The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1898-07-29
SIMPSONS REPORT.
The Account Of the Destruction of
CerVeTa's Fleet Made Public.
GALLANT FIGHT OF The GLOUCESTER
The Rescue OF the Spanish Prisoners Com
mended-The Chase OF the Different
vessels Described-ImmunIty Of
Our Ships from Damage.

dOre Schley, Capt Clark, Of the Ore
gOn, and Capt Evans, Of the Iowa, on
the battle Of July 3, which resulted in
the destruction Of Cervera's squadron.
Capt Sampson in his report saws:
I have the honor 20 make the following re-
port upon the battle and the destruction Of the
spanish squadron commanded b. Admiral
Ceryera, on Santiago de Cuba, on Sunday, July
9, lsSa The enemy's vessels came out Of the
harbOr between 9-55 and ten q m the head Of
the column appearing around CayO Smith at
s;si, and emerging from the channel five or six
minutes later
Capt Sampson then tells the position
Of his vessels and how the euemy's
vessels emerged from the harbOr. He
then goes on:
The men OF our ships in front OF the port
were at Sunday quarters for inspection"
The signal vas made simultaneously from sew
eral vessels ''Cneny's ships escaping - and gen
eral quarters was sounded The rnen cheered
as they sprang 20 their guns and fire was
opened probably within eight minutes by the
vessels whose guns commanded the entrance
The New York turuCI about and steamed for
the escaping feet, flying the signal close in
toward harbOr entrance and attack vessels
and gradually increasing speed until toward
the end OF the chase she was making 1Ciz knots
and was rapidly closing on the CristObaI Colon
she was not at any time, within the range OF
heavy Spanish ships. and her only part in the
the forts IN passing the harbOr entrance and 20
IRE few shots ct enc Of the destrOyers
thought at the moment TO be attempting % es-
cape from the Gloucester
The Spanish vessels, upon clearing the har-
Dor, turned to the westward in column. in
creasing their speed TO the full power Of their
engines The heavy blOckading vessels which
had closed In toward the Moro at the instant
Of the enemy's appearance. and at their best
speed delivered e rapid fire well sustained
hell n
and silenced the Spanish fire The initial
speed OF the Spauiards carried them rapidly
past the blOckading vessels, and the battle de-
FelOped into q chase in which the BROOKLYN
and Texas had at the start the advantage Of
position The Brooklyn maintained this lead
The Oregon, steaming with amazing speed
from the commencement Of the action. took
first place Tho Iowa and Indiana. havfnz
lone good work, and not having the speed OF
the other ships, were directed by me in sue
CeSsiOn, at about the time the Vfzcava was
hesched, 70 drop out Of the chase AM resume
blOckading stations These vessels rescued
many prisoners The Vixen. finding that the
rush OF the Spanish ships would put her be-
tween two fires, ran outside OF our column and
remained there during the battle and chase
The skillful handling and gallant fighting OF
the Gloucester excited the admiration Of every
one who witnessed II, and merits the com
mendatiOn OF the navy department She is 2
fast and entirely unprotected auxiliary vessel
the yacht CCrsair-and has a good battery Of
light rapid-fire guns She was lying about
two miles from the harb9r entrance to the
southwark and eastward. and Immediately
steamed IN. opening IRE upon the large ships
Anticipating the appearance Of the PIutou
and FurOr, the Gloucester was slowed. there
by gaining more rapidly high pressure OF
steam, and when the destrOyers came out
she steamed for them at full speed and was
able to close to short range where her FIRE
was accurate, deadly and OF great volume
During this fight the Gloucester was under
the IRE Of the SOcapa battery Within
p minutes from the time they emerged from
Santiago harbOr the careers OF the FurOr and
the Pluton were ended and tWO-thirds OF their
people killed The Furor was beached and
sunk in the surf, the PiutOE sank in deep water
. few minutes later The destroyers probably
suffered much injury from the FIRE Of the sec
Ondary batteries Of the battleships Iowa. In
diana and the Texas yet think Q very conSsd-
cradle factor in their speedy destruction was
the hre, Ut close range. OF the Cilou-eSters bat
terry. After rescuing the survivors OF the de-
stroyers the Gloucester did excellent service in
landing and securing the crew OF the Infanta
Maria Teresa
The method OF escape attempted BIZ the
Spaniards-all steering in the same direction
and IN fOrmati0n-remOTed all tactical doubts
OF dificulties AMI made plain the duty Of every
United States vessel 20 close II. Immediately
engage and pursue This was promptly and
effectively done As already stated. the first
rush Of the Spanish squadron carried it past q
number OF our blCckadiug ships, which
could not Immediately work up 20 their
lest speed but they suffered heavily in
RAISING and the Infanta Maria Teresa and
the OQuCndO were probably ses on fire By
shells fired during the first - minutes
Of the en-agem-nt It was afterward LEANED
that the Infants Maria Teresa's fire main had
been cut By one OF our first shots. and that she
was unable TO extinguish the IRE With large
volumes OF smoke from their lower decks aft
these vessels gave Up both fight and fight and
ran in on the beach, ths InfanLa Maria Teresa
At about 1918 . N, at Nina Nina. Ga miles
from Santiago harbO- entrance, and the Aimi-
rante Oquendo O. about 1890 q n. at Juan
Gonzales. seven miles from the port
The Vizcaya was still under the fire OF the
leading vessels; The CriStObal Colon hal drawn
ahead. leading the chase, and soon passed be
yond the range OF the guns Of the leading
American ships Tbs Fizcaya was soon set on
IRE, and az Il:I5 she turned in shore AID was
beached at AserraderOs, Is miles from SaE-
tiagO, burning fercely, and with her reserves
Of ammunition On deck already beginning -
ago the Indiana had been stgn1led 70 50 back
70 the harbOr entrance and a. ASerraderOs
the Iowa was signaled 10 resume
bIockadfng station The iowa. assisted
OF the crew CT the Fiz-aya- while the Harvard
and the Gloucester reScue5 those Of the In
fauta Maria Teresa ana the Alnir1ute Oquen-
do. This rescue Of prisoners including the
wounded, from the burning Spanish vessels
vas the occasion Of some Of the most daring
and gallant conduct Of the DAY. The ships
were burning fore ani aft their guns and re-
serve ammunition were exploding. and IL was
not known At what m0zlsnt the IRE would
reach the main magazines In addition TO this
q heavy surf was running Just inside OF the
Spanish ships But No risk deferred our OH
GERS and msn until theiE work OF humanity was
complete
There remained now o. the Spanish ships
only The CristObal Colon. but she was their
hest and fastest vessel Forced by The situs-
tSon to hug the Cuban coast her only chance OF
escape was By Superior and sustained speed
When the Vizesya vent ashore the Colon was
about six miles ahead Of the B-Oolziyn and the
Oregon. but her squirt was finished ard n
American ships were now gaining upon her
Behind the Br0oSlFn and the Oregon came the Z
Texas. Vixen and New YORK II was evident
from the bridge CT the New YORK that al
the American ships were gradually over
hauling the chase and that she had no
chance o. escape At l2:53 The Brooklyn
and the Oregon opslsd IRE ana got
ser ronga-ths OreZon's heavy shel stirling
bevand her-aad "a f:lo she gaTe up without
artng another Shot nauied GosFn her coiors and
IN ashore A. Ri5 ToTaquir8s a mules non
Eandasa Captain cgok q fhs Bro9s-gH