The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-07-29
To the commander-in-chi second squadron, United States naval force, North Atlantic station.
Lieut.. Usher of the Ericsson.

l IoJo.
 | Sir-1.. In obedience to article 437,69S, | United States navy regulations, 1896. 1 respectfully report that on the morning of July 8, 1898, the U. s. T. B. Ericsson was proceeding under half speed on | the starboard quarter of the U. $. flag | ship New York towards Siboney when
 the enemy was sighted coming out of 1 the Santiago entrance, we being then 1 five or six miles to the eastward of the 1 Morro. The vessels of our fleet were | firing on the enemy. The helm was put hard aport and full power put on
 as soon as possible and the course di-
 rected towards the enemy's ships, the
 crew at quarters and the vessel In all
 respects ready to deliver tordepo at
 tack. By the time We had turned to
 westward two of the enemy's vessels
 were out in plain sight, they were fol- | lowed In short intervals by the other
 two cruisers and then after long in- l terval by the two torpedo boat de- | troyers. The fire of the shore batter ies supported the enemy's fleet and the | fire of both fleets was rapid and con- | tinuous. The flagship New York had | hoisted signals "close in towards har-
 Dor entrance and attack vessels" The l Ericsson proceeded as fast as possi- | ble, the steam pressure and speed gradually increasing. The shore bat l teries at the entrance to Santiago were | directing their fire on the Gloucester at this time, which was hotly engaged
 with two torpedo boat destroyers. At
 full speed we drew near the entrance, and as we passed. and afterward the fire of the shore batteries were directed on
 us. Several shells struck us short or
 beyond and two burst overhead. The
 Ericsson was not struck. The Brook | lyn, Texas, Oregon, Iowa and Indiana l were closely engaged with the Colon, i Vizcaya, Oquendo and Maria Teresa. The firing was furious. As we drew | near the two torpedo boat destroyers | were seen to strike to the Gloucester
 and the Maria Teresa and Oquendo to run ashore, strike their colors and dis play white flags. They were both on fire and clouds of steam arising from
 their matches and ports. The Indiana remained near them, the Iowa directing her fire on the ViZcaya and the Oregon joined in the chase of the Colon The course Of the Ericsson was directed to-
 wards the Vizcaya, prepared to deliver torpedo attack, but before we could
 arrive within striking distance the Viz caya was seen to strike to the Iowa,
 run ashore and burst into flames, her
 engines being left running and clouds of steam issuing from all her openings
 on deck and in her sides. The course
 of the Ericsson was then set for the
 Colon, which was running fast to the
 westward pursued by the Brooklyn, Texas and Oregon. AS the Ericsson
 was hauling away from the New York
 in the chase signal was made request
 permission to continue the chase" The
 flagship hoisted negative and by wig
 wag signal directed Ericsson to pick
 up men in the water astern. Turned
 with port helm and found and picked
 up one man afioat on a piece of wreck
 age and then returned to chase, the New York in the meantime chasing
 faster after the Colcn. As we came up
 with the Iowa lying about two miles sea-
 ward of the Vizcaya, the Ericsson was
 hailed and directed to go in shore and
 rescue the crew of the Vizcaya. Ran close alongside the Vizcaya and sent 1 SlIldll DOdL lO iSi, poebtS Ilciii i' W ce
 pulling in also at the same time. Ex-
 plosions from the ammunition on
 board the Vizcaya began about this
 time and her guns, which had been left loaded. were fired The Vizcaya was on fire fore and aft but the mass of
 the fire was aft and the position of
 the Ericsson was perilous in the ex-
 treme and only the urgency of the oc-
 casion caused her to remain. Rescued
 eleven officers and about ninety sailors
 and marines from the vessel, many of them seriously wounded. The Spanish
 were no sooner taken on board than
 they urged immediate withdrawal of
 the Ericsson, but this vessel remained until all alive had been taken from the Vizcaya by the Ericsson's small boat
 and the boats from the Iowa. One of
 the Vizcaya's large cutters was also
 used The Ericssons deck was then
 crowded with prisoners. These were all
 put on board the Iowa and the Ericsson
 was by her directed to verify the in
 formation given by the Resolute, which came up from eastward and sig
 nailed "Enemy's ships to eastward. 7"
 Spoke Resolute, which reported that she
 had made out an enemy's battleship off
 Siboney, then spoke transport Comal, which had only seen the signal display |, ed by the Resolute; then spoke liar ward. which reported having made out an enemy's battleship, requested liar
 yard to notify Iowa and proceeded un- der full speed to eastward. Off the vii
 cinity of Siboney sighted Indiana and
 an Austrian battleship. The Indiana signalled Ericsson to come within hail
 and directed that we proceed under l full speed to westward to notify our vessels of presence of Austrian battle : ship Infanta Maria Teresa which, de-
 siring to go into Santiago, had been referred to the mander-in- chief, in
 view of the existing conditions. Pro- ceeded as directed until up with Iowa. Reported to commander that our coal was almost gone and that we were us- ing salt feed in the boilers, the vessel only carrying two hours fresh feed at full power and the Ericsson then hav- ing been ever four hours under full power Received permission to return to eastward and proceeded until sig
 nailed by Harvard to come within hail. By her was directed to tow her boats
 to and from the burning wrecks of the