The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-07-13
HOW IT WAS DONE.
Admiral Cervera and His Gallant
Attempt
TO ESCAPE FROM SANTIAGO.

Attempt
TO ESCAPE FROM SANTIAGO
Additional Details of the Destructio,
of the Spanish Squadron by the Am
erican Fleet. Great Work Of tn,
Little Gloucester.
Cerveraa fleet is done. Its destruc
ton was as complete as that which over
took that other Spanish squadron il
Manila Bay. Not single vessel of the
magnificent Cape Verde squadron re
mains ahoat under Spain flag Cerver;
Is a prisoner on board an American VA,
ship, and ali his officers and men who
were not killed in the action or drowned
IN the sea are prisoners as we'll Ceryera
took the last desperate chance that re-
manned to him. To stay in Santiago
meant that his vessels would be pounded
to pieces by the artillery he.Americans
would have at their command when the
city fell. Destruction was certain
there. Outside the harbor the deadly
crescent Of the American ships was
waiting for HIM TO win 4 way he must
break this line. He must risk this
storm Of shot and she'll and trust to
superior speed of his splendid ships to
carry at least some of them clear of his
enemies. He tried it and he failed
Before his twenty-knot cruiser were
anywhere near clear Of the American
ships they were on fire in dozen places
Their engines we're shattered; their
decks RAINING with blood. They could
only trail through the water fast enough
to run ashore, and by counting destruc-
tlon escape surrender.
Il was $50 o'clock Sunday morning
July 3, when the Cristobal Colon, the
finest cruiser afoat, poked herdesperate
nose out OF Santiago harbor. Just ahead
steamed the two torpedo boat destroy
ers. Behind her, and all steaming at
full speed, came the Vizcaya, Oquendo
and lnfanta Maria Teresa. Every one
OF them was working every battery. At
2 o'clock in the afternoon the Colon,
the last of them to remain afoat, weak
ly ran ashore sixty miles west of Santa
go, dropped her flag and becamea wreck.
The other three cruisers, burned and
shattered, never got twenty miles from
Santiago. What is left of them hangs
on the coral rocks of the beach or grinds
in the white sands. The torpedo de-
stroyers are at the bottom of the sea
within four miles OF the harbor mouth.
There was more to Cerveras dash than
at present appears. For two nights
beacon lights have been burning on the
high hill at Santiago. After the action
today war ship flying Austrian colors,
suddenly appeared OFF Santiago. Seeing
the Spanish ships aire en- the beach she |
turned sharply around and put to sea. |
The meaning of this is rot clear to any
body here. Two torpedo boats made |
straight for the Brooklyn. The. little {
Glouster, Morgan's old yacht, CUT across
to the BrooNyn's help and fired the first
shot Of the engagement.
The doomed procession cleared the |
harbor bluffs and turna3 sharply to the
West. They were making wonderful |
speed, and the white saole of their |
guns stretched back from each one like |
veil blowing in the wind Suddenly. |
with crash louder than nything before
heard off noise-racked Santiago, the FIVE
American battle ships opened at once.
The Colon actually reeled under the i'm 1
pact of tons and tons of metal For as, I
instant her speed slackened, but her en-
gines were not damaged by this first |
discharge, and she had regained her full
speed before the Fizcaya, thatwas clase
behind, had oyertaken her The i've
American battle ships strung out inlsne
parable! with the Spanish naval prices
sion. The Spaniards were between the
Americans and the shore, and sae both
sides raced, and it was broadS1le to
broadside The splendid Spanish |
cruisers had guns enough abosrd to- do !
US great damage and her mea work. ed |
them as fast and as hard as they. knew
how; but, as in the battle Dewey fought, /
the one thing the Spaniar9s lacked was
skill in gunnery. Their shells made
the water boil far beyon3 the American
line, bat not she'll hit any of. our ships
in this part of the conflict
The Americans, on the contrary, made |
nearly every shot counA Their fire was
not over fast We hsaships enough to
give the enemy leewax without wasting |
ammunition. The end was never fora |
moment in doubt. forum the gantlet |
of the American ships in the position
they occupied was naval impossibility,
but Cervera and his captains made /
gallant try at it. Cervera's plungs was \
as magnificent as itwass hopeless, The /
Spanish Admiral. had, not even the sat !
isfaction Of damaging, his countrys I
enemies before his ships weredestroyed.
The Gloucester was hit, but did not B
lose man, and single American, 4
George H. Ellis, chief yeoman Of the +
Brooklyn, was killed, and that Is the
total OF the loss sustained by Ghe Amer
can feet. We have now on raard our |
ships 1900 Of the officers and raen of
the Spanish squadron, and probably 700
lost their lives in the action When
the Spanish ships came to their end. |
they were clumsy with dead men, and /
in the wreckage that foated from the \
shattered war ships other dead were
tangled.
While generally on guard against an
attempt by Ceryera to break from the
trap he steamed into six weeks ago. the
Americans had not expected dash at
this narticrllar time So little idea Of