The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-24
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by an External ENpIOsiOn-NO Eff
feet Like That on the Maine Pro-
duced by the Explosion of the
Magazines on CerVera's ships.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.
Santiago de Cuba, July Amy doubt
that may have existed that the Maine was
blown up by an outside explosion has been
dissolved by the examination of the des-
troyed Spanish ships" said a member of
the board of survey that examined the
remnants of Admiral Cervera's feet
"Of four ships examined three had been
blown up by their magazines" he con-
tinued, 'and of these one had every mag
azlne exploded ana torpedoes In addition,
yet ON none of them was there the same
effect as that produced by the explosion
on the Maine. There was no upheaval of
the keel and little bulging of the plates
except in the immediate vicinity of the
explosion. The effect was nearly altogeth-
er upward, In some cases the protective
deck being lifted but, outside of the
springing Of a few plates the hulls were
intact"
The examination of the wrecks of the
Spanish ships, three of which were burned,
and all their magazines exploded, was
made first, for the purpose of ascertaining
the effect of American gunnery and Sec
ondly, to find the effect of internal explo-
sion
Both subjects bore upon the Maine Incl
dent as noted above and the awful effect
of well aimed shots was demonstrated in
the rapid sinking of the fleet. When IL is
remembered that the Almlraute Oquendo
and the Infanta Maria Teresa We're both
sunk within forty minutes of the time they
left the entrance of Santiago harbor, the
work of American gunners may well be
considered as remarkable.
The Almlrante Oquendo was struck over
IS times, and the lnfanta Maria Teresa 81
times but by larger projectles.
The record of the damages to these ships
Is one of great interest. The fight started
at q range of 6,0OO yards, or three miles
At 1900 or $500 yards two torpedo boats
and two cruisers were annihElated.
The closest fighting was done at 100 and
1000 yards, by the Brooklyn ana Vizcaya,
with annihilating effect on the Spanish
ship.
But two proJectllcs larger than S-nch
struck a vessel, both of these, either u or
15-inch being put through the Infanta Ma
RIA Teresa.
The S-inch, 6-inch, 5-inch and 6-pounder
projectiles did the bulk of the work, and
were frightfuny destructive
Some idea of the effect can best be ob-
tained from a brief summary of the In
juries 10 each ship as found by the cx-
such capable men as Executive Officer
Rogers of the Iowa, Executive Officer
Mason of the Brooklyn, an expert on the
effect of shells on armor; Lieut.. Huess-
Ter of the Texas, who has made some
splendid improvements in gun firing on
that ship, and Naval Constructor Hob
son. of Merrimac fame, who has a repu-
tation for knowledge of ship construc-
ton. Briefly, these officers found:
Cristobal Colon, battleship, first class,
6-inch steel for protection above the water
line. This ship was hit with large pro-
1ectles but six times, ae it kept out Of
range nearly the whole time, rushing be-
hind the other ships for protection fnd
finally making a run for IL. Hits were
made by the Brooklyn and Oregon. One
S-inch shell went into the port side Of
the wardroom and left on the starboard
side without exploding. but cleared out
everything in the room. A 5-inch hit just
above the aTmor belt and 6-inch struck
her on the bow. None of the injuries were
sufficient to put her out Of action, nor
as serious as those of the Brooklyn, at
one time her sole antagonist The asser-
ton that the Brooklyn was overhauling
her and that the Oregon's terrific 13-inch
guns were shooting nearer and nearer
and that escape was impossible, seems to
be the correct solution OF her surrender.
The Vizcaya, armored cruiser, is Of the
same class as the battleshps Texas and
Maine She carried two 11.5-inch guns
and ten 5.5-inch guns, with projections
ten and twelve inches thick, double and
treble that of the Brooklyn. This ship
was the special prey of the Brooklyn and
the Oregon although the Texas, after her
destructive work of the Almrante Oquen-
do and the Iowa added a little at long
range. The Vizcaya exclusive of 1-pound-
ers and Tapid-hre hits which swept her
deck, was hit with large projectlles four
teen times and by 6-pounders eleven times
The S-inch guns on the Oregon and the
5-inch on the Brooklyn tore her structure
above the armor belt into shreds, while
the 6-pounders and 1-pounders made It
too warm for men to stand at the guns
The Texas got in a few 6-inch shots and
the Iowa landed a couple Of 4-inch shells.
No 10 or Pinch shells struck her.
The Infanta Maria Teresa the flagship
of the same build of the Vizcaya, was
badly punished, and was the only one Of
the four ships hit by p or 13-inch projec-
tiles. She has two of that size clean
through her, and the position of one would
tend to demonstrate that It was fired by
the Texas. An 8-inch shell, undoubtedly
from the Brooklyn, because she was the
only ship in line with the Maria Teresa's
head as she turned west, entered just
forward Of the beam on the port side and
exploding inside, cleaned out the deck with
four gun crews This Is the shot Admiral
Cervera said came from the Brooklyn
set fire to the ship. The Teresa's great
difficulty, and the one that compelled her
hurried surrender was that her fire mains
were cut and that she was unable 70 ex-
tlnguish the fire that was driving the
men from her guns.
The Almraute Oquendo, armored crui-
ser. same class as Nizcaya and Teresa,
went through the most terrible ordeal OF
any OF the ships, except the torpedo boats.
Her upper works were one ragged mass
of cut up steel and her declYs were COW
cred with dead and dying. She was hit
O