Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-06-10
SANTIAGO FIGHT.
CERVERA'S FLAGSHIP BADLY
DAMAGED BY OUR GUNS.
Batteries Knocked Out
AND THE SPANIARDS DIDN'T
HIT A THING EXCEPT
THE WATER.
From the New York Sun.

OFF SANTIAGO, May 81, via Kings
ton, Jamaica, June THE first bat
tie IN which American ships have met
a first class Spanish warship, backed
bv modern batteries, manned by ex-
pert French and German gunners,
has been fought, and the hOnors are
all with the Americans. Three Of
the best ships in our navy, the battle
ships Iowa and Massachusetts and
cruiser New Orleans, were selected
for the fight. For fifty-fve minutes
this afternoon they engaged the
Cristobal Colon, the flagship of Admi-
raj Cervera's fine squadron, and the
strong batteries at the narrow en-
trance to the harbor of Santiago do
Cuba.
Three of the four batteries were
sienced with about fifty shots, and
the Spanish flagship was certainly
badly damaged.
None of the American vessels was
hit. To use the Characteristic words
Of Fighting Bob Evans" the com
mander ofthe Iowa, shouted by him
from the bridge of that vessel to the
correspondent Of The Sun just at the
close of the battle:
"Tho Spaniards didn't hit a damn
thing but the water, and that wasn't
great difficulty"
Commodore Schly determined on
Sunday to learn definitely whether all
of Admiral Cervera's squadron was at
Santiago. He ordered the Marble
head to run in close to the MORO in
order to see as far as possible into
the winding entrance of the bay. The
cruiser started, and as she approached
within range Of Moro's guns she
was going at rate Of speed that
would have required far better mark
smanship than the Spaniards have
yet displayed to have hit her.
She kept a course that carried her
well clear of the shoal water that ex-
tends some little distance seward
from Morillo Point, to the east of the
entrance, and the Diamond Bank, to
the west. As she went by the en-
trance those aboard of her had a good
view of the harbor as far as Punta
Gorda. They saw what they were
looking for. If the Spanish squadron
had at any time been as far up the
bay as the city they had subsequent
| ly dropped down close to the bat
teries near the entrance, perhaps
with the idea of waiting for a foggy
or tempestuous night to put to sea
and run the gauntlet Of the blockad
ers.
-Four Spanish cruisers and two
torpedo boats destroyers and the old
Reina Mercedes were lying behind
the batteries between Smith Cay anC
Churruca Point. The Reina Mer-
cedes is useless for sea fighting, bu
moored as she was, might have beer
able to infict some damage if hel
gunners knew how to shoot.
The Marblehead, so soon as she haC
located the Spaniards, stood out t
and met the flagship. She reported
her discovery to Commodore Schley
who was elated when he learned tina
he had finally got the enemy in
position where the superior runnin!
qualities of the Spanish ships woul'
count tor nothing, for cooped up il
the narrow harbor as they were the.
could do no maneuvring whatever.
The Spanish squadron consisted Q
the Cristobal Colon, Admiral Cel
vera's flagship; Admiral OquendC
vizcaya, and Maria Teresa, and tn
destroyers Furor and Pluton.
All doubt as to the locality of tn
Spaniards having been removed
Commodore Schley determined t
draw the fire of the Notifications
possible, his object being to discov'
the positions Of the new masked ba