The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-28
A DEL ESTE,

r PLAYA DEL ESTE,
July 4. 1898.
sIR:-I have the honor TO make the
following report Of the part taken by
$his ship IN the action Of yesterday dur.
ing and following the Sortie OF Admiral
CeEvera's squadron.
The ship had started at $50 for the
army landing at Sibonev, the command
p -chlet' having an appointment with
the general commanding the army. A
few minutes after the crew had been
called 10 quarters for Sunday lnspec-
don, firing was heard and ship was
tRen. leaving the hnFbor entrance. The
helm was at once put over, the crew
called 20 general quarters, signal close
intoWards the harbor entrance and at
tack vessels" made. orders given to
spread all fires and the ship headed
back for the enemy, whose ships were
seen successfully coming out at high
speed. The flagship Infanta Maria Te-
resa, was first, then another 0rmored
cruiser Of the same class (Which tttrn-
ed out to be the Vizc0ya) followed BY
the CFistob0l Colon, an aTmored- cruiser
(Oduendol and the torpedo boat de-
dtroyers FurOr and Pluton.
The nearer ships had Immediately en-
gagged, and blythe time we were on the
entrance, one, the flagship. was already
afire and was soon ashore; the, Indiana
and Glouce8tef were actively engaged
with the torpedo boats; this ship Hfe9
some four Inch shells at the one nearer
the port towards which she was already
headed and soon attempted to return,
but she was already practically out Of
the fight, the boiler OF the more adj
] a9yu11Aa5 0No kAA k1hRsn shaving
vast column OF condensed steam. Dur
ing the time the batteries whose line of
IRE we had crossed close to, repeatedly
fred upon US, but without effect. No
return was made to this fire. shell
from the west battery fell within two
hundred yards Of the ship when we
were over four miles to the westward
and We had thought ourselves entirely
out OF range, This ship stood on, leav.
ing the Gloucester, which had shown
herself so capable, to look after the
survivors in the torpedo boats. By this
SiTne second cruiser was ashore and
burning, Cthe Almirante oquendo),
while the third, the Vizcaya, and the
CrIstobal Colon were still steaming
rapidly westward The Indiana was
now sIgnalled u1:2S a, M. to return to
her blockading position. to look after
anything which mlght be there. Very
shortly che Vizcaya turned shoreward,
smoke began to issue from her after
hart and by the time that she was
ashore on the reef at Asserraderos (flt-
Teen miles west OF santiago) she was
GblaSe. The Iowa had slgnalled little
before that she had surrendered and
stopped on this place where she gave
much assistance in the rescue OF the
Yizcaya's people.
This ship stood on in chase of tho
GrlstohOl Colon, with ahead Of US the
Brooklyn, Oregon, Texas and Vlxen, the
Oregon being much nearer inshore OF
the two heAdmost ships, but not In
gut shot. We were rapidly increasing
our speed.
II Was evident, however. that the
Colon would give Us lengthy chase
and AZ noon the crew left quarters and
went 70 dinner.
About 1880 the Oregon opened Are,
and some OF her shells were observed
t6'strike beyond the Colon; this made
her capture foregonO conclusion and
shortly after o'clock she turned In to-
W6rdS shore and soon struck her coiors.
She had been beached at a small inlet
known as Rio TorquIno. BY the time
we arrived q boat was alongside her
from the Brooklyn and Captain Cook,
the boarding officer. came alongside this
and reported. This ship then sent',H
boat TO take possession, the command
ing oficer going In the boat, was re-
eelyed By the commodore Of the squad
ron Captain De Navio don Emilio Mo.
reu, and Captain de NaVio o. the FIRST
class; Don Jose de Paroles y Chacon
(Which latter had been civil governor OF
Santiago and had only just been at-
tached to the sQuadron,) I arranged for
the transfer OF the crew and officers,
division to each ship present and tho
engineer force to be left aboard. While
aboard, however, the Resolute arrived
and Il was arranged to transfer tho
whole number to her.
Il had taken with me the feet sur.
geon, an engineer and the carpenter, to
examine and make secure everything
neeSSary. The engineer reported to me
that she was making water aft. had
previously had soundlngs taken and
found eight feet at the bow and sew
eRtY ct the stern so that but a small
portion Of the ship was ashore. re-
turned a. quickly as possible 10 the
dagShip 10 report the situation. Tho
oregon was sIgnalled to take charge
and the men were hastened on board.
Onumber sent also from the ship. Our
work of closing water tight doors,
was, however. OF no avail; large NUM-
Der OF sea valves had been treAch0rous-
IL opened and the valves so broken as
70 make II impossible to close them; the
ship thus slowly settled. At 1870 she
came afoat and came out into deeper
water. The officer in charge l4leuten-
ant Commander CogswelD had let 80
ks,0 ~ nhE
event. down IN water OF the depth In
which she was she could never he re
covered. this ships stem was placed
aEainBt her quarter and later a line
being taken from her own bow TO her,
the Colon was forced In shore. II wnt
BY this time dark, but using n search
HIGHT we were enabled 10 force the ship
on the beach. the chain being paid out
At the same time. she thus sank In a
very moderate depth OF water, and II Is
very probable she may be saved.
AT II p. M the flagship returned 10
Santiago. leaving the Texas and Oregon
In charge Of the prize.
Though the chip was not able 10 come
70 action with any Of the larger ships
on account Of her distance to the cast
ward every nerve was strained 10 do SOC
ana ali was done that could be done
sur speed had rapidly Increased so thai
Ne we're going sixteen knots ut the end
We were Immediately astern while all
Others were considerably to aCaward.
We were thus In a position to prevent a
possible doubling to the rear and escape
10 the southeast.
The officers and crew, Rs they always
have DONE acted In the most enthuslas-
tic and commendable manner They
have worked into so complete n system