells which the Ameri.
can battleships, cruisers and gunboats
poured upon them. and two hours after