The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-06

Copyright 1898. by the Associated Press.)
Ten Miles West of the Entrance of
the Harbor of Santiago de Cuba, Sun
day, July 3, 4 p. m.-FOr hours after
Admiral Cervera went aboard the GIou-
cester, the Infanta Maria Teresa, Al
mirante Oquendo and Vizcaya contin-
ued to burn, and every now and then
a deep roar, accompanied by burst Of
| fame and smoke from the sides of the
ships. would announce the explosion of
ammunition or another magazine. As
the flames shot higher and higher above
/ the decks of the magnificent vessels
! that composed Admiral Cervera's fleet,
! many of those who witnessed the scene
; felt it had a strong connection with
! the destruction Of the Maine in Havana
| harhor five months ago.
Lieutenant Commander wainwright.
| the commander of the Gloucester, was
| executive officer of the Maine at the
! time of the disaster, and ~ lthOugh he
| remained in Havana two months after
| the explosion, he lived on board the
| dispatch boat Fern, and steadfastly re-
| fused to set his foot within the city
until, to use his own words, the time
| had come when he could go ashore at
| the head of landing party of Aneri-
can bluejackets
Today it was his ship that sank the
Spanish torpedo boat destrOyers, and
afterwards received the Spanish ad-
mlral aboard as a prisoner of war.
From his position on the bridge of
the Gloucester, Lieutenant Commander
Wainwright watched the flames and
smoke as they envelOped the decks of
the three greatest warShips of tn
Spanish navy, which were soon to be
reduced to nothing but shattered mast
nd CT cd cYo7nI-ac4arfre.
above the water, similaI to that other
picture in Havana harbOr It was not
strange, therefore. that he said to those
beside him: 1.-The Maine is avenged
Just he nthe PIuton and the Furo-
sank. The GlOucester's boat picked uD
as many of the survivors as she could
find on the shore.
The prisoners of war included the
captains of both boats. None offered
any resistance and were glad to go to
the Gloucester, as they feared an at
tack from the Cubans.
A number Of the survivors. includ-
ing officers of the Furor, had their
limbs shot off and were scattered along
the coast for some distance and could
not be removed. Three officers and six
men of the Pluton escaped from the
shore in one of their own boats and
pulled to- the Associated Press dispatch
boat Wanda, where they remained I'M
Ill luGlI CdDtci--- " liO " @ lAt--N ~
oner on the Gloucester, ordered them
to Join him on the latter vessel.
The most remarkable feature of the
combat was the fact that, nOtWith-
standing the utter destruction of the
Spanish fleet and the hard fight those
ships made. even after they wee on
fire, the American vessels should es-
cape without injury. The only possible
explanation of this is the poor marks
manship of the Spanish gunners, which
has been so well demonstrated in ever.
other conflict of the war.
The Newark, Commodore Watson's
flagship, did not participate in the
great capture, as she was coaling at
Guantanamo.
DESTRUCTION OF COLON.
After a chase of so miles to the west
ward the Brooklyn, closely followed by
the Oregon, overhauled the Cristobal
Colon, after she had ran ashore and
had hauled down her flag. Captain
Geek, of the Brooklyn went on board
of her and the commander Of the
Spanish armored cruiser came forward
to surrender and was taken on board
the New York which came an hour
after the Brooklyn and Oregon had
the capture of the Cristobal
Colon. The latter was not seriously
damaged. though she was struck sew
and Oregon.
During the chase a clever maneuver
of Commodore Schley's in heading due
west TO Cape Caney, while the Cristo-
bal Colon had taken a more sOutherly
direction with a much greater distance
to cover, rendered the SpaEiard'S es-
cape impossible.
There seems to be no doubt but the
Cristobal Colon, and, perhaps the other
three Spanish armOred cruisers would
have escaped had it not been for the
prompt action of Commodore Schley.
The Brooklyn, his flagship, alone, was
in a position to attack the Spanish yes
sells as they left the harbOr, and the
steamed directly toward
them and engaged all four cruisers, in
hicting great damage upon them. The
Oregon was the first 10 join the Brook
lyn and afterward the Iowa, Indiana,
Texas and Vixen closed around the
Spaniards, all pouring in a deadly fire,
but from the beginning to the end of
the fight, the Brooklyn, Oregon and
took the most important
part in the destruction of the enemy.
One man, George H. Ellis. was killed
On board the Brooklyn. His head was
blown off by q shell. One other man,
]. Burns, was injured on board of her.
The Brooklyn was struck half a dozen
times. but no injury was done to any
Of the other American ships.
ESCAPE WAS POSSIBLE.