The age-herald., 1898-07-12
OFT TOLD TALE
 AGAIN REPEATED Officers Who Participated Tell of DeS-
 truCtiOn Of CerVera'S Fleet. THE IOWA WAS THE FIRST To Get in a Good Lick as the Spanish Vessels Emerged From Harbor.
THE IOWA WAS THE FIRST
OREGON DESERVES GREAT CREDIT
But For Captain Clark's BattIeship the Cristo- bal Colon Would in all Probability Have Destroyed or Disabled the Brook
 lyn-Goucester's Work.

Portsmouth, N. H.. July 11.-The few off, cers who came in on the St. Louis and who participated in the fight with the Spanish cruisers off Santiago were obliged to tell the whole story of the memorable contest While in the main their accounts did not differ materially from the press dis patches, yet they seem to give credit to the work of the Oregon.
 From an account as given by one officer, 1t appears that on the morning of the fight four American warships lay off the en- trance to the harbor. The Oregon was slightly to the east; then to the westward came the converted yacht Gloucester, lying between the Oregon and the Iowa. To the westward of the Iowa the Texas, while further along, in fact eight or ten miles to the west of the harbor, was the Brook lyn, with Commodore Schley on board
 The position of the fleet was in accord ance with the plan mapped out by Admitai Sampson and his command had definite or ders in case the Spanish fleet made dash out of the harbor. While all the ships had steam up, none of them with the exception of the Brooklyn was under way. The lat ter had few minutes previous to the sighting of the Spaniards, turned away to the westward and when the first shot was heard from the Iowa she was going away from the fleet at about an eight knot speed Why the Brooklyn was steaming off to the west at this time is not known. Her com mander had to swing round and in doing so he put his helM to starboard and made a long sweep to port, going a mile or inore off shore in the maneuver.
 The first Spaniard that came rushing our of the harbors mouth was the Cristobai Colon, with Admiral Cervera on board, the Vjzoava was second the Alm rante Oouendo third and the Maria Teresa fourth. while two tarpedo boat-destroyers brought up the rear.
 The Iowa the First
 While the Iowa got in the first lick at the fleet as they came dashing by, the ore gon was the first American outside the Brooklyn in motion. She gathered headWay SO fast that she cut in between the Iowa and the fleet and pumped In a good lS-lncn shel lat the Colon before she had gone by. The Oregon was, therefore, in most ex- cellent position to meet the Vizcaya when she came along and, with the help Of the Texas, tackled her so flercely that she was on fire in few minutes and had headed for the beach.
 While the Oregons whole forward star hoard battery was banging at the Vizcaya the after guns had swung around and were also pumping shells into the Ouuendo, which also had been tackled by the Iowa, which in the meantime had oisposeu ol lhe Teresa.
 The wreck of the three Spanisrads was accomplished in about fifteen or twenty minutes and by this time the Oregon had attained her maximum speed. With her forced draught on and every pound or steam up the big Pacific coast battleshrp plowed through the water as she never dld before, except possibly on her speed lrlal three years ago.
 Leaving the Texas and Iowa to complete the destruction of the remainder of the Spaniards and the rescue of the unfortunate sailors Captain Clark headed the Oregon after the Colon.
 The Brooklyn had by this time taken her wide sweep off shore and was headed in for the Colon, opening up on that vessel with her port broadsde. As the Colon ran . by the Brooklyn, she gave the latter the benefit of her big guns, and no less than thirty shots took effect on the Brooklyns port side. a number of them passing clear through the Yankee cruiser.
 Used Sta rboard Guns
 As the Colon went by the Brooklyn the latter turned her starboard guns on the Spaniard. In the run up the coast the Brooklyn was hit dozen times on her starboard side, while all three of her tall smoke stacks showed the effects of the Colon's stern chasers. The superior speed of the Brooklyn and Oregon sealed the fate of the Colon, and after a run of forty miles Admiral Cervera ordered the flagship to be headed for the shore.
 The Colon struck about 150 yeards from the beach and soon as she had grounded Admiral Cervera ordered every one to jump overheard and plunged into the sea him. self, followed by all his officers.
 The little Gloucester, after destroying the torpedo boat destroyers turned after the Oregon and made such good time that she was up even with the Colon when she ran ashore. As she drew considerable less water than either the Oregon or Brooklyn, her. commander, Lieutenant Commander Wainwright, was able to run in quite close to the stranded Spaniard, and the Glouces- ter's boats were sent out after the swim ming crew.
 Admiral Cervera was picked up just out side the surf about ten yards from shore and, after his long swim, was thoroughly exhausted.
 The Colon had just turned in shore when the New York came up after a long and quick run. The flagship was enabled to get in dozen good shots before the Colon s flag came down, that Admiral Sampson had a hand in the fight, although it was a brief one.- It will be seen, therefore, that