The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-29
on the BROOKLYN.

the Texas had at the start the advan-
tage of position. The Brooklyn main
tanned this lead. The Oregon, steam
ing with amazing speed from the
commencement of the action, took first
place. The Iowa and the Indiana, hav-
ing done good work, and not having
the speed of the other ships, were di-
rected by me in succession, at about
the time the ViZcaya was beached, to
drop out of the chase and resume their
blOckading stations. These vessels
rescued many prisoners The Vixen,
finding that the rush of the Spanish
ships would put her between two fires,
ran outside of our own 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 wit
messed it, and merits the cOmr1en';a
ton of the navy department. She is a
fast and entirely unprotected auxiliary
vessel-the yacht COrsair-and has a
good battery of light rapid fire guns.
She was lying about two miles from
the harbOr entrance, to the SOuthWard
and eastward and Immediately steam
ed in, opening fire upon the large
ships. Anticipating the appearance of
the PlutOn and the FurOr, the GlOu-
cester 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 volume. During this fight
the Gloucester was under the fire Of
the SOcapa battery. Within twenty
minutes from the time they emerged
from Santiago harbOr, the careers of
the Furor and the Pluton were ended
and two thirds of their people killed
The Furor was beacned and sunk in
the surf. The Pluton sank in deep
water a few minutes later. The de-
stroyers probably suffered much in
jury from the fire of the secondary
batteries of the battleships Iowa, In
diana and the Texas, yet l think a
very considerable factor in their
speedy destruction was the fire, at
close range, of the Gloucesters bat
terry. After rescuing the survivors Of
the destroyers, the Gloucester did ex-
cellent 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 doubt of difficulties, and
made plain the duty Of every United
States vessel to close in Immediately,
engage and pursue. This was promptly
and effectively done. AS already stat
ed, the first rush of the Spanish squad
ron carried it past a number Of the
blockading ships which could not i'm
mediately 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 fifteen
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 extinguish the fire. With
large volumes of smoke rising from
their decks aft, these vessels gave up
both fight and flight, and ran in on the
beach, the Infanta Maria Teresa at
about 1915 o'clock at Nina Nina, six
and one-half miles from Santiago har-
Dor entrance. and the Almirante
Oquendo at about 1870 o'clock at Juan
Gonzales, seven miles from the port.
The Vizcaya was still under the fire
of the leading vessels. The Christobal
Colon had drawn ahead, leading the
chase, and soon passed beyond the
range of the guns of the leading
American ships. The Vizcaya was
soon set on fire and at Ills O'Clock
she turned in shore and was beached
at AsserraderOs, fifteen miles from
Santiago, burning fiercely, and with
her reserves of ammunition on deck
already beginning to explode. When
about ten miles west of Santiago the
Indiana had been signaled to go back
| to the harbor entrance and at Asser-
raderoS the Iowa was Signaled to
resume blockading station" The
Iowa, assisted by the Ericsson and the
| Hist, took off the crew of the Viz
caya, while the Harvard and the
| Gloucester rescued those of the In
| fanta Maria Teresa and the Almirante
Oquendo. This rescue of prisoners, in
| cluding the wounded, from the burn
ing vessels, was the occasion of some
of the most daring and gallant con-
| duct of the day. The ships were burn
ing fore and aft, their guns and re-
serve ammunition were exploding and
| it was not known at what moment the
| fire would reach the magazines. In
| addition to this, a heavy surf was
running just inside of the Spanish
| ships, but no risk deferred our Off
GERS and men until their work OF hu-
| manity was complete.
| There remained now of the Spanish
| ships only the Cristobal Colon, but she
| was their best and fastest vessel
| Forced by the squadron to hug the
| Cuban coast. her only chance of escape
| was by superior and sustained speed
| When the ViZcaya went ashore the CO.
| Ion was about six miles ahead of the
| Brooklyn and the Oregon, but her
squirt was finished, and the American
ships were gaining upon her. Behind
| the Brooklyn and the Oregon came the
| Texas, Vixen and New York 1t was
| evident from the New York that all
| the American ships were gradually
oyerhauling the chase and that she had