The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-08-11
VIEWED FROM THE IOWA.
Carl George Writes a Graphic De.
sCrlption of the Sdnt1-
ago Fight.
How the Iowa Put Some Effective
Shots In the Span
ish fleet.

letter from Carl George, on the United
States steamship Iowa, off Guantan-
amo, Cuba. last week. In this letter,
the young Redwood Falls representa-
tive on one of the best battleships
afoat. and under the gamiest captain
on the high seas, gives an interesting
description of the destruction of Ger
vera's fleet, near the mouth of Santa
go harbor, on the morning of July 3D.,
as seen from the Iowa. Here is what
he says, under date of July 23d:
"You must excuse me for not writ
ing sooner, as you know we have been
on the go ever since war was declared,
chasing the Spanish feet from place
to place, and now since we have caught
them and destroyed the entire feet,
we have got little rest.
I'VE caught the Spaniards in Santi-
ago and held them in the harbor for
six weeks, but on Sunday morning.
July Sd, they made bold dash for
liberty. The Spanish admiral waited
his chance the fewest number
of ships were in the blockade. So, on
the Sunday morning mentioned, when
the flag ship (New York; had steamed
about 20 miles up the coast, and the
Massachusetts was up at this place
coaling, and the New Orleans was
away, leaving the Iowa, Oregon, Texas,
BROOKLYN and Gloucester, the only
ships in the blockade, the Spanish ad-
miral cav his chance. Well, to tell
the solid truth, they caught US nap
ping. We did not expect they would
make break. So, we were getting
through the usual Sunday morning
routine at $40 a. M, and we're all at
quarters for inspection, when the Ma
ria Teresa was sighted coming out by
the man at the wheel Well, in mo-
ment everything was changed. The
men did not need an order to man the
guns. Every soul was at his station
in less time than it takes to tell it.
! We cleared the ship for action in about
five minutes, and the Maria Teresa
was pretty we'll in view, and had al
ready opened fire on us. One shell
struck us on the armor plate on the
starboard side, amidship, and splin-
tered into thousand pieces. By this
time the Vizcaya, which was close be-
hind the Maria Teresa, was round
Jag the point, and we opened fire on
the two of them with our forward
twelve inch guns, and the forward
eight inch guns, and the spots went
true to their mark. The second twelve
inch guns she'll from our ship struck
the Vizcaya in her torpedo room, ex'
ploding her torpedoes and killing 81
men.
Well, by the time Almirante
Oquendo and Cristobal Colon and the
two torpedo boat destroyers, Plutor
and Furor got out, Capt. Fighting BOZ
Evans was getting interested. and ht
gave the order to "head in. W.
steamed in towards the Spanish ships
to within 800 yards of them, and thel
swung around to give them our star
board broadside, which consisted O
four II inch guns, four 8 inch guns
10 six FOUNDER rapid firing guns, three
4 inch rapid firing guns and two Col
automatic guns. We kept up stead.
fire for Al minutes. The torpedo de
stroyers weie sunk in less than 80 min
utes. The Maria Teresa was seen t
4! be on fire and heading for the beach
She hauled down her colors, and wen
ashore with all her magazines ant
ammunition blowing up.
"a quarter of mile further dow
the coast, the Almirante Oquendo die
the same act, after which we made
run for the Vizcaya and Cristobal Col
on, which we're keeping up stead.
fire on her until six miles from wher,
the other two had gone ashore, whel
she put her wheel over and was seel
to swing around toward the beach al
in flames. Then down came her color
and she went ashore The Iowa's crev
sent up three cheers, and 1 neve
heard such cheering before. We low
cred our boats and pulled alongsid'
1.-The Vizcaya and took of all the Span