Evening star., 1898-07-29
AS THEY SAW THE FIGHT
Reports of Commanders of Brooklyn, Ericsson
and Harvard
Interesting Points in Their Stories of
the hattie of July Of the
Cuban Coast.

The Navy Department has given out for
publication additional reports of the naval
battle off Santiago July 3, including the
report of Captain Cook, commanding the
Brooklyn; Lieutenant Usher, commanding
the Ericsson, and Captain Cotton, COM
manding the Harvard. The experience or
those on the Brooklyn was narrated in the
report of Com 1odore Schley, who was on
that vessel Captain Cooks report was ad-
dressed to Col modore Schley, and says:
During the entire action 1 was in con-
slant communication with you, so that L
was enabled to promptly execute your or
ders and instructions. The officers and
men behaved with great and unexception-
able GOODNESS and bravery, SO that it is
difficult to discriminate. They were en-
couraged in their best efforts by your en-
thusiasm and your CHEEKY words, Fire
steady, boys. and give it to them
The important part played by the Brook
lyn was in increasing its speed so as TO
cut off the Cristobal Colon. 1t was a des-
perate race. Captain Cook says:
we steered straight for a distant point
near Cape Cruz, while the Colon kept close
to the land running into all the bights.
She could not have come out without cross
ing our bows. and We We're steadily gam
ing on her. We were getting more steam
all the time, and now had four and one
half boilers on. and the remaining one and
one-half nearly ready. After running for
about fifty miles west from the entrance
the Colon ran into a blight of land, beach
ed, fired q gun to leeward and hauled
down her flag. The Oregon and Brooklyn
had just previously begun to fire upon the
Colon and Were landing shell close to her.
l was sent on board by Commodore Schley
to receive the surrender. The captain
spoke English and received me pleasantly,
though naturally much depressed. He sur
rendered unconditionally. He was polite,
shook hands and said that his case was
hopeless and that he saw we were too
much for him."
Oregon, whose speed and fine marksman-
ship convinced the Colons commander that
resistance was useless Captain Cook says
The Oregon was keeping up a steady
fire and was coming up in the most glo-
rious and gallant style, outstrpping ali
others 1t was an inspiring sight to see
this battle ship, with a large white wave
before her and her smokestacks belching
forth continued pufTS from her forced
Draft. We were making fourteen knots at
the time. and the Oregon came up off our
starboard quarter at about 600 yards, and
maintained her position, though we soon
after increased our speed to fifteen knots
ard just before the Colon surrendered were
making nearly sixteen"
Captain Cook did not forget the men be-
low. nor the marines. He says:
Too much praise cannot be given the
engineers department for the hard work
cone by all in steadily raising the steam
until the speed rose from twelve to sixteen
Knots. The marines did splendid service
at the guns and at their stations The or
fectiveiy."
RESCUE Work by the Ericsson
At the time the Spanish fleet left santi-
ago harbor the torpedo boat Ericsson was
with the New York steaming toward ST.
honey. At once her course was directed
to the west and she Joined in the chase.
The course of the Ericsson was directed
toward the Vizcaya, prepared to deliver
torpedo attack, but before we could arrive
within striking distance the Vizcaya was
seen to strike to the Iowa, run ashore and
burst into flames, her engines being left
running and clouds of steam issuing from
all her openings on deck and in her sides
Ine course of the Ericsson was then set
for the Colon. which was running very fast
10 the westward. pursued by the BROOKLYN
Texas and Oregon.
As the Ericsson was hauling from the
New York in the chase. signal was made,
interrogatory 2S12: Request permission to
continue the chase" The flagship hoisted
negative and by wig-wag signal directed
the Ericsson to pick up men in the water
astern-
The Ericsson ran alongside the Vizcaya
and took off her crew. The ViZcaya was
on fire fore and aft but the mass of the fire
was aft. and the position of the Ericsson
was perlIOuS IN the extreme, and only the
urgency of the occasion caused her to re-
main. She rescued eleven officers and
about ninety sailors and marines from the
vessel, many of them sorely wounded.
The Spanish were no sooner taken on
board than they urged immediate with
drawal of the Ericsson, but that vessel re-
mained until all alive had been taken from
the FiZcaya by the Ericsson's Snail boat
and the boats from the Iowa. One of the
Vizcaya's large cutters was also used. The
EricssOn's deck was then crowded with
prisoners, most of them naked and many
of them wounded, and she returned to the
Iowa, towing the Vizcaya's cutter also
filed with prisoners.
The part taken by the auxiliary cruiser
Harvard was like that of the Ericsson. the
rescue of Spanish. The fact that the enc
my had left the harbor was signaled from
the Resolute at 10:45 am. At once the
course was made for the west. By the time
the Harvard reached the scene of battle
all the enemys vessels but the Colon were
wrecked. and the Colon flying for her
life to the west Capt. Cotton continues:
Upon reaching the wrecks of the Oquen-
do and Maria Teresa, Captain Evans in
formed me that the officers and crews of
both vessels were on shore in great dis
tress. and suffering for want of food, and
asked me if l would rescue them, request
with which l. of course, instantly complied,
and which would have been unnecessary
had l previously known the circumstances
concerning them.
Il took the Harvard in as near the wrecks
/ deemed to be prudent and at 4:40 pm.
lowered nine of our boats and sent them in
to the shore to rsecue the survivors. This
work continued until 9:45 pm, when the
last boatload of Spanish prisoners came
alongside. During the greater part of the
time the steam cutters of the Indiana rem
dered valuable assistance in towing our
boats to and from the shore.
We had the good fortune to rescue 80
officers and 637 men without accident 10
them or to our boats, Notwithstanding the
fact that the landing was through the surf
and dangerous, well from the incessant
explosion of ammunition, both small and
large, as from the surf.
THE Spanish officers and men received
every attention that it was possible to be-
stow upon them for their comfort and well
fare. Some of them came on board wholly
nude, and many with only a shirt and trou-
sers. As soon as possible after their ar
rival on board they were provided with
food and necessary clothing. About 300
working suits and many shoes and canvas
hats were issued to them. The sick and
wounded were attended by our own medical
stan, assisted by two of the Spanish medi-
cal officers, who were among those res
cued."