The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-07-20
THE TRUE STORY
OF THE DESTRUCTION OF
THE SPANISH FLEET.

of the Great Naval Engagement
by q Correspondent who Stood
Almost at Commodore SchIey's
Elbow.
The following description Of the bat,
tie between the American and Spanish
warships off Santiago was written by
the only non-com batant who witnessed
the entire fire. The non-combatant
was the correspondent Of the Associated
Press. who saw the engagement from a
position almost at the elbow Of Commo-
dore Schley on the United States ar,
morcd cruiser Brooklyn:
Sunday. July +. the fifth Sunday for
the American squadron before Santa
90, and the ninth weekly anniversary
Of the day Of the Dewey victory OF
Cavite. and the fifth Of the discovery
by Commodore Schley of the where
abouts of Admiral Cerveras squadron,
brought no particular different situa-
ton from that marking the preceding
Sundays. The motonony, the lack OF
picturesqueness at daybreak, the heat
of the tropical sun-all were there.
The vessels on the blockade were the
Iowa, Indiana and Oregon, battleships:
the flagship Of Commodore Schley. the
Brooklyn, and the small yachts Glou-
cester and Vixen. The Iowa was
swinging mile further out than the
rest Of the squadron, trying to fix her
forward 12-inch turret, which was out
of repair, while the Indiana was doing
the same thing to her forward l3-inch
turret. The absolutely available ships
in the squadron, therefore, were only
the Oregon, Texas and Brooklyn, al
though later both Captain Evans and
Captain Taylor fought their ships.
1t is custom on ships, regulated by
the rules, that there shall be a general
muster at least once each three months,
and that the "Articles of War" shall
be read. First call had been sounded
at 9. Is a. M, and the men were assem-
bling on the decks. The lookout in
the masthead of the Brooklyn had some
time before reported smoke in the har-
Dor, but as the same thing had been
noticed several times, no special atten-
ton was paid to it. The Brooklyn and
the Vixen were the only ships to the
west of the entrance; the other ships
having drifted well to the east. On the
bridge, Navigator Hodgson, Of the
Brooklyn, said sharply to the lookout:
''Isn't that smoke moving? and the
lookout, after a minutes inspection
with the long glass, dropped it excited
ly and fairly yelled; There's big
ship coming out Of the harbor, sir,
Hogdson, who is a particularly cool
man, looked once himself; and then,
grasping the megaphone, shouted:
After bridge, there! Tell the COM
modore the enemy's feet is coming
out.
Commodore Schley was sitting un-
der the awning on the quarterback.
Going to the bridge, he said: Raise
the signal to the feet, and turning to
Captain Cook; who stood near. he said:
Clear ship for action Then he went
forward and took his place on a little
platform Of wood running on the out
side of the coming tower, which had
been built for him. He was dressed in
blue trousers, a black alpaca jacket and
the regulation cap, without the broad
band of geld braid.
The men with yell went to their
guns and the rapid preliminary orders
were given. Schley, glasses in hand.
watched the first ship turned out and
saw her start for the west. Still he
gave no signal to fire or move. The
Oregon opened with her 13-inch shells
and the Indiana and Texas followed suit
But the range was long one. Still the
Brooklyn waited. But down below the
coal was being forced into the furnace,
every boiler was being worked and every
gun made ready to fire. Schley wanted
to know which way they were going, or
whether they would scatter In the
meantime the Oregon began to turn to
the west and the Taxas moved in closer
and was damaging the leading ship, the
Infanta Maria Teresa.
';They are all coming west, sir. :
shouted Lieut. Ears, and just then the
western batteries opened up.
Full speed ahead Open fire" shout
ed the commodore.
Fire deliberately and don't waste Il
shot, he added, and the orderlics car
ried the word to turrets. In an in
slant the Brooklyn's terrific S and .
inch batteries on her port side opened
and the cruiser headed for point in
front Of the first escaping ship, firing
at and receiving the fire from two of
them.
Then Commodore Schley saw that
the first ship was coming out from the
shore, headed directly for the Brooklyn
with the evident intention of ramming
her. 4 clever manoeuvre was here ac-
compished. Hard aport with your
helm, shouted Schley' and the cruiser
began to go around.
Quickly she turned and quickly her
big steel ram was pointing at the first
ship. The Infanta Maria Teresa had to
work in shore to avoid being ramed.
The shells of the Texas and the Oregon
with the terrible storm Of shell from the
Brooklyn, had done their work and the
smoke began to appear pouring from
her decks
At 10 o'clock the entire Cape Verde
squadron was outside the harbor and
going rapidly westward. The Iowa and
Indiana could not keep up the pace but
the Oregon was coming across to the
assistance Of the Brooklyn, which at
1905 was engaging the first three ships.
the Infanta Maria Teresa. the Cristo-
bal Colon and the Eizcaya. At l0.1l
the Spanish ships had all concentrated