The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-07-27
COMMODORE sCHLEY,s REPORT.
First Made to the Admiral Who For
 wartied It With His Own.


 waraed It With His Own.
 North Atlantic Fleet, Second Squadron,
 United States Flagship Brooklyn,
 Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, July 6.
 Sir-1. have the honor to make the following report of that part of the squadron under your command which came under my observation during the enga cement with the Spanish squadron on July 8;
 ?. At 9:35 a. m. Admiral Cervera, with the Infanta Maria Teresa, Vizcaya, Oquendo, Cristobal Colon and two tor pedo boat destroyers, came out of the harbor of Santiago de Cuba in column at distance and attempted to escape to the westward. Signal was made from the Iowa that the enemy was coming out, but his movement had been dis covered from this ship at the same mo- ment. This vessel was the furthest west, except the Vixen, on the block ading line; signal was made to the western division as prescribed in your general orders, and there was i1nmedi- ate and rapid movement inward by your squadron and a general engage ment at ranges beginning at HOO yards and varying to 5000 yards, until the Vizcaya was destroyed about 10:50 a. m. of pf ha squadron upon the ships coming out was most furious and terrific and great damage was done to them.
 3. About twenty or twenty-five min utes after the engagement began two vessels, thought to be the Maria Tere- sa and Oquendo and since verified as such, took fire from the effective she'll ing of the squadron and were forced to run on the beach some six or seven miles west of the harbor entrance, where they burned and blew up later. The torpedo boat destroyers were de- stroyed in the action, but the smoke was so dense in their direction that cannot say to which vessel Or vessels the credit belongs. This doubtless was better seen from your flagship.
 f. I He PlHCdyd fillu N<OlOll, pbICtlNllls the disaster to their consorts, continued at full speed to the westward to escape and were followed and engaged in a running fight with the Brooklyn, Texas, Iowa and Oregon until 10:50, when the Vizcaya took fire from our shells. She put her helm to port, and with heavy | list to port stood in shore and ran aground at Acerradoros about twenty | five miles west of Santiago, on fire fore | and aft, and where she blew up during | the night. Observing that she had struck her colors, and that several ves- | sels were nearing her to capture and save her crew, a signal was made to ! cease firing. The Oregon proving vastly faster than the other battleships, | she and the Brooklyn, together with l the Texas and another vessel, which proved to be your flagship, continued l westward in pursuit of the Colon, which l had run close in shore, evidently seek. l ing some good spot to beach if she should fail to elude her pursuers.
 5. This pursuit continued with in- creasing speed in the Brooklyn, Oregon and other ships, and soon the Brooklyn and the Oregon were within long range l or the COIOn when the oregon opened l fire with her 19-inch guns, landing a shell close to the Colon. A moment af- rewards the Brooklyn opened fire with | her S-inch guns, landing a shell just {, ahead of her. Several other shells were fired at the Colon, now in range of the Brooklyn's and Oregon's guns. Her commander seeing all chance of es- cape cut off, and destruction awaiting his ship, fired a lee gun and struck her flag at 1:15 D. m. and ran ashore at a point some fifty miles west of Santia- | go harbor. Your flagship was coming l up rapidly at this time, as was also | the Texas and Vixen. A little later, af. | ter your arrival, the Cristobal Colon | which had stuck to the Brooklyn ant
 the Oregon, was turned over to VOL as one of the trophies of this great vic.
 tory and the squadron under youl l command.
 6. During my official visit a little lat. | CT, Commander Eaton, of the Resolute | appeared and reported to you the pres ence of a Spanish battleship near Alta.
 res. Your orders to me were to talk,
 the Oregon and go eastward to mee-