The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-05


showed they were on fire. But they
turned their heads towards the shore, less
than a mile away, and ran them on the
beach and rocks, where their destruction
was accomplished. 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
chiyalry, but sent them guard to pro-
tect 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 valorous feo.
One and another of the Spanish ships
became the victims of the awful rain of
shells which the American battleships,
cruisers and gunboats poured upon them,
and two hours after the first of the feet
that had started out of Santiago harbor,
three cruisers and two torpedo boat de-
stroyers were lying on the shore ten to
fifteen miles west of Moro castle, pound
ing to pieces, smoke and flame pouring
from every part of them and covering the
entire coast line with mist which could
be seen for miles.
Heavy explosions of ammunition oc.
CURED every few minutes, 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
re-eohoed with the roar Of every explosion
and the Spanish vessels sank deeper and
deeper into the sand or else the rocks
pounded their hulls to pieces as they
rolled or pitched forward or sidewise.
with every wave that washed upon them
from the open sea. Admiral Cervera es-
capped to the shore in 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 Lieut.. Morton and asked
to be taken on board the Gloucester.
which was the only American vessel near
him at the time, with several of his Off
GERS, including the captain of the flag
ship.
. The Spanish Admiral, who was wound
ed in the arm, was taken to the Glouces-
ter and was received at her gangway by
her commander, Lieut.. Commander
Richard Wainwright. who grasped the
hand of the gray -beared Admiral and said
TO him:
II congratulate you sir, upon having
made as gallant fight as was ever wit.
messed on tie sea.
Lieut.. 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
Cristobal Colon. But half dozen curls
of smoke far down on the western horizon
showed the. fate that was awaiting her.
The Cristobal Colon was the fastest of
the Spanish ships, and she soon obtained
a lead over the others after leaving the
harbor and escaped the effect of shots
which destroyed the other vessels. She
steamed away1at great speed with the
Oregon, New York, Brooklyn and several
other ships in pursuit, all Of than firing
at her constantly and receiving fire them
selves from her after guns. There seem ed
no possibility, whatever, for her to es-
cape and while her fate is not definitely
known at this hour it can be readily i'm
agined from the W ords of Captain Robley
D. Evans of the Iowa, who returned from
the Westward with 34O.prisoners from the
Vizcaya just as the Associated Press
despatch boat Wanda was leaving the
Spanish flagship.
In answer to an inquiry, he shouted:
81 left the CristobaI Colon far to the
westward an hour ago and the OREGON
was giving her hell. She has undoubted-
" gone down with the others and we will
have 4th of July celebration in Santiago
Tomorrow sa@o
Captain Evans, who had been in the
thick of the engagement up to the time
he took the Vizcaya's officers and crew
from the shore, said that to the best of
his knowledge not one American shin
had been struck.
The torpedo boat Ericsson, which also
-