Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-12
GRAPHIC STORY
Of SchIey's Destruction of the
Cape Verde Fleet.
A Naval Battle With No Parallel in
Modern Warfare.
And Everyone Should Take Their Hats OF to
Com. Schiey!

Copyright, 1893, The Associated Press
Correspondence of The Associated
Press.)
following description OF the battle
between the American and Spanish
WaIsllIps in these waters was written
ny the only non-comhatant who wit
messed ne entire fight. That non-com-
batars was the correspondent of The
AssG4iate ed Press. who saw the ensa ge-
ms Mt from position almost atthe ell
bow Of Commodore Schley on the Uni
ted States armcred cruiser Brooklyn.
sunday, July 3. the fifth Sunday for
thc American squadron before Santia-
go. and the ninth weekly anniversary
of the day of the Dewey victory at Ca
wife, ana the fifth OF the discovery by
Commodore Schley of the Whereabouts
of Admiral Cervera's squadron.
brought no particularly different sit
uation from what had marked the pre-
ceeding sundays. The munotory. the
Lack of piC,uresqueness at daybreak.
the heat Of the tropical sun, all were
there.
over the cops of the supposedly de-
zles of the same old guns. quite ready,
despite the Saturday bombarlment. to
speak their peace, if called upon. The
slightly rolling sea the great battle
ships of the American fleet swung laZi-
ly a distance of from four to five
miles from the harbor entrance
The line, which at all times was sup
posed to be n half circle. enclosing the
harb0r entrance as central point
was more than ordinarily broken no
this hot morning. The big battlcships
had drift9d 10 the east considera bly,
and the Massachusetts, New York, the
New orleans and the Newark. were not
in sight. the New York having taken
Admiral Sampson down to Altares,
eight miles from the blockade to make
visit to the camp of the American
army, While the other missing vessels
We're at Guantanamo, 40 miles to the
east.
The vessels on the blockade were the
Iowa, Indiana and Oregon, hattleships |
the flagship Of Commodore Schley tho
brooklyn, and the small yachts Glou-
cester and Vixen. The Iowa was
swinging a mile further out than the
rest Of The squadron. trying to fix her
forward Pinch turret, which was out |
of repair. while the Indiana was doing
the same thing TO her forward T.
inch turret. The absolutely available
ships in the squadron, therefore, were
only the Oregon. Texas and Brooklyn.
although later both Captain Evans and
Capt. Taylor fought their ships
1t is a custom on ships. regulated by
u, ~ Il,
muster at least one each three months
and that the articles of war shall be
read. First call had been sounded at
e.15 "A. NJ, and the men were assem-
bling on the decks The lookout in the
of the Brooklyn had some
lime before reported smoke in the har-
Dor, but as the same thing had been
noticed several times, no special at
tention was paid to it. The Brooklyn
and the Vixen were the only ships to
the west Of the entrance, the other
hips having drifted well to the east
On the bridge Navigator Hodson Of
he Brooklyn, sharply said to the look
out:
Isn't that smoke moving?" and the
ookout after a minute inspection with
he long glass dropped it excitedly ana
fairly yelled:
There's big ship coming out of the
2arbor, SIR.
Hodson, who is a particularly cool
man, looked once himself and then.
the megaphone. shouted:
Aft bridge, there. tell the commo-
'cre that the enemy's fleet is coming
nut" i,
Commodore Schley was sitting under
Continued on page a. !,