Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-28
Port Guanica, Porto Rico, July Is, 1895.
FIGHT AS SEEN FROM THE IOWA
Captain Evans Rcrorts on the Part
Played by His ship in
the Contest.

his ships action during the engagement:
UNITED STATES SHIP IOWA, FIRST
RATE-Off Santiago de Cuba, July 4, 1898
Sir: | have the honor to make the follow
ing report of the engagement with the
Spanish squadron off Santiago de Cuba on
July 8:
/. On the morning of the Sd, while the
dress crew was at quarters for Sunday in
spection the leading vessel Of the Spanish
squadron was sighted at $50 coming out
Of the harbor of Santiago de Cuba. Signal
'Enemy's ships coming out" was immedi-
ately hoisted and a gun fired to attract at
%tention. The call to general quarters was
sounded Immediately, the battery made
ready for firing and the engines rung full
speed ahead.
of sighting the squadron was the usual
blockadtng station off the entrance of the
harbor, MORO castle bearing about north.
and distant three or four miles. The steam
at this time was sufficient for a speed of
five knots.
3. After sighting the leading vessel the
lnfanta Maria Teresa, it was discovered
that it was followed in succession by the
three remaining vessels OF the Spanish
squadron, the Vizcaya, Cristobal Colon and
Almirante Oquendo. The Spanish speeds
was about eight or ten knots, which was
steadily increased as they cleared the bar-
Dor entrance. They maintained a distance
of about 500 yards between vessels. The
| SQuduTOn moved Win precision and stations
! were well kept.
A. Immediately upon sighting the leading
vessel, fires were spread and the Iowa had
headed toward the leading Spanish shin.
About $50 the first shot was fired from this
ship at a distance of about 5000 yards. The
course OF this vessel was so laid that the
range speedily decreased. A volume of shots
were hred at various distances. The range
was rapidly reduced to 2, 500 yards and sub
sequently to 1000 and 1900 yards.
D, When it was certain that the Maria
Teresa would pass ahead OF us the helm was
put to starhoard and a starboard broadside
fired. The ship hurried across the bow OF
the second vessel, and as 1t drew ahead il
received In turn the full weight Of our star
board broadside at a range of about 1.SOC
yards. The Iowa was again headed off with
port helm for the third ship and as 1t aD-
preached the helm was put to starboard un-
I'll our course was approximately that of
the Spanish ship. In this position at a
range of 1,40O yeards the fire of the entire
battery, including the rapid fire guns was
poured into the enemys' ship.
g.. About 10 o'clock the enemy's torped)
destroyers Furor and Pluton were observed
to have left the harbor and to be following
the Spanish squadron. At the time that
they were observed, and In fact most Of the
time that they were under fire, they were
at a distance varying from $500 and 4,OOC
yards. AS soon as they were discovered
the secondary battery of this ship WIGS
turned upon them, while the main battery
continued to engage the ViZcaya, Oquendc
and Maria Teresa. The fire Of the main bat
terry of this ship when the range was below
$500 yards was most effective and destruc-
tive and after q continuance of this fire for
perhaps twenty minutes, 1t was noticed that
Teresa and Oquendo were in flames and be-
ing headed for the beach. Their colors were
struck about 1920 and they were beached
about eight miles west of Santiago.
| l. About the same time about 10.Ok the
fire of this vessel, together with that of the
Gloucester and another smaller vessel
proved so destructive that one of the tor.
pedo boat destroyers (Pluton) was sunk, and
the Furor was so much damaged that 1t was
run upon the rocks.
s. After having passed, at 1926, the
Oquendo and Maria Teresa on fire and
ashore, this vessel was ordered to fire or
the Vizcaya until 1926, when a signal tc
cease firing was sounded on board, II hav.
ing been discovered that the Vizcaya had
struck its Colors.
0. At 400 the Iowa arrived in the vicin,
ity of the Vizcaya, which had been run
ashore, and, as 1t was evident that 1t could
not catch the Cristobal Colon, and that
the Oregon, Brooklyn ana New York would,
two steam cutters and three cutters were
Immediately hoisted out and sent to the
Vizcaya, TO rescue her crew. Our boats sue
ceeded In bringing off a large number OF
officers and men Of that ships company,
placing many of them on board the Ericsson
and the auxiliary dispatch vessel Hist.
10. About IL 80 the New York passed in
chase OF the Cristobal Colon, which was
endeavoring to escape from the Oregon,
Brooklyn and Texas,
IL. We received on board this vessel
from the Vizcaya, Captain Eulate, the COM
handing officer, and twenty officers, together
with about 24S petty officers and men, of
whom thirty-two were wounded. There
We're also received on board five dead bodies,
which were immediately hurled with the
honors due to their grade.
IL. The battery behaved well in all re-
spects. The dashpot of the forward l2-inch
gun, damaged in the engagement of July
2, having been replaced the same day by
one OF the old dashpots, which gave no
trouble during this engagement. This ship
was struck in the hull, on the starboard
side during the early part OF the engage
ment, by two projectiles of about 6-inch cal
iber, one striking the hull two or three feet
above the water. and almost directly in line
with the berth deck, piercing the ships
sides between frames nine and ten, and the
coferdam, between frames eighteen and
nineteen.
The first projeotile did not pass beyond
the inner bulkhead Of the Golfer dam A A.
4S, The hole made by it was large and
ragged, being about sixteen inches In a
longitudinal direction and about seven
inches in u vertical direction. 1t struck
with a slight inclination aft and perforated
the Golfer dan partition bulkhead a 4l-43-
45-47. It did not explode and remained in
the Golfer dam. The second projectile
pierced the side OF the ship and the Golfer
dam a IL. the upper edge OF the hole being
Immediately below the top of the Golfer
dam in the berth deck in apartment A l05.
The projectile broke the hatch plate and
ooaming Of the water tank compartment.
exploded and perforated the walls Of the
chain locker. The explosion created a
small fire, which was promptly ex-
tinguished. The hole in the side made by
this projectile was about five feet above
water line and about two or three feet
above the berth deck, One fragment of
this shell struck a link of the sheet chain,
wound around the six-pounder ammunition
hoist, cutting the link In two, Another per-
forated the coherdam ON the port side and
slightly dished the outside plating. These
two wounds fortunately were not of serious