Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-08-04
HOW TT WAS DONE.
;SampsOn's Official Report of the
Naval Battle Off Santiago.
Achievements OF the Fleet in Chasing and
Sinking Cervera's ships Reviewed
Praise Given to All Who Were
In the Fight.

partment made public yesterday the
reports of Admiral Sampson, Commo-
dore Schley Capt Clark, Of the Ore
gon, and Capt Evans, of the Iowa, on
the battle Of July 8, which resulted in
the destruction of Cervera's squadron.
Adm. Sampson in his report says:
1 have the honor to make the following re-
port upon the battle and the destruction OF the
Spanish squadron, commanded by Admiral
'Cervera, off Santiago de Cuba, on Sunday July
3, 1893 The enemy's vessels came out OF the
harbor between 0:35 and ten a. m, the head Of
the column appearing around Cayo Smith ut
1881, and emerging from the channel five or six
minutes later
Adm. Sampson then tells the position
of his vessels and how the enemy'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 was made simultaneously from sew
eral vessels enemy ships escaping " and gem
eral quarters was sounded The men cheered
aas they sprang to their guns and fire was
opened probably within eight minutes by the
vessels whose guns commanded the entrance
The New York turned about and steamed for
toward harbor entrance and attack vessels A."
and gradually increasing speed, until toward
the end Of the chase she was making 1914 Snots
and was rapidly closing on the Cristobal Colon
She was not Mt any time, within the range OF
heavy Spanish ships, and her only part In the
firing was to receive the undiIt ded fire from
the forts in passing the harbor entrance and to
fire few shots at one Of the destroyers
Thought at the moment TO be attempting TO es-
cape from the Gloucester.
The Spanish vessels. upon clearing the har-
Dor, turned to the westward in column, in
rreasing 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 a rapid fire, well sustained
and destructive, which speedily overwhelmed
and silenced the Spanish fire. The initial
speed of the Spaniards carried them rapidly
past the blockading vessels, and the battle de-
veloped into n 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 The Iowa and Indiana, having
done good work, and not having the speed OF
the other ships were directed by me, in sue
cession at about the time the Vizcaya was
beached, to drop out Of the chase and resume
blocSading 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 1t, and merits the COM
mendation of the navy department She is
fast and entirely unprotected auxiliary vessel
the yacht Corsair-and has q good battery Of
light rapid-fre guns. She was lying about
two miles from the harbor entrance to the
southwark and eastward, and Immediately
steamed In opening fire upon the large ships
Anticipating the appearance Of the Pluton
and Juror, 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 fire OF the Socapa battery Within
20 minutes from the time they emerged from
Santiago harbor the careers of the Iruror and
the Pluton were ended and two-thirds of their
people killed The Furor was beached and
\ sunk in the surf, the Pluton sank in deep water
a few minutes later The destroyers probably
suffered much injury from the fire of the sec
ondary batteries of the battleshps Iowa, In
diana and the Texas yet think very consid-
cradle factor In their speedy destruction was
the fire, at close range. of the Gloucester's 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 by the
Spaniards-all steering in the same direction
and in formation-removed all tactical doubts
or difficulties and made plain the duty of every
United Stntpg VpCCnl In In innY,,a 1tot al,
engage and pursue This was promptly and
effectively done, AS already stated the first
rush of the Spanish squadron carried it past
number of our blockading ships, which
could not Immediately work up TO their
best speed; but they suffered heavily in
passing and the Infanta Maria Teresa and
the Oquendo were probably set on fire by
shells fired during the first Is minutes
of the engagement 1t was afterward learned
that the Infanta Maria Teresa's fire main had
been cut by one of our first shots, and that she
was unable to extingush the fire. With large
volumes OF smoke from their lower decks aft
these vessels gave up both fight and fight and
ran In on the beach, the Infanta Maria Teresa
ut about 1915 a. M, at Nina Nina 81 miles
from Santiago harbor entrance, and the Alml-
rante Oquendo at about 10:3O q M, at Juan
Gonzales, seven miles from the port
The Vizcaya was still under the fire of the
leuulnB NeSSelSi the CrStODal Colon had drawn |
ahead, leading the chase, and soon passed be-
yond the range of the guns Of the leading
American ships This Vizcaya was soon set on |
fire, and at ll:5 she turned in shore and was |
beached at Aserraderos, Is miles from San |
tlago, burning tlercely, and with her reserves |
OF ammunition on deck already beginning to |
explode When about ten miles west Of Santi- |
ago the Indiana had been signaled to 90 bnck |
to the harbor entrance, and at Aserraderos |
the Iowa was signaled to resume |
blockading station" The Iowa, assisted |
by the Ericsson and the Hist, took |
of the crew Of the Vizcaya, while the Harvard |
ana the Gloucester rescued those Of the III
tanta Maria Teresa and the Almirante Ouuen-
do This rescue of prisoners. including the
wounded, from the burning Spanish vessels
was the occasion Of some of the most daring
ana gallant conduct Of the day. The ships
were burning fore aud aft, their guns and re-
serve ammunition were exploding and 1t was
not known at what moment the fire would
reach the main magazines. In addition to this
heaYy surf was running just inside Of the
Spanish ships. But no risk deferred our OFF,
GERS and men until their work of humanity was
complete.
There remained Enow of the Spanish ships
only the Cristobal Colon, but she was their
best and fastest vessel Forced by the situa-
ton to hug the Cuban coast. her only chance of
escape was by superior and sustained speed
When the Vizcaya went ashore the Colon was
about six miles ahead Of the Brooklyn and the
Oregon, but her squirt was finished and the
American ships were now gaining upon her
Behind the Brooklyn and the Oregon came the
Texas, vixen and New York 1t was evident