The Meeker herald., 1898-07-09
|CERVERA'S FLEET NO MORE.
THEY SAILED OUT AND WERE DESTROYED.
The Spanish Admiral Took Desperate Chances to Escape Put
Our Ships Under Schley Promptly Drove Them on
the Beach and They Are Now Battered EIu.ss

ChuBStts uAA hbu tut'A tui IL
ed with the Texas to pound the
OQuendo.
Then every American ship was in
action and smoke shrouded the coast
ind blew lnzily. revealing geysers
about the ships where the Spanish
shells from the cruisers md the Moro
| tore the water. A ship moved from
the hnrbor II was the Vizcaya com
ing at full speed, smoke curling over
her bow as she took her course 10 the
westward and brought her guns into
play.
Behind her came the Iufnntn Maria
Teresa and Spain's two much dreaded
torpedo b4qt destroyers. perhaps 200
yards apart. The Marin Teresa was
received with n terrific storm OF shells
Smashed and on fire, she was beaclied
close to the Moro.
The Iowa steamed for time for
ward with the Oquendo, and the In
diana did the same with the yizcaya.
but ns the fight thus moved westward
it became clear that the Americans
We're willing that the Spanish ships
should run far enough from Moro to
lose the aid of the guns there and in
twenty minutes this was done.
This was Il hit of strategy which
was developed under fire. and which
was adopted mt once by all the Amer
lean ships without orders; In fact. the
smoke often made 1t impossible to see
the signals which Commodore Schley
was making from the Brooklyn, SO
tremendous was the firing all along The
line. Both the Oquendo and Vizcaya
We're sometimes within thousand
yards of the Indiana. The range var
led. but as n rule 1t was short and
extremely deadly; nevertheless the
high speed and thick armor of their
class stood the Spanish In good stead
as they followed in the path of honor
marked out by Admiral Cerver;i.
Three-qunrters of an hour after the
action began it was evident the Span
ish had many guns disabled and
would have to surrender. There We're
terrible casualties on the enemy's
ships.
AS the smoke cleared n little one
could see the Spanish flagship. her
port broadside spouting smoke, still
F, holding on to the westward. The Tex
as and Massachusetts Joined the In
diana and the Iowa. The OQuendo and
J the Vizcaya hugged the shore and
, steamed after Ceryern. pledged to go
with him to defeat and denth.
Shells burst on the deck OF the Span
ish cruisers ut short Intervals. Often
they were on fire. but again md again
| they extinguished the flames and man
4, ned agnin and again the guns from
which they had been driven.
| The green const on their starboard
smoked with the shells which flew
over, and crashing sounds heard amid
the thunder of great rifles told of arm
or piercing shells driven into and
through their protected sides.
Two destrOyers coming on after the
| Vizcaya were headed off and perfOr
ated by the guns of the Indiana and
Gloucester. They ran upon the shore
and blew up.
| The New York was six miles away
when the destrOyers saw her. The
E, Moro thundered Mt Sampson as he
came within range. but the admiral
never needed. seeing only In the dis
| tance the dim forms of the Vizcnya
and Oquendo. hopelessly hemmed in
h, by circle of fire. and in the fore
ground the Gloucester lighting two
destroyers at short range.
The Spanish admiral was lost In
smoke to the westward, when. at n
quarter before eleven o'clock, the
(, Vixcnya hoisted white flag. This
was followed by the Oquendo's GO
ing ashore with flames bursting from
nef OeckS.
! The Iowa, Indiana. Texas and Mas
sachusetts ceased firing, the AIassa-
chusetts going at once to Join the Or
egon and the Brooklyn in pounding |
up and smashing Cervcra's ship.
/ Once headed off. the OquendO
+, turned into small bay four or five
miles west of Santiago, where she |
lay close to land.
| With mn ever-wenkenng broadside |
+, the Vizcaya followed. first heading
out as IL to break through the line Of
+. battle. The Indiana and Iowa closed |
. In. and their formation made her es-
cape in that direction impossible.
Captain Eulate then attempted to
reach the east side of the bay occu-
pied by the OquendO, but in vain.
! With n glass l could see that the |
Vizcaya's bulwarks near the stern
/ had been torn away. Smoke poured
out where shells had exploded inside.
and she was on fire. Her guns, with
the exception of those forward, were
out OF action. Her bow guns were
sun firing at intervals. those who
We're not working the bow guns
crowding forward to escape the
smoke and fire aft.
The Oqnendo was ashore, her guns
silent and smoke rising in thick |
black clouds. There was n thunder
ing of guns to the westward now, and
flashes in the smother told that Ger
vera still fought. but to the eastward
of his ship lay the burning wrecks Of
his two destroyers. The torpedo boat
Ericsson was seen coming along with
the New York.
The oquendo was helpless. The
Indiana and the Iowa were closing In
and shell after shell burst above and
aboard the Vizcaya. Euiate hofsteii 4
white flag as his ship went ashore to
save the remainder Of his men. ana |
simultaneously up went dae Of |
white on the Oquendo and dawn
came the flag of Spain. An hour and |
half had elapsed since Cervera had
left the larbor. and Of the FIVE Yes-