The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-07-06
CERVERA CAPTURED.
Splendid Victory for SIMPSONS Great
Fighters.
ENTIRE SPANISH FLEET DESTROYED.

NAA1L u AAAaA AA-A~A 0IS@@-N ~@~"
Adpoiral Cervera's fleet. which was
eb5ttled up'' in the harbor of Santiago
since May 18th. made dari 1g attempt to
run the gauntlet of American warships
that havo been guarding the entrance to
the bari or on Sunday morning and, after
a haitl- -ontinuing for two hours, was
completely annihilated. The pride of the
Spanish navy, four cruisers, the Christie
bal Colon, Almiranta Oquendo, Infanta
Maria Teresa, Nizcaya. and two tarpedo-
boats, the Furor and the Pluton, riddled
by shot and shell and burned to the wa
ter's edge, lie along the shore west of
MOrro Castle. Thirteen hundred Spanish
officers and sailors, and Admiral Cervera,
himself wounded, are prisoners of war.
Only one American sailor was killed
and one wounded. and the American
ships are practically uninjured.
Cervsra's dash for liberty was one of
the most gallant efforts recorded in naval
history. In tho face of overwhelming
odds, with nothing before him but inevi-
table destruction or surrender. he made
a bold dash for the harbor at a time when
the Americans least expected him TO do
so, and, fighting every inch of the way,
even when his ships were ablaze and
sinking, he tried to escape from inevita-
BILE destruction.
Admiral Sampson, on the flagship New
York, left the blOckading station at an
early hour Sunday morning and stesmed
tation with General Shafter, afier two
days fighting between the forces of the
opposing nations. At9:30 o'clock the look
out of the fleet discovered smoke rising
from the entrance to the harbor. and few
minutes later it was seen that Ctrvera's
flaghip, the Christobal Colon, was headed
for q American fleet. She was followed
by the other Spanish vessels. all under
a full head of stesm. Commodore Schley,
from the Brooklyn. signaled the Aneri-
can warships to rush inshore. and for two
hours they followed the flying Sp aniards
to the westward, sending shot after shot
into their blazing hulls. Ths' Spaniards
showed no signs of surrender, evs N when
their ships were sinking. l'nt they turned
lttuc lOhdl0 AIt Aa4A hhCAA oA
the beach and rocks, where their destruc-
ton was soon completed. The officers
and men who ESCAPED the storm o. Amer
lean bullets pitched themselves nto the
surf and made their way 10 Ike 81 ore. as
sisted by boats from the Amssric IN fleet.
Five O. the six Spanish ships p-ers beach
ed and burning and the only one LEFT. the
af hea
fleet remained aflOaf. She WAS sfeaming
away at great speed. hotly pu rsned by
the Iowa, Texas, New York, Sl1ookiyn
and Oregon, whose shells set her on fire.
With many of his guns dism ant led and
escape shut off Cervera headed for the
rocks. She struck bow first anC rested
there. She was hopelessly lost al "a burn
ing fierceIy when the American sgunners
ceased firing. Boats were sent co rescue
the living of her crew. Admiral Cervera
escaped 10 the shore ON boat ser by the
Gloucester, which before the war was
J. PierpOnt Morgan's yacht Cors lir, and
as soon as ne reached the beach snrrend-
cred himself and his men. He ~ ked to
he taken on board the Gloucester, where
lac was received by Commander Vain
wright, who took him by the he nd and
said: "I cong ratulate you. sir, nj osl hsv-
ing made as gallant a fight as ever
witnessed ON the sea- The com n,Ansier
placed his cabin at the dis ,osal Sf the
Spanish officers.
There is no telling now what the Span
ish loss was. bnt it is beliey ed to have
beer vsss heavy, as the prise 'ners In ols-
tody report their decks strew n with dead
and wounded. A large number Of the
Spanish wounded were removed 60 the
American ships.