Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-27

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why the batteries never onc,o,
upon the searcblight ship was a,wa Ms
matter Of surprise to me. Sta,io,o,
70 the entrance Of the port wers *
picket launches, and at little d,.,s
iufthef out. three small picket vo,.-,
usually converted yachts. and when =
were available, one or two Of orr I
boats. With this arrangement thor. ~
az least a certainty that nothing ,a''a a
get out Of the harbor undctected
the arrival Of the army. when tho NJ
ton forced upon the Spanish admir-,
lecision, our vigilance increased.
The night blockadlng distance wa.
duced to two miles for all vessels a..
battleship was placed alongslde i.
searchlight ship. with her broaAsss
trained upon the channel In readt,s..
lire the instant a Spanish ship sho.,t
pear. The commanding officers merit Il.
greatest praise for the perfect MAINS, {
which they entered into this plan J..
put IL into execution.
The Massachusetts, which. aeeord,ru.
routine, was cent, that morning IN ~,
a. Guantanamo, like the others had 49,
weary nights upon this work, and A.
served q better fate than to be abss,,
that morning. | enclose, for the in,o,
nation Of the department. COPIES NJ !.
ders and memorandums issued fran lin.
to time relating 10 the manner or mai,
tanning the blockade. When an the wo,b
,uffG q fEIf1 fe a
eliminate In praise. The object Of ths
blockade IF Cervera's squadron was fuIlv
accomplished, and each individual bo,.
well his part IN it, the commodore in com
mand of the second division. the can,ai,,
Of the ships. their officers and men. Thu
fire Of the battleships was powerful and
destructive, and the resistance Of tba
Spanish squadron was. in great part
broken almost before they had got beyond
the range Of their own forts.
The fine speed Of the Oregon enabled
her to take a front position in the chase
and the Cristobal Colon did not give m
until the Oregon had thrown a 1s-inch
shell beyond her. This performance adds
to the already brilliant record OF this fine
battlcship and speaks highly of the SKIN
and care with which her admirable eff.
cheney has been maintained during a SER
vice Unprecedented in the history of YES
sells Of her class. The Brooklyns wester
ly blockading position gave her an advan-,
tage in the chase which she maintained
10 the end, and size employed her fine bat
terry with telling effect.
The Texas and the New York were
gaining on the chase during the last hour
and had any accident befallen the Brook
Ign or the oregon, would have speedily
overhauled the Cristobal Colon. From the
moment the Spanish vessel exhausted her
first burst Of speed the result was never
in doubt. She fell. in fact. far beloy
what might reasonably have been expect
ed Of her Careful measurements of time
and distance give her average speed from
The time she cleared the harbor mouth
until the time she was run on shore Al
Rio Tarquino, Of 1874 knots.
Neither the New York nor the Brook
Ign stopped to couple up their forward
engines. bur ran out to the chase with
one pair getting stearn. Of course, as
rapidly as possible on all boilers. Several
of the ships were struck. the Brooklyn
more often than the others. but a very
light material injury va IS done, the great
est being aboard the IOWA.
Our loss was one man killed and one
wounded. both on the Brooklyn. 1t Is
difficult to explain this immunity from
loss of life or injury tq ship in a combat
with modern vessels oil the best type but
Spanish gunncry is poir at the best and
the superior accuracy end weight OF our
fre speedily drove thl men from their
guns and silenced their fire. This Is borne
ont by the statement q prisoners and ey
observation.
The Snanish vessels Is they dashed out
Of the harbor. were covered with Inc
smoke from their OWN guns, but ms
sncedily diminished ini volume and soon
almost disappeared. Tho fire from the
rapid-tire hatteric, of she bdttleships ap-
pears TO have been remarkably destruc-
tive An examination Of the stranded
vessels shows that the AImirante Oquendo
especially had suffered terribly from this
fire. Her sides are everywhere pierced
ana her decks were strewn with the
charred remains of those vino had fallen
The reports Of Commodore Schiey ana
the commanding officers are enclosed.
a board. appointed by me, several days
ago. has made Il critical examination OF
the stranded vessels. both with view o.
reporting upon the result Of our ire ana
tne military features involved, and OF re-
porting upon the chance of saving any OF
them and of wreckuE the remainder. Inc
report of the board will lac speedily lof'
wardcd. Very respectfully,
w. T. SAMPSON
Rear Admiral L. S. Navy. Commander
in-chicf United States Naval Force Norm
Atlantic Station.
To the Secretary Of the Navy Ma"
Department. Washington, D. c.
NCMc NICCETC