The San Francisco call., 1898-07-05

the Viscaya turned gun or two to aid her followers.
 The yacht was often completely hid den by smoke. I could not but won der if she had been sunk but she al ways forged ahead and appeared again buster than ever. In ten minutes the fire of the destroyers slacked, but al though some of the guns were disabled their machinery was all right, and they moved on til Morro could no long CT take part in the battle.
 The New York appeared, hurrying on the news from the Resolute that Ger vera had dashed his wedge of cruisers into the American fleet and was dying gloriously. The New York was six miles away when the destroyers saw her. Morro thundered at Sampson as he came within range, but the admiral never needed, seeing only in the dis tance the dim forms of the Viscaya and Oquendo, hopelessly hemmed in by a circle of fire, and in the foreground the | Gloucester fighting two destroyers at short range.
 When the destroyers saw the flagship they sped away from the Gloucester, and tried to overtake the Viscaya and get into shelter on her starboard side If that could not be done there ought to be chance to torpedo the Indiana, and break through our line to the open sea- where speed would save them; but the Indiana steamed inshore and the Iowa, too, but further away, and the Indiana's second battery had the first destroyer's range and rained shells upon 1t. Splintered and torn, but still with her steering gear and machinery intact, both destroyers turned back to run for the mouth of the harbor and seek safety inside, but it was too late
 The fight had been carried nearly four miles west of Morro, and the New York was already past the harbor's mouth. The Gloucester was ready for them close at hand. She and the de- stroyers and the Indiana formed a tri- angle of which the destroyers were the apex, and the American fire, converg- ing, was too fierce for human beings to withstand. One destroyer drifted into the surf, a ire-battered wreck and then crept on toward the Gloucester and New York, with her guns silent and showing a flag of truce. She was on fire, too, and her crew ran her ashore to save the lives of those who had es- capped our shells. She blew up soon after they abandoned her.
 I was standino behind Dr. Simonds of the Iowa, when the Gloucester was in the greatest peril, and he could not help turning from the main battle to watch her heroic work and shouting his hope that she would not run short of ammunition. Her commanders skill and courage was simply magnificent. The Spanish admiral was lost in smoke to the westward, when at quarter be- fore seven o'c! K the Viscaya hoisted a white flag This was followed by the Oquendo's going ashore with flames bursting from her decks The Iowa, Indiana, Texas and Massachusetts ceased firing, the Massachusetts going to join the Oregon and Brooklyn in rounding up and smashing Cervera's' ship.
 Once headed off, the Oquendo turned into the small bay, four or five miles west of Santiago, where she lay close to the land.
 With ever weakening broadsides the Vizcaya followed the first heading out as if to break through the line of bat tle The Indiana and Iowa closed in. and their formation made her escape in that direction impossible. Captain Eulate then attempted to reach the east side of t--e bay occupied by the Oquendo, but in vain. With a glass I could see that the Vizcaya's bulwarks near the stern had been torn away. Smoke poured out where shells had eX- ploded inside and she was on fire. Her gunners with the exception of those who were not working the bow guns crowded forward to escape the smoke and fire aft.
 The Oquendo was ashore, her guns silent and smoke rising in thick black clouds There was a laundering of guns to the westward now and flashes in smother told that Cervera still fought, but to the eastward of his ship lay the burning wrecks of his two de- stroyers.
 The torpedo boat Ericsson was seen coming along with the New York. The Oquendo was helpless. The Indiana and Iowa were closing in, and shell af ter shell burst above and aboard the Vizcaya. Eulate hoisted a white flag a his ship went ashore to save a rem nant of his men, and simultaneously went up the flag of white on the Oquendo and down came the flag of Spain.
 An hour and half had elapsed since Cervera left the harbor, and of the five vessels which came out only the flag ship was still in action.
 Morro battery still stormed impotent-