Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-07-07
EVERY SHIP DESTROYED.
The Most Remarkable Naval En-
gagement, Dewey's Exploit
Excepted, Ever Fought.
cERVERA'S SQUADRON ANAlHILATED.
Attempting to Escape From Santiago Bay,
He Encounters Simpsons FIeet-An
the Spaniards Killed or Captured-The
Americans Lose But One Man Killed
and Sustain No Damage.

TEN MILES WEST OF THE ENTRANCE
OF THE HARBoR OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA,
July 3. 4 P. N, by the Associated Press
Dispatch Boat Wanda, to Port Antonio.
Jamaica, July Admiral Cervera's
fleet, consisting of the armored cruis-
ers Cristobal Colon, Almirante Oquen-
do. Infanta Maria Teresa and Vizcaya
and two torpedo-boat destroyers, the
Furor and Pluton, which had been
held in the harbor of Santiago de
Cuba for six weeks past by the COM
bined squadrons of Rear-Admiral
Sampson and Commodore Schley, lies
to-day at the bottom of the Caribbean
sea off the south coast of Cuba.
Cervera Taken Prisoner.
The Spanish admiral is prisoner of
war on the auxiliary gunboat Glouces-
ter formerly j. Pierpont Morgan's
yacht Corsair), and 1000 to 800 other
Spanish officers and sailors, all who es-
capped 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 American Victory Complete.
The American victory is complete
and, according to the best information
obtainable at this time, the American
vessels were practically untouched and
only one man was killed, though the
ships were subjected to the heavy fire
of the Spaniards all the time the bat
tie lasted.
A Gallant Dash for Liberty.
Admiral Cervera made as gallant
dash for liberty and for the preserva-
ton of his ships this morning as has
ever occurred in the history of naval
warfare. In the face of overwhelming
odds, with nothing before him but in
evitable destruction, or surrender 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.
Commenced the Work of Destruction.
The Americans saw him the moment
he left the harbor, and commenced the
work of destruction Immediately. For
an hour or two they followed the fly
ing Spaniards to the westward along
the shore line, sending shot after shot
into their blazing hulls, tearing great
L. IN or nd
their decks with the blood of the killed
and wounded.
No Signals of Surrender.
At no time did the Spaniards show
any indication that they intended to do
otherwise than fight to the last. They
showed no signals of surrender even
when their ships commenced to sink,
and the great clouds of smoke pouring
from their sides showed they were on
fire. But they turned their heads to-
ward the shore, less than mile away,
and ran them on the beach and rocks,
where their destruction was soon COM
pleted.
Threw Themselves Upon the Mercy of
Their CaptOrs.
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 muir
derous band: of Cuban soldiers hiding
in the bush on the hillside, eager to
rush down and attack the unarmed,
defeated but valorous foe.
An Awful Rain of Shells.
One after another of the Spanish ships
became victims to an awful rain OF
shells which the American battleships,
cruisers and gunboats poured upon
them, and two hours after the fleet had
started out of Santiago harbor, three
cruisers and two torpedo-boat destroy
ers were lying on the shore 10 to Is
miles west of MORO castle, pounding
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.
Heavy explosions of ammunition oc-
Cured every few minutes sending
curls of dense white smoke 100 feet in
the air and causing Il shower of broken
iron and steel to fall in the water on
every side. The bluffs and coast line
echoed with the roar of every explo-
sion and these Spanish ships sank
deeper and deeper into the sand or else
the rocks ground their hulls to pieces
as they rolled or pitched forward or
sideways, with every wave that was
washed upon them from the open sea.
Himself and His Command.
Admiral Cervera escaped to the shore |
in a boat sent 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 officers, in |
Guiding 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 band of the aybearded
admiral and said to him:
As Gallant Fight as Was Ever Wit
messed on the Sea.