The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-07-07


simultaneously up went a flag of white
on the Oquendo, and down came the
flag of Spain.
An hour and half had elapsed since
Cervera left the harbor, and of the
vessels which came out only his flag
ship was still in action.
The Moro battery still stormed i'm
potently at the New York The Amer
lean army, with thousand dead and
wounded, was not yet in Santiago,
but Cervera's $ fleet was destroyed, and
Cervera himself was only struggling
on because he wished to make his de-
feat glorious in the eyes of the atten-
tive world.
He had proven, at least, that he was
not bottled up so tightly as was sup
posed. He had lost nearly all his YES
sells, and perhaps more than half of his
men, but his penant was still flying
and some of his guns were still in ac-
tiOn.
Cervera passed the bay in which the
Oquendo had sought refuge and held
on a due westward course close to the
land, but evidently nourishing the
desperate hope that he might break
through the line and reach free water
He had passed in succession the In
diana, the Iowa and the Texas, not to
speak of the little Gloucester, which
spouted six-pounder shells at him.
Since his flag had appeared outside
the harbor his ship has been struck
again and again. By this time the
Vizcaya and the Oquendo were beaten
but in spite of the twelve and thirteen
inch shells that were rained upon him
at range which was short for such
guns, in spite of the fact that his boil
ers and machinery were damaged, he
held his course. From a point mile
west of the Moro the Cristobal Colon
was invisible frequently in low hang
ing smoke from his own guns and that
also which drifted in shore from the
battle ships.
At half-past II o'clock Cervera saw
the Oregon coming in shore ahead of
him to round him to. The smoke was
very thick. The firing was incessant
Cervera's available guns were no
longer well served. Shells had set fire
to his ship near the stem, and the
flames were controlled with difficulty
but the Spanish admiral altered his
course and headed off from the coast,
as if to attempt to pass between the
ships and run for it.
1t was impossible The Iowa and
the Texas were already moving down
to close the gap, and the Spanish flag
ship, raked by the Oregon and the
Brooklyn at from a thousand to three
thousand yards, and by the Iowa and
Texas at longer range, turned in shore
again and ran for the rocks where the
surf was breaking. Cervera still re
piled occasionally, and | wondered
when the smoke hid his ship if he
would be afloat when it lifted.
But his ship moved slowly now, as
if disabled, and in few minutes more
his guns were silent. Black smoke re-
placed the swirling white The flag
ship was afiame. Her men had been
unable either TO work the puns or
smother the flames caused by bursting
shells, and she was headed for the
rocks.
She struck bow on and rested there.
Red flames burst through the black
smoke and soon pillar of cloud rose
straight up a thousand feet and then
bent against the green mountain.
Cervera's ship was hopelessly lost.
The American battleships ceased fir
ing before she struck, and ran in, APP
parently with the intention of saving
the survivors as prisoners. This was
evidently expected by the Spaniards,
hundreds of whom thronged the for
ward deck, watching the flames eat
ing their way toward them.
The casualties will not be accurately
determined until tO-m morrow. Evident
ly the American losses were slight in
comparison with the Importance of
the accomplishment of annihilating
Cervera's S squadron.