The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-28
SAMPSON is FAIR
His Official Report on the Naval
Battle
Involving the Destruction OF
CerVera's Fleet.
He CLAIMS NO PART
But Would Have Been In if 1t
Had Lasted.
Especial Praise of the Little
Gloucester.
He CLAIMS NO PART

Washington. July 27.-The navy de-
partment has made public the report OF
Admiral Sampson on the battle of July
3. which resulted in the destruction of
Cervera's squadron. The report is as
follows:
United States Flagship New York
First Rate, Off Santiago de Cuba. Gu
pa, July Is, 1898.
Sir: l. I have the honor to make the
following report upon the battle and
the destruction of the Spanish squad
. ron, commanded by Admiral Ceryera,
off Santiago, on Sunday, July 3rd, 1893
.. The enemy's vessels came out of
the harbor between $3.50 and 1000 a. m,
the head of the column appearing
around Cay Smith at 9:31 and emerg-
ing from the channel five or six min
utes later
3. The position of the vessels Of my
command off Santiago at that moment
were as follows: The flagship New
York was four miles ee st of her block
aiding station and about seven miles
from the harbOr entrance. She mad
started for SlbOney, where INTENDED TO
land, accompanied by several OF my
staff, and go to the front to consult
with General Shafter. discussion of
the situation and a more definite under
standing between US of the operations
proposed had been rendered necessary
by the unexpectedly strong resistance
% of the Spanish garrison at Santiago. 1
had sent my chief of staff on shore the
day before to arrange an interview with
General Shafter, who has been suffer-
ing from heat prOstratiOn. 1 made ar
rangement to go to his headquarters
and my flagship was in the position
mentioned above when the Spanish
squadron appeared in the channel. The
remaining vessels were in or near their
usual blockading positions; distributed
n ri roll a hon ha har -}arlT-
trance counting from the eastward to
the westward in the following order:
The Indiana about mile and a half
from shore; the Oregon, the New
YOrk's place between these two, the
Iowa, Texas and Brooklyn the latter
two miles from the shore west of San
tiago. The distance of the vessels
from the harbOr entrance was from two
and a half to four miles-the latter be-
ing the limit of day blOckading dis
lance The length of the arc formed
by the ships was about eight miles.
The MaSsa chusetts had left at a. M
for Guantanamo for coal Her station
was between the Iowa and the Texas.
The auxiliaries Gloucester and Vixen
lay close to the land and nearer the
harbOr entrance than the large vessels
the Gloucester to the eastward and the
Vixen to the westward. The torpedo
boat Ericsson was in company with the
flagship and remained with her during
the chase until ordered to discontinue
when she rendered very efficient ser
wee in rescuing prisoners from the
burning Vtzcaya- I enclose a diagram
showing approximately the positions of
the vessels as described above.
4. The Spanish vessels came rapidly
out of the harbOr, at a speed estimated
at to 10 knots and in the following
order; 1nfanta Maria Teresa, alag
ship, ViZcaya, CriStObal Colon and the
Almirante OquendO. The distance be
tween these ships was about 500 yards,
winch means that from the time the
nrSt one became visible in the upper
reach OF the channel until the last one
was out of the harbOr an interval of
only about twelve minutes elapsed.
Following the OquendO, at a distance
OF ABOUT 1,ZOO yards, came the torpedo
boat destroyer PlutOn, and after her
the Juror. The armored cruisers. as
rapidly as they could bring their guns
to bear, opened a vigorous fire upon the
plocF rSd1ng vessels, and emerged from
the channel shrouded in the smoke of
tb IT guns.
The Fight Begins.
5. The men on the port were at Sun
day quarters for inspection The sig
nal was made simultaneously from sew
eral vessels "Enemy's ships escaping.''
ana an general quarters was sounded.
Ine men cheered as they sprane to
their guns and fire was opened proba b.
ly within eight minutes by the vessels
whose guns commanded the entrance
me New York turned about and
flying the signal Close in toward har,
Dor entrance and attack vessels" and
gradually increasing speed, until to-
ward the end of the chase she vas ma
king sixteen and one-haIf knots and
vas readily closing on the CristO7aI
Colon She was not at any time
within the range of the heavy SDanisb
snps, and her only part in the firing
was TO receive the undivided fire from
the forts in passing the harbor en-
trance and to fire a. few shots at one of
the oestroyers, thought at the moment
Gloucester 4-
The Spanish vessels upon clearing the
ndIooi turned to the westward in col
I'm, increasing their speed to the full
PIwer OF their engines. The heavy
bIockading vessels, which had closed
IN toward the Moro at the instant Of
the enemyS appearance and at their
pest speed delivered a rapid fire. wei
sustained and destructive which eraad
ny VerWhelmed and silenced the SDan-
ISM nre- The initial speed of the Snan
lards carried them rapidly nast tba
pIockading vessels and the battle deveI-
Oped into a chase in which hte PrOOIxlx-y,
ana IeXas had at the start the advar+-
aSe OF position. The Oregon steamino
WIN amazing speed from the COM
1 1lIs-ilceI1eEF e the action, took first
pace The iowa and Indiana ba11i1-~
zone good work, and not having th9
I pe5u OF the other ships, were directed
~ me IN succession, at about the time
Of ~ d was beached, to drop out
$50 tae chase and resume blockading
sCatlolls- These vessels rescued rnanV
prisoners The Vixen binding thai
me rush of the Spanish ships would
p le her between two fires, ran outside
r. otL eQIumn and remained there dur
The GlOucester's Part.
ee,+tIIhe skillful handling and gallant
nsntlhg OF the Gloucester excited the
Il 80 q Ion Ion OF every one who witnessed
80. anu merits the commentator of the
lay department. She is a fast and
a. 10y giy unprotected auxiliary vessel
80 60 q s1eu NJ! Corsair-and has a good bat