The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-05
SINKING OF SPANS SHIPS
Continued From First Page.)

es sending curs of dense white smoke 100 feet in
air causing shower OF broken iron and steel TO ali IN
The water on every side.
The bluffs on the line echoed with the of
every explosion and the Spanish vessels sank deeper and
e into the sand else the rocks ground their huls
ecs as they rolled pitched forward or sideways with
ayerv wave that washed upon them from the open
Admiral Cervera escaped to the shore in boat sent by
m Gloucester the assistance of the Infanta Maria Teresa
and as he touched the beach he surrendered himself
and his command to Lieut. Morton and asked to be taken
board the Gloucester which was the only American vessel
near him at the time
With several of his officers including captain of the
flagship the Spanish admiral who was wounded in the arm,
was taken the Gloucester and received at the
ov by her commander, Lieutenant Commander Richard
NanWrght who grasped the hand OF the graybeared Ad
ra and said to him 9" congratulate you, sir upon hav
ngmade as gallant fight witnessed the sea-"
Lieutenant Commander Wainwright then placed his
cabin at the disposal of the Spanish officers.
The spaniards when they found they would be permit
ted to live adapted themselves comfortably to the situation,
that the Spanish flagship and four other Spanish
vessels ground and burning for hours and the
only of The escaping fleet which could not be at this
point was the Cristoba Colon.
But half dozen curls Of smoke far down the west
en horizon showed the fate that awaiting her The
rsoba Colon the fastest of the Spanish ships and she
obtained lead the others after leaving the har
bo and escaped the effect Of the shots which destroyed the
other vessels.
She steamed away great speed with the Oregon, New
York. Brooklyn and several other ships in pursuit all of
firing at her constantly and receiving fire themselves
from her after guns.
There was no possibility whatever for her escape and
while fate is definitely known at this hour it be
readily imagined frO the words of Capt Evans of the Iowa.
who returned from the westward with $40 prisoners from
the Vzcaya just the Associated Press dispatch boat
leaving the Spanish flagship.
In answer to an inquiry he shouted through the mega
phone 81 left the Cristoba Colon far to the westward
ago and the Oregon giving her hell She has un|
doutedly cone down with the others will have
Fourth of July celebration in Santiago tomorrow"
Capt Evans, who had been in the thick of the engage
nt M to the time he took the Vizcayas officers and crew
the shore said that to the best of his knowledge not
American ship had been strucl.
The torpedo boat Ericcson which also returned from
aocirr I.l
saying it believed man injured on boa'! the
American ships though another report had that one man
killed board the rCoklyn which could not be vli
fed this dispatch sent
Thee is no means of t,l.g wha+ the Hpan.sh loss
but it beevedto have been heavy the prisoners
in custody report their decks rewn with dead and wound
ed in great numbers and beside there is statement that
many bodies could be fastened to pieces of wreckage
floating in the after the fight over.
large number of the Spanish wounded were removed
to the American ships
There can be no doubt that Admiral Cervera's plan to
escape from Santiago harbor entirely unexpected by
Admiral SanpsO and the best dence If this is the fact
that when the Spanish coming of the
harbor the flagship New miles away steam
ING eastward toward Juragua the military base nine miles
of Moro.
The New York was out of the fight altogether every
stage, but she Immediately put about and followed the
others.
vessels in the the westward and overlook them in
time join the chase for the Crsoba Colon after the other
Spanish vessels had been destroyed by the BroOynhe Ore
gon Iowa. Massachusetts, Indiana Texas Gloucester and
other ships of the feet.
commodore Schley hagShp the Brooklyn ha0 ner u.s.
ua position at the extreme western end Of the ine ten miles
from the New York and Texas.
1t is peculiar fact that he should have been in proper
position to direct the movement of his flying squadron
against the Spanish fleet which he had bottled up in San
uagO harbOr six week before.
AS matter of fact the entire American fleet much
further off shore than usual when the Spanards made their
appearance this morning.
With the exception of the bombardment yesterday
morning which resulted in knocking down the flag MORO
Castle and the supposed sencng of the batteries which
opened fire again as usual this morning the navy had done
info
selves watching the developments of the operations be-
ing conducted by the army which had succeeded in reach
mg the very gates of Santiago after enormous loss in
Killed and wounded in the fighting of the past two days
1t not believed that Admiral Cervera would at
tempt escape from his perious position at this late day.
u supposed that he would keep his ships in the har
Dor 10 she'll the advancing American army, and that if San
ago fell he would blow up sink them before permitting
them to be captured by the fleet lying outside
The Spanish admiras real plans however, were plainly
not anticipated He accepted the chance open to him
that o. running the gauntlet of the powerful menOwar y
lug in front of the harbor and saving his ships for future