Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-07-30
THE DEFEAT OFCERVERA
As Told in the Reports of the Vic
torious Commanders.
COMMODORE soHLEY's MoDBsTY.

NtctSfN, OeSAttTlhk ~ DIX hhoAEA
For All of Us,' and Extols the valor
of the Men ON the Different Vessels.
Washington. July 27.-The reports OF
Admiral Sampson, Commodore Schley
and the commanders OF the vessels of
the North Atlantic squadron Were
given to the press last night That
of Admiral Sampson is addressed to
the secretary Of the navy, while the
others are addressed to Admiral Samp-
son, as commander of the fleet
The AdmiraI's Report.
The report OF Admiral Sampson tells
OF the order in which the ships OF his
squadron were ranged and OF the dis
covery of the Spanish vessels steaming
from the harbor, explaining that at the
time he was on his flagship seven miles
from the harbor entrance, en- route for
conference with General Shafter.
Referring to the discovery OF Cervera's
fleet, he proceeds:
THE men of our ships In front OF the
port were at Sunday quarters for In
spection." The signal was made stimuli
taneously from several boats, "Enemy's
ships escaping" and general quarters
they sprang to their guns, and fire was
was opened probably within eight min
utes by the vessels whose guns COM
manded the entrance. The New York
turned about and steamed for the es-
Gaping fleet, flying the signal CLOSE in
towards harhor entrance and attack
vessels" and gradually increasing
speed until toward the end of the chase
she was making 1914 knots, and was
rapidly closing on the Cristobal Colon.
She was not at any time within the
range of the heavy Spanish ships, and
her only part In the firing was to re-
ceive the undivided fire from the forts
in passing the harhor entrance and to
fire a few shots at one of the destroy
ers, thought at the moment to be at
tempting to escape from the Glouces-
ter"
He then proceeds at length to de-
scribe the work of the different YES
sells in his fleet. having this to say OF
the Gloucester:
THE skillful handling and gallant
fighting of the Gloucester excited the
admiration of everyone who witnessed
IL, and merits the commentator of
the navy department She is fast and
| entirely unprotected auxiliary vessel
| the yacht Corsair--and has a good bat
terry of light rapid fire guns. She was
lying about two miles from the harbor
entrance, to the southwark and east
ward, and Immediately steamed In,
| opening fire upon the large ships. An
ticipating the appearance of the Plu-
| ton and Furor, the Gloucester was
slowed, thereby gaining more rapidly
! a high pressure of steam, and when
| the destroyers came out she steamed
| for them at full speed. and was able
| to close at short range. where her fire
was accurate, deadly and of great vol
ume. During this fight the Gloucester
| was under the fire of the Socapa bat
| terry. Within 20 minutes from the time
they emerged from Santiago harbor the
| careers of the Juror and the Pluton
| were ended, and two-thirds of their
people killed.
After describing the destruction of
the Marir Teresa, the Almirante Oquen-
do and the Vizcaya he has this to say
of the rescue of the crews from the
sinking vessels:
1.-The rescue of prisoners, including
the wounded from the burning Spanish
vessels, was the occasion of some of the
most daring and gallant conduct of the
day. The ships were burning fore and
aft, their guns and reserve ammunition
were exploding, and it was not known
at what moment the fire would reach
the main magazines. In addition to this,
heavy surf was running just inside OF
the Spanish ships. But nothing deferred
our officers and men until their work
of hmm y1ifu xNac oof1nipfp -
The report details with rigid exact
ness the work OF the different COM
manders. speaking of the admirable
Judgment of Captain Chadwick, Of the
New York, in pushing the sinking Girls
tobal Colon toward shore to prevent
her sinking in deep water, and of the
surrender of the Cristobal Colon to the
Brooklyn. The only direct reference to
Commodore Schley is as follows:
Commodore Schley, whose chief OF
staff had gone on board to receive the
surrender. had directed that all their
personal effects should be retained by
the officers. This order l did not mod
fly"
Commodore Schley's Report.
Commodore Schley, after reporting
the work Of the different vessels, APP
plauds the work of many officers on the
various ships. naming each one. and
proceeds:
Il have never in my life served with a
Drawer, better of worthier crew than
that of the Brooklyn. During the COM
bat, lasting from 9:35 until lis p. M.
much of the time under fire, they never
tagged for a moment. and were APP
parently undisturbed by the storm OF
projectiles passing ahead. astern and
over the ship.
THE casualties on board this ship
were G. H. Ellis. chief yeoman, killed;
]. Burns, fireman. first class, severely
wounded. The marks and scars show
that the ship was struck about rs
times, and she bears in all Al scars as
the result of her participation in the
great victory of your force on July 3,
1898. The speed cone halliards were shot
away, and nearly all the signal hall
lizards. The ensign, at the close Of the
action fell IN Oiecas