The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-07-07

Spaniards to the westward along the
shore line. sending shot after shot into
their blazing hulls, tearing great holes
in their steel sides and covering their
decks with the blood of the killed and
wounded.
Driven ON the Rocks.
Atno 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
Ire. But they turned their heads toward
the snore. less than mile away, and
ran them OH the beach and rocks,
where their destruction was soon COM
pleted. The officers and men on board
then escaped to the shore as we'll 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
guard to protect them from the MUIR
Derous bands of Cuban soldiers hiding
10 the bush on the hillside, eager to
rush down and attack the unarmed,
defeated but valorous foe.
Merciiess Hurricane of Shot and She'll.
All of the American battleships
opened fire as soon as the Spanish yes
sells were in range and the latter were
soon in hurricane Of shot and shell,
but the Colon kept on bravsly till when
about 10 miles from the westward of
Morro castle Admiral Cervera turned
his vessel to the shore and beached her.
She was blazing in score IT places,
her guns kept at work, and the white
flag never showed until she was com.
pletely disabled.
The Oquendo and Vizcaya were OPP
posed to the Iowa, Texas and Indiana,
and went down to defeat with fearful
swiftness, covering only about half
the distance made by the Colon before
their captains ran them ashore. Their
crews fought with desperate bravery,
but their courage was no match for the
courage Of our men added to their
superb gunnery. The Spanish shells
went wild for the most part, but the
American gun fire was marked by mer-
CHESS precision. The two cruisers,
both on fire, were beached not more
than quarter of a mile apart.
The Gloucester Does Good Work.
The most dramatic feature of the
battle was the contest between the tor.
pedo boat destroyers and the Giouces-
ter. The latter was struck several
times, and is the only American vessel
reported damaged. At first the Glouces-
ter fired upon them with her six
Founders, but they ran past her and
engaged the battleships Finding the
fire too hot, they returned and attacked
the Gloucester again, until both the de-
stroyers were airs and had to be
beached. Their crews threw them
selves into the surf to save their lives.
Just before this the New York came
upand assisted in giving the finishing
blow to the destroyers. There was ex.
plosion after explosion from the
beached vessels.
There is no means of telling now
what the Spanish loss was, but it is
believed to have been very heavy, as
the prisoners in custody report their
decks strewn with dead and wounded
in great numbers.
Cervera on Board the Gloucester.
Admiral Cervera escaped to the shore
in a boat sent by the Gloucester to the
assistance of his vessel, and as soon as
he touched the beach he surrendered
himself and his command to Lieuten-
ant Norton, and asked to be taken on
board the Gloucester, which was the
only American vessel near at the time,
with several of his officers, including
the captain of the flagship The Span.
ish admiral, who was wounded in the
arm, was taken to the Gloucester and
was received at the gangway by her
commander, Lieutenant Commander
Richard Wainwright, who grasped the
hand of the gray bearded admiral and
said to him:
AZ congratulate You, sir, upon hav.
ing made as gallant fight as ever was
witnessed at sea. /"
Lieutenant Commander Wainwright
then placed his cabin at the disposal OF
the Spanish officers.
CERVERA'S STATEMENT.
Would Rather Lose His Ships at Sea Like
Sailor than shut mp in a Harbor.
Off Santiago de Cuba, July A, per As
soclated Press Dispatch Boat Cynthia
II, via Kingston, Jamaica, July 6. The
first and only statement concerning the
recent naval battle made by the Span.
ish commander, Admiral Cervera, was
to correspondent of the Associated
Press on board the battleship Iowa. 1t
was as follows: