The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-24
The Man AT the GUN
AMERrCA's VICTORIES DUE TO
SUPERIOR MARKsMANsHIP
Corvcra's Ships Prove Conclusively
That the Maine Was Blown UP
From the Outside

OFF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, July a.
copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.)
"Any doubt that may have existed that
the Maine was blown up by an outside ex-
plosion has been dissolved by the examin-
alton of the destroyed Spanish ships" said
q member of the board of survey that ex-
amined the remnants of Admiral Cervera's
feet.
"Of four ships examined, three had been
blown up by their magazines" he contin-
ued, land OF these one had every magazine
exploded and torpedoes in addition yet on
none of them was there the same effect
Maine. There was no upheaval Of the keel
and little bulging of the plates. except In
tho immediate vicinity of the explosion.
The effect was nearly altogether upward In
some cases, the protective deck being lifted,
but outside of the springng of few plates
the hulls were intact"
The examination Of the wrecks of the
Spanish ships, three OF which were burned
and all their magazines exploded, was
the effect of American gunnery and sec
ondly to find the effect of internal explo-
sion. Both subjects bore upon tho Maine
Incident as noted above and the awful ef-
feet of well-aimed shots was demonstrated
ln the destruction of the fleet. When 1t is
remembered that the Almirante Oquendo
and the Infanta Maria Teresa were both
sunk within forty minutes of the time they
left the entrance OF Santiago harbor, the
work OF American gunners may we'll be
considered remarkable. The Almranto
Dquendo was struck over fifty times ana
the Infanta Maria Teresa thirty-seven
times, but by larger projectiles. The record
Of damage to these ships Is one of the great
est interest. The fight started at a range
of six thousand yards or three miles. AT
1000 yards or $500 yards two torpedo boats
and two cruisers were annihilated. The
closest fighting was done at 100 and 1000
yards by the Brooklyn and vlzcaya. with
annihllating effect on the Spanish ship.
But two projectiles larger than eight-inch
struck a vessel. both of these, either Il
or 13-inch, being put through the Infanta
Maria Teresa The eight-inch, six-inch
flve-inch and six-pounder projectiles did
the bulk of the work and were frghtfuly
destructive. Some idea of the effect can be
obtained from Brief summary of the in
juries to each ship as found by the examln-
ing board.
The board had upon 1t such capable men
as Executive officer Rogers OF the Iowa,
Executive officer Mason of the Brooklyn,
an expert on the effect of shells on armor;
Lieutenant Huessler of the Texas, who has
made some splendid improvements IN gun
firing on that ship, and Naval Construc-
tor Hobson of Merrlmac fame, who has q
reputation for knowledge of ship CON
struction. Briefly. these findings follow:
Cristobal Colon. battleship, first class
with six inches of steel protection. not only
on the water line. but around the six Inch
guns. This ship was hit with large pro-
5ectiles but six times. as she kept out of
range nearly the whole time, passing be-
hind the other ships for protection and
finally making a run for It. The hits were
made by the Brooklyn and Oregon. One
eight-inch shell went into the port side
of the wardroom and left on the starboard
side without exploding, but cleaned out
everything in the room. A five-lnch hi;
Just above the armor belt, and sx-inch
struck her on the bow. None of the injur-
les were sufficient to put her out Of action.
nor as serious as those received by the
Brooklyn. at one time her sole antagonist.
The assertion that the Brooklyn was over
hauling her and the Oregon's terrific 13-
itch guns were striking nearer and nearer
and that escape was impossible seems to
be the conception of her surrender.
The vizcaya is OF the came class OF bat
tieship as the Texas and the Maine. She
carries two 11.5-Inch guns and ten 5.5-inch
guns, with protection 10 to II inches thick.
double and triple that OF the Brooklyn.
This ship was the special prey OF the Brook
lyn and Oregon, although the Texas, af-
ter her destructive work on the Oauendo
and Teresa, added little at long range.
The Vizcaya, exclusive OF one-pounder and
rapid-fire guns, which swept her deck. was
hit with large proiectiles fourteen times
and by six-pounders eleven times.
The elght-lnch guns of the Brooklyn and
Oregon and the six-inch guns on the Ore
gon and the five-inch on the Brooklyn tore
her structure above the armor belt almost
to shreds, while the six-pounder and one
Founders made It too warm for men to
stand at the guns. The Texas got In few
six-inch shots and the Iowa landed a couple
of four-inch. No thirteen or twelve-inch
shells struck her.
The Infanta Maria Teresa. the flagship,
of the same build as the Vizcaya, was bad
~ punished and was the only one of the
four ships hit by twelve or thirteen-incf
projecties. She has two of that size clean
through her. and the position of one would
tend to demonstrate that 1t was fired from
The Texas. An eight-inch SHE'LL undoubted-
~ from the Brooklyn, because she was
the only ship In line with the Tcresa's head
as she turned westward. entered Just for
ward of the beam on tho port side, and OK
ploding inside, cleaned out the deck with
four gun crews. This is the shot that Ger
vera said came from the Brooklyn and set
fire to the ship. The Teresa's difficulty. and
one that compelled her hurried surrender.
was that her fire mains were cut and she
was unable to extinguish the fires tina;
were driving her men from the guns.
The Alnirante Oquendo, an armored
cruiser. same class as the vizcaya and Ter
esa, went through the most terrible ordeal
OF any of the ships, except the torpedo
boats. Her upper works were one ragged
mass of cut up steel and her decks were
covered with dead and dying She was hit
on the port side four time by eight-inch
shells, three times by 4-inch shells. prob
Ably from the Iowa, two times by six-nch
Ind forty-two times by six-pounders. The
lnnumerable number Of one-pounders that