The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-07-06

tho Americans least expected him to
do SO, aud, fighting every inch Of his
way, even when his ship was ablaze
aud sinking. he tried to escape the
doom which was written on the muz.
zle Of every American gun trained
upon his vessels.
The Americans saw him the moment
he lett the harbor and commenced
their work of destruction imme edlately.
Fbr two hours they followed the flying
Spaniards to the westward along the
shore line, sending shot after shot into
their blazing hulls. tearing great holes
in their steel sides and covering their
decks with the blood Of the killed and
wounded.
Driven on the Rocks.
A<no time did the Spaniards show
any indication that they intended to do
otherwise than fight to the last. They
showed no signals Of surrender, even
when their ships commenced to sink,
and the great clouds of smoke pouring
from their sides showed they were on
fire. But they turned their heads toward
the shore. less than q mile away, and
ran them on the beach and rocks,
where their destruction was soon com.
pleted. The officers and men on board
then escaped to the shore as we'll as
they could, with the assistance Of boats
ha 4 o{-
and then threw themselves upon the
mercy Of their captors, who not only
extended to them the gracious hand Of
American chivalry, but sent them a
guard to protect them from the mur.
derous bands Of Cuban soldiers hiding
In the bush on the hillside, eager to
rush down and attack the unarmed,
defeated but valorous foe.
Merciiess Hurricane OF Shot and Shell.
All Of the American battleships
opened fire as soon as the Spanish yes.
sells were in range and the latter were
soon in hurricane Of shot and shell,
but the Colon kept on bravely till when
Moro castle Admiral Cervera turned
his vessel TO the shore and beached her
She was blazing in score Of plac ces,
her guns kept a, work, and the white
flag never showed until she was com.
pletely disabled.
The OQuendo and Nizcaya were OPP
posed to the Iowa, Texas and Indiana,
and went down TO defeat with fearful
swiftness, covering only about half
the distance made by the Colon before
their captains ran them ashore. Their
crews fought with desperate bravery,
but their courage was no match for the
courage Of our men added 10 their
superb gunnery. The Spanish shells
went wild for the most part, but the
ciless precision. The two cruisers,
both on fire, were beached not more
than quarter Of a mile apart.
The Gloucester Does Good Work.
The most dramatic feature Of the
battle was the contest between the tor.
pedo boat destroyers and the Glouces.
ter. The latter was struck several
times, and is the only American vessel
reported damaged. AT first the Glouces-
ter fired upon them with her six.
Founders, but they ran past her and
engaged the battleships. Finding the
fire too hot. they returned and attacked
the Gloucester again, until both the de-
stroyers were atire and had 10 be
beached. Their crews threw them.
selves into the surf to save their lives.
Just before this the New York came
upand assisted III giving the finishing
blow to the destroyers. There was ex.
plosion after explosion from the
beached vessels.
There is no means Of telling now
what the Spanish loss was. but it is
believed to have been very heavy. as
the prisoners in custody report their
decks strewn with dead and wounded
in great numbers.
Cervsra on Board the Gloucester.
Admiral Cervera escaped to the shore
in boat sent by the Gloucester to the
assistance Of his vessel, and as soon as
he touched the beach he surrendered
himself and his command to Lieuten.
ant Norton. aud asked to be taken on
board the Gloucester. which was the
only American vessel near at the time.
with several Of his officers, including
the captain Of the flagship The Span.
ish admiral. who was wounded in the
arm, was taken to the Gloucester aud
was received at the gangway by her
commander, Lieutenant Commander
Richard Wainwright. who grasped the
hand Of the gray. bearded admiral aud
said to him:
II congratulate you. sir. upon hav.
ing made rs gallant fight as ever was
witnessed ut sea-
Lieutenant Commander Wainwright
then placed his cabin at the disposal Of