The times., 1898-07-08

The game must have seemed up to her
then for with a quick turn TO starb0ard
she ran shoreward. and we saw in an in
stant that she was flaming fore and aft.
A beautiful Spanish flag floating from her
gafT. and another higher stih,- from her
maintopniast head showed her 30 be the
flagship Of the second in command. She
/, Jagged heavily in the water; no longer
did she carry a bone in her teeth, and
| her foaming wake was gone
When we drew near we saw something
had gone amiss with her, for just as we
swung with touch of our helm to give
| her a finishing broadside the beautiful
flags drifted from truck and gaff end and
the white flag of surrender went up, and
the cheers of our ship went with it.
We stopped our engines when close
aboard and hoisted out our boats to save
her people. We received on board 250 of
her crew, the Hist took another hundred,
and that was all that was left of them,
for the other hapless sailors were lying
dead and wounded on her burning decks.
The confiagration aboard this ship was
astounding, and even now when the op-
portunity for calm reflection has come
il is impossible to explain where so much
/ infiammable material could have been col
lected on board an armored vessel.
Through the air ports and gun ports of
the doomed ship quivering fires shone
woodwork of the bridge and upper deck,
and long tongues of flame licked the tow
ering masts,
over the ship cloud of rosy light how
cred and when, after a time. the ex
plosiOns of the free powder were added,
great volumes of smoke shut out the sky.
Several explosions of terrific force follow
ed. but, Notwithstanding this, and while
the flames were still quivering through
every outlet and cncirclng the hull, our
boats were busy with the rescue of the
unfortunate wounded and those more
lucky survivors who had sought the wat
er or the shore their only refuge from
a dreadful death.
When the Spanish captain of the Viz
caya, that courteous Eulate, of whom we
heard so much when his snip was in the
1 harb9r Of New York. was lifted over the
side and half carried aft, he presented his
sword to Captain Evans as the symbol,
/ but Evans, gentle as he is brave, de-
cllped 10 receive il, and. waving it back
with friendly gesture, he grasped the
hand OF the Spaniard and welcomed his
brother officer to the hospitality of the
ship.
Much affected by his reception, Capt
Eulate asked permission to meet the
/ Iowa 5 officers, and to each he gave a
warm grip of his hand and friendly
word of gratitude before he was carried
below
The Oregon and Brooklyn Joined in the
/ attack, but Were little too far out 10
( get into the best of it. and their efforts
/ were directed more to head off and catch
the Colon than to join in the general ac-
tloh- There was a wisdom in this. ap-
/ proved of all good sailors. for they knew
what work was cut out for them and in
what good hands the other ships were
/ left
! Tho ,ylo-so,,s. -T,-.,,.,.. 49,, -, - a.
| doc" of the fleet gave It's principal at
tentfon to the Vizcaya. and one of her
! Finch shells smashing through the fire
room Of the Spaniard, caused her to
! make that quick turn TO the shore. which
/ at first we did not understand
J The New York was so far to the east
! ward that she had long chase. and a
! stern chase, before she got into the ac-
! ion, and she passed US just after the
/ Vizcaya surrendered She made a splen
/ aid marine picture as she rushed eagerly
| by in hot chase after the Colon, and
/ as she shot past we gave Sampson
! cheer after cheer, and cneer after cheer
came back TO Us from as gallant a crew
! as ever served a gun or fed a roaring
furnace
/ Some Of the crew had swum to the
/ beach. but finding the hostile shores
! commanded by alert parties of Cuban
i soldiers, they fought in a mad endeavor
/ 10 get on board the ships boats rather
! than surrender to an enemy whom they
knew TO be pitiless. Every officer and
! man on the Iowa gave clothes of some
4 sort to the rescued sailors and their re-
ception must have taught them that the
/ desQised Yankee was not the inhuman
brute their officers had pictured.
The paymaster's stores of the ship
/ We're drawn on lavishIy TO clothe the
/ Spanish officers and men, and when af-
| ter while they We're dried and fed it
| was interesting TO note the relief all
/ seemed to feel now that their long sus-
! pense OF so many weary weeks was over
/ and done.
At one time the Iowa was engaged with
all the ships single-handed The Span
ish officers told Us later that their orders
| were 10 concentrate their fire on her. and
| every effort must be made 10 disable her
as she was the most dangerous antagonist
/ Of all awaiting hem. But as one of the
/ Spanish officers added, with a fine air OF
! perpleXity:
we found that all the ships were
| equally dangerous. and that, after all
! was said and done, 1t was four ships
against four and one of these, the Brook
! lyn. was much more lightly armored and
! gunned than any of ours.
| Reckoning UP the data Of this memora-
bic hight, which il was our good fortune
! to take part in, we find that:
In less than twenty-five minutes two OF
! their ships were wrecked.
In less than three-quarters of an hour
the third surrendered.
| In fifty-six minutes from the time the
| first dashiHg Spauiard was sighted all
! hands were piped down. the guns were
secured and our boats were in the water
! to save what was left of the Vizcaya's 5
crew
AT o'clock in the afternoon of that
/ memora bic Sunday the Iowa arrived off
| the entrance 10 Santiago. the Gloucester
| keeping company with Us. after speaking
| the Indiana and exchanging cheers that
! made the welkin ring. When alongside
! the Indiana Capt. Evans hailed his
] brother-in-law, Capt Taylor of that
| ship and told him to send Admiral Ger
vera on board. and he would put at his
! disposal the vacant admirals cabin OF
| our ship
| The gallant but defeated sailor came
| alongside in the Gloucester's boat. and
was received with all the honors due his
| rank and station. The fun marine guard
was paraded, the bugles fourished a sa-
lutte and when the official side was fin
| ished the reception accorded him by the
| captured officers of the Vizcaya showed
| the affectionate regard with which this
fearless gentleman was held by those
| who served under him.
Capt. Eulate wore the sword Can't Ev-
ans had refused to accept. and he point
| ed to it with pathetic pride as he told
of the reception accorded him by the
| Iowa's captain. It was an affecting and
a heart-warming sight. and made a fit
| ting close to a day that will be made
memorable for the glories 1t yielded to
our arms at sea.