The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-07
SPANIARDS MADE
A DASH FOR LIFE.
They Took a Desperate Chance and
Lost the Game.
THE VICTORY WAS SCHLEYS.
He Received the Sword of the Com
mandcr of the Colon-The Chase
Was the Most Exciting i'm the
History of Naval Warfare.

dent sends his paper the following thrill
ing account Of the attempted escape and
! subsequent sinking OF Cervera's fleet.
On BOARD THE UNITED STATES
BATTLEsHIP TEXAS. OFF SANTA
! Go. July AT $3.50 o'clock this morning
while the battleship Texas was lying di-
rectly in front Of Santiago harbor, Lieu
tenant NJ. l.. Bristol saw smoke arising
from MORO Castle and La socapa. An
instant later the nose Of a ship poked
out behind Estrella battery. Clash went
! the electric gongs calling the ships com
pany TO general quarters. Full speed
| ahead plunged the Texas toward the
enemy and up Auttered the vari-coiored
! flags signalling the enemy is trying 10
| escape"
The Brooklyn. Iowa, anl 4 eson re-
sponded Immediately Al hca lea toward
| the harbor .ntral-e, .sins men about
two and a hair lies away
There was much suppressed excitement
! aboard all the vessels as they sped IN
! tho direction OF the enemy. The hrst
| of the Spanish squadron 10 come INTO
view was cruiser OF the Niicaya class
| the Almirante Oquendo. Closely follow
I
was easily disunguishable by the MILL
| tary masts between her two smokestacks.
/ Then came the two other cruisers-Niz-
| caya and Infanta Maria Teresa.
| CERVERA'S SHIPS OPEN THE FIGHT
Almost before the leading ship was
clear of the shadow OF MORO Castle the
| fight had begun Admiral Ceryera start
! ed IL 10y q shell from the AlmiTante
! Duuendo. to which he had transferred MS
! flag. IL struck none Of theAmerlcan yes
sells. in twinkling the big guns OF me
| Texas belched forth their thunder "hich
was followed Immediately by heavy
fire from our other ships The Spaniards
turned TO the westward under fun steam
mourning a constant fire on our shlps
and evidently hoping 10 get away py
their superior speed.
The Brooklyn turned her course paIdlei
with that Of the Spaniards, and, after get
ting I'm gooy range. began a running
| hight. ...-.,. l,,. IN
THE TEXAS IN THE THICK OF 1T.
The Texas. stu heading in shore' kept
up "a hot exchange OF shots with the ioIe-
most ships. which gradually drew away
10 the westard under the shadow Of the
hills The third of the Spanish vessels
Tine Vizcava or Intanta Maria Teresa. was
caught by the Texas I'm good hsnuhs
range. and 10 was she th3t engaged
,be chief attention Of the first bat
uesbip commissioned in the Amer
lean Navy-tho old hoOdoo but now
| the old hero The Texas steamed west
with her adversary and as she could not
catch her with speed she did with her
sbaus Captain John W Philip directed
operations from the bridge until the hre
! got SO hot that he ordered the snip 10 De
rum from the coming tower, and the
bridge contingent moved down 10 the
massage surrounding the tower This
was a providcnfial move. for moment
later she'll from one Of the Spanish
cruisers tore through the pilot-house. III
would have killed the whcelman ana per
haps everybody on the bridge bad they
remained there.
Captaln Philip. Executive officer Har-
per. Navigation officer Miner. cadet
Reynolds. manipulating the range finder
and "a few messengers stood OUTSIDE on
the coming tower platform.
Captain Philip directed every move
throughout the heat OF the feht For
half an hour the shells whistled an about
the ship but only one other struck H. ms
tore "a mole through the ash DIST amin'
shius and exploded inside the smokestack.
no one was injured.
The din Of the guns was so terrific that
orders had to be yelled close 10 the mes
songer's ears. and 40 times tho smoke
was so thick that abolutely nothing could
be seen. once or twice the Pinch guns
i'm the turrets We're swung across the
shin and fired The conclusion shook
the great vessel as though She had been
struck bv a great ball. and everything
movable was sp'intered. The men near
the guns were thrown fat on their races.
one of them, a seaman named Scarm'
was tumblcd down a hatch into the for
ward handling room. His leg was broken.
THE OREGON AND THE IOWA TO
THE FRONT.
Meanwhile the Oregon had come I'm on
the run. She passed the Texas and
chased after Commodore Schley on the
Brooklyn TO head off the foremost OF
the Spanish ships. The Iowa also turn
cd ser course westward. and kept up
hot fire on the running enemy.
At 1910 o'clock the third of the Spanish
ships. the one that had been exchanging
compliments with the Texas was seen 20
be ON fire and a mighty cheer went up
from our ships The Spaniards headed
for the shore and the Texas turned her
attention 10 the one following. Inc
Brooklyn and Oregon after a few part
ing shots. also left her contemptuoufiy
and made all steam and shell after the
foremost two Of the Spanish ships the
Almirante Oquendo and the Cristobal
Colon.
Just then the two torpedo-boat destroy
ers Pluton and FurOr were discovered.
They had come out after the cruisers
without being seen. and We're boldly
heading west down the coast. "All small
guns on the torpedo boats was the order
ON the Texas. and I'm an instant "A hail OF
shot was pouring all about them. 4 six
pounder from the starboard battery OF
the Texas. under Ensign else struck
the foremost torpedo boat fairly IN the
boiler.
END OF THE DESTROYERS.
A rending sound was-heard above the
roar of battle. A great spout of black
smoke shot up from that destroyer ana
she was out Of commission. The Iowa,
which was coming up fast, threw few
complimentary shots at the second tor
pedO-boat destroyer and passed on. The
little Gloucester, formerly }. Pierpont
Morgan's yacht. Corsair, then sailed in
and finished the second boat
Gun for gun and shot for shot the run
ming fight was kept up between the Span
ish cruisers and the four American yes-
sells. At 1890 o'clock the Intanta Maria
Teresa and Vizcaya were almost on the
beaAA and were evidently in distress.
As the Texas was firing at them "a white
flag was run up on the one nearest her
Cease firing" called Captain Philip.
and a moment later both the Spaniards
were beached Clouds Of black smoke
arose from each. and bright flashes or
smoke. Boats were visible putting out