The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-05
Cervera'S S eetAnnihi|ated
by Our Warships.
TBE ADMIRAL A PRISONER.
Over Sixteen Hundred Spaniaras
Also Captured.
THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DEAD

Attempt to Escape From Santiago Har.
Dor, but Was Met by the Fire of Our
Fleet, and After Desperate Flying Fight
Was Forced to Yield to the Superiority Of
Our Gunners-complimented by Ills Cap
tor on His Gallant Fight--The Captives
Guarded by Our Troops to Save Them
F,om the Vengeance Of the Cubans.
Kingston, Jamaica, July 5.-A news
paper dispatch boat just arrived from
the fleet ten miles west of the entrance
OF the harbor of Santiago de Cuba,
brings the following story of the de-
structon of Admiral Cervera's fleet:
Admiral Cervera's fleet, consisting OF
the armored cruisers Cristobal Colon,
Almirante Oquendo, Infanta Maria Te-
resa and Vizcaya and two torpedo boat
destroyers, tho Furor and the Pluton,
which had been held in the harbor OF
Santiago de Cuba for six weeks past
by tire combined squadrons OF Rear Ad-
miral Sampson and Commodore Schley,
lies today at the bottom OF the Carib-
bean sea off the coast of Cuba The
Spanish admiral is a prisoner of war
on the auxiliary gunboat Gloucester
(formsrly Mr.. ]. Pierpont Morgan's
yacht Corsair). and 1000 to 100 other
Spanish officers and sailors, all who es-
capped the frightful carnage caused by
the shells from the American war
ships, are held as prisoners of war by
the United States navy. The Span
iards, when they found they would be
permitted to live, adapted themselves
comfortably to the situation, rolled
their cigarettes and began playing
cards among themselves.
The American victory Is complete,
and, according to the best information
obtainable at this time, the American
vessels were practically untouched and
only one man was killed, though the
ships were subjected to the heavy fire
OF the Spaniards all the time the battle
lasted.
Admiral Cervera made as gallant a
dash for liberty and for the preserva-
tion of his ships Sunday morning as
has ever occurred in the history of ma
val warfare. In the face of overwhelm-
ing odds, with nothing before him but ,,
inevitable destruction or surrender If
he remained any longer in the trap in
which the American feet held him, he
made bold dash from the harbor at
the time the Americans least expected
him to do so, and, fighting every inch
of his way, even when his ship was
ablaze and sinking, he tried to escape
the doom which was written on the
muzzle of every American gun trained |
upon his vessels.
The Americans saw him the moment |
he left the harbor. and commenced
their work Of destruction Immediately.
For an hour or two 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.
At no time did the Spaniards show
any indication that they intended to
do otherwise than fight to the last.
They showed no signals to surrender,
even when their ships began to sink,
and the great clouds of smoke pour
ing from their sides showed they were
on fire. But they turned their heads
toward the shore. less than mile
away, and ran them on the beach and
rocks, wins their destruction was soon
completed. The officers and men ON
board then escaped to the shore as
we'll as they could, with the assistance
of boats sent from the American men,
of-war. and then threw themselves
upon the mercy of their captors, who
sent them guard to protect them
from the murderous bands OF Cuban
soldiers hiding in the bush In the hill
side eager to rush down and attack
the unarmed. defeated. but valorous
foe.
Ono after another of the Spanish
ships became the victims of the awful
rain Of shells which the American bat
tleships, cruisers and gunboats poured
upon them, and two hours after the
first Of the fleet had started out of
Santiago harbor three cruisers and
two torpedo boat destroyers were lying
on the shore ten to 15 miles west of
Moro Castle. pounding to pieces,
smoke and flame pouring from every
part of them and covering the entire
coast line with a mist which could be
seen for miles.
Heavy explosions Of ammunition oc- I
CURED every few minutes. sending I
curls Of dense white smoke a hundred
ieet in the air and causing shower Of
broken iron and steel to fall In the ..
water on every side. The bluffs on the ,
coast line echoed with the roar Of .
every explosion, and the Spanish YES. I
sells sank deeper and deeper into the
sand or else the rocks ground theis
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