Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-07-14

50. IN the morning, they slgnaied 70
Us from the E"ttery that only the Texas
and the Brooklyn were 70 the westward,
and we got under way, the Maria Ter
esa being the flagship and taking the
lead We opened fire on the BROOKLYN
and the Texas answered it but her shot
fell short. Otherwise she would have
struck Us for Il was straight line
shot The Brooklyn and Iowa then
fired. but neither shot nit. Again the
BROOKLYN and the Texas fired The
Brooklyn shells went into the admir-
ais cabin, and exploded, set fire to the
after part of, the ship. The ahell
from the Texas pierced our side armor
and exploded III the engine room, burst
ing the main steam pipe. We s1gnaled
TO the engineer to start the pumps, but
got no reply and then found that
all below in that part of the
ship had been killed At that time
it was like hell on our bridge. Shells
were bursting all around rs and the
ships hull was being riddled below.
The captain turned TO me and said: Sir,
30 You think il Is best TO continue the
hopeless fight. or, for the sake OF hu-
manitv and to save life, should we not
beach the ship7 Many of our guns are
dismOunted and our engines are Grip
pied. Sir, I replied, we are unable to
fight1longer. Let Us beach the ship.
Then. as | said that. a shell struck our
captain. His last words were haul
down the colors. The American fire
was SO fierce ana their shells were
bursting around us 50 fast and making
50 much smoke that the Americans
could not see that the hag was down
and continued firing. I sent below for
a blanket and ds soon as it was run up
the firing ceased.
Meanwhile, the Vizcaya had run be-
tween us and the Texas and was then
engaging three ships the Brooklyn,
Organ and Texas. She made desper-
ate but hopeless fight. Now that we
have learned that we lost between eight
hundred and Thousand men and the
Americans lost only one man. II amaZes
us 1t is incredible. We cannot COM
prehend 1t.
1t does not seem possible, and yet
we must believe it. Have we not seen
with our own eyes the utter wrecks Of
our ships and how yours We're not hurt.
even the smallest injury, that We could
see?"
IF you had managed TO escape, where
WOuitl 1OI udNt SDIlN+ IL -AtA4A'ANr-C''-
BY no means, tine officer replied.
oar intention was TO run TO Havana,
raise the blockade there and enter the
harbor
What will be the result of the
battle?7 The Spanish commander was
asked.
"Ah, / do not know, was the mourn
ful reply. Il hear now that the Amer
leans intend sending their feet to my
country-that Is my anxiety, Ny poor
Spain will be helpless against your at
tack. I have seen what your ships can
do and know our exposed cities will be
destroyed"
You We're, then, much impressed
with the fire of the American ships?'
I'VE were all astonished by its amaz-
ing rapidity and deadliness, was the
frank reply. 1T will be an awful fight
and Spain viii suffer most. But If any
one was bold enough to suggest that to
nv countrymen he would be cut TO
pieces If America carries the war IN
to Spain and defeats US there, the dis
grace would be too great to bear. You
know the fall of great nation IS like
the fall Of a great faIaily, and great
shall be the fall thereof, and ! am
afraid that is how it will be with Spain.
O God, open the eyes Of my country
men at home that they may under
stand why we were.defeated here. "
"Do you think Santiago can hold out
much longer?" the second captain OF
the Maria Teresa was asked.
No" he replied. They are very
shart of provisions there. Rice is the
chief article of diet little else IN the
way of food being left. Beef Is very
scarce and very poor.
The officer was curious to know as to
whether the Americans had suffered
much loss when their land forces made
an attack on Santiago. He was told
the number reported lost, and seemed
surprised that it was no greater. Why,
we lost that many ourselves, he said,
and yet our men were fighting behind
entertainments and your llen were at
tacking as.