The age-herald., 1898-07-09
EVANS ACCOUNT
 OF THE BATTLE The Iowa Was the First Ship to
 Discover the Spaniards. GENERAL ys aTER SOUNDED The I0Has $ Up Steady Fire From
 f Heavy Guns' OTHER oHIPS JOINED IN CHASE It Was Superb Sight as the Ships
 Came Out of the Harb0r. WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO RAM THE yEssELs The Christobal Colon, Being Much Fastel Than the Rest of the Ships, Passed Rapidly to the Front in Effort to Escape.
It Was a Superb Sight as the Ships
 Came Out of the Harbor.
WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO RAM THE yEssELs
Copyrighted by the Associated Press.

Copyrighted by the Associated Press. sociated Press Dispatch Boat Dauntless via Port Antonio, July 8, by Way of Kingsi ton, July S.-3.30 p. m.-The battleship Iowa was the first ship to see the Spanish fleet coming out of the harbor Somebody on the bridge shouted, "What's that black thing coming out of the harbor?9 A moment later the Iowa was at general quarters and the signal was hoisted that the enemys ships were coming out. A gun was fired to attract the attention of tha fleet at 9;36 a.
 "Fighting Bob" Evans commander of the Iowa, was sitting in his cabin talking to his son, a cadet on the Massachusetts, who luckily had been left behind in picket launch when the Massachusetts went to Guantanamo to coal at dawn.
 Captain Evans account of the battle aa told in the cabin of the Iowa to a corre- spondent of the Associated Press, is in- tensely interesting. He said:
 "At the time general quarters was sounded the engine bell rang full speed ahead and l put the helm to starboard and the Iowa crossed the bows of the In- fanta Marie Teresa, the first ship out. As the Spanish admiral swung to the westward the 12-inch shells from the forward turret of the Iowa seemed to strike him in the bow and the fight was spectacle.
 Beautiful Sight
 "As the squadron came out in column the ships beautifully spaced as to distance and gradually increasing their speed to thirteen knots, it was superb.
 "The Iowa. from this moment, kept up steady fire from her heavy guns heading all the time to keep the Infanta Maria Teresa on her starboard bow and hoping to ram one of the leading ships.
 "In the meantime the Oregon, Indiana, Brooklyn and Texas were doing excellent work with their heavy guns
 Tn very short space of time the ene- mys ships were all clear of the harbor mouth, and it became evidently impossible for the Iowa to ram either the first or the second ship on account of their speed
 "The range at this time was 1000 yards from the leading ship. The Iowas helm was put hard 10 the starboard, and the entire starboard broadside poured into the Infanta Maria Teresa. The nelm was then qucky shifted to port and the ship went acros she stern of the Terss in an effort to he'd he Oquendo Ali = time the eygines were driving ats fall speed ahead. A pc f-et torrent 0f shells from the Iowa passed ovaa the suptrs. .scture of the ship.
 An Effort to Escape
 '"rhe Cristobal Colon being much faster
 
 rapidly to the front in an effort to escape. In passing the Iowa the Colon placed two 6-inch shells fairly in our starboard bow. One passed the cofferdam and dspensary, wrecking the latter, bursting on the berth deck, doing considerable damage. The other passed through hte side at the water line within the cofferdam, where 1t still remains.
 "As it was now obviously impossible to ram any of the Spanish ships on account nf fhnfr was put to the starboard and she ran on a course parallel with the enemy. Being abreast of the Oquendo at distance of HOO yards, the Iowa's entire battery in- cluding the rapid fire guns, was opened on the Oquendo The punishment was terrific Many 12-inch shells were seen to explode inside of her and smoke came out through her hatches. Two 12-inch shells from the Iowa pierced the Almirante Oquendo at the same moment, one forward and the other aft. The Oquendo seemed to stop her engines for a moment and lost head way, but she immediately resumed her speed and gradually drew ahead of the Iowa and came under the terrific fire of the Oregon and Texas.
 Alarm of "rorpedo Boats"
 'At this moment the alarm of "torpedo boats' was sounded and two torpedo boat destroyers were discovered in the starr board quarter at distance of 4,O00 yards. Fire was at once opened on them with the after battery and 12-inch shell cut the stern of one destroyer sauarely off. As the shell struck the small torpedo boat fired back at the battleship, sending shell within few feet of my head. I said to the executive officer, Rodgers, that little chap has got lot of cheek Rodgers shouted back: She shoots very well, all the same "well up among the advancing cruisers.
 
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