The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-09
HIS SHIP WAS THE FIRST IN
ACTION
TWICE HIT BY SPANISH SHELLS
The spaniards Fought With Courage.
Work of the Cubans and Sharks.
A Vivid Description


Kingston, July s, $40 p. m.-(Copyrighted.
1898. by the Associated Press.) The battle
ship Iowa was the first ship to see the Span
fish feet coming out of the harbor A mo-
ment later her crew was at general quarters
and at 9:33 a. m. gun was fired to attract
the attention of the fleet. Captain Evans
account of the battle, as told in the cabin of
the Iowa to correspondent of the Associ-
ated Press, is intensely interesting. He said
Eat the time general quarters was
Rounded the engine bell rang full speed
ahead and put the helm to starboard and
the Iowa crossed the bows of the Infanta
Maria Teresa, the first ship out. AS the
Spanish admiral swung to the westward the
12-inch shell from the forward turret OF the
Iowa seemed to strike her fairly in the bow,
and the fight was a spectacle.
LAS the squadron came out in column, the
ships beautifully spaced as to distance and
gradually increasing their speed to thirteen
knots, 1t was superb.
Used the Heavy Guns
1.-THE Iowa from this moment kept up a
steady fire from her heavy guns, heading
all the time TO keep the Infanta Maria Te-
resa 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.
I'm very short space of time the enemy's
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 the speed.
A Torrent of Shells
1.-THE range at this time was 1000 yards
from the leading ship. The Iowa's helm
was Immediately put hard to starboard
and the entire starboard broadsde was
pouring into the Infanta Maria Teresa. The
helm was quickly shifted to port and the
ship went across the stern of the Teresa in
an effort to head off the Oquendo. All this
time the engines were driving at full speed
ahead. A perfect torrent of shells from the
enemy passed over the smokestack and SUI
perstructure of the ship, but none struck
her.
The Flight Of the Colon
1.-THE Cristobal Colon, being much faster
than the rest o fthe Spanish ships, passed
rapidly to the front in an effort to escape.
In passing the Iowa the Colon placed two
six-inch shells fairly In our starboard bow.
One passed through the cofferdam and dis
pensary, wrecking the latter and bursti 6
on the berth deck, doing considerable dam
age. The other passed through the side of
the water line within the cofferdam, where
1t still remains
LAS it was now obviously impossible to
ram any of the Spanish ships, on account
Of their superior speed the Iowa's helm
was put to the starboard and she ran on a
abreast of the Almirante Oquendo, at a
course parallel with the enemy Being then
a distance Of HOO yards, the Iowa's entire
battery, including the rapid fire guns, were
opened on the Oquendo
Terrible Punishment
The punishment was terrific. Many
the Almirante Oquendo at the same mo.
ment, one forward and the other aft. The
Oquendo seemed to stop her engines TO,
q moment and lost Roadway, but she i'm
mediately resumed her speed and grad
ually drew ahead of the Iowa and cam:
under the terrific fire of the Oregon and
Texas.
Torpedo Boat Alarm
"At this moment the alarm of torpedo
boats was sounded. and two torpedo boat
destroyers were discovered on the star
board quarter at distance of 1000 yards
Fire was at once opened on them with this
after battery and a twelve-inch shell cut
the stern of one destroyer squarely off.
As the shell struck a small torpedo boat
fired back at the battleship, sending a shell
within a few feet of my head.
Playing Donnybrook Fair
ssvIyotl IN n wong +ba at or,,icars
splitting shots at one and the other, was
the little Gloucester, shooting first at a
cruiser and then at a torpedo boat, and
hitting a head wherever she saw 1t. The
marvel was that she was not destroyed by
the rain of shells. In the meantime the
vizcaya was slowly drawing abeam of the
Iowa, and for the space of fifteen minutes
1t was give and take between the two
ships. The Vizcaya fired rapiGS,, but
wildly, not one shot taking effect on the
Iowa, while the shells from the Iowa were
tearing great rents in the sides of the
vizcaya AS the latter passed ahead OF
the Iowa, she came under the murderous
fire of the Oregon. At this time, the In
fanta Maria Teresa and the Almirante
Oquendo leading the enemy's column, were
seen to be heading for the beach and in
flames.
An Unmerciful Pounding
1.-THE Texas, Oregon and Iowa pounded
them numerically. They ceased to re-
ply to the fire and in a few moments the
Spanish cruisers were a mass of flames
and on the rocks with their colors down
the Teresa flying a white flag.
1.-THE enemy's crew stripped themselves
and began jumping overheard, and one OF
the smaller magazines began to explode.
meantime the Brooklyn and the Cristo.
bal Colon were exchanging compliments
in lively fashion at apparently long range
and the Oregon, with her locomotive
spaced, was hanging well on to the Colon
also paying attention to the Vizcaya. TIL,
Teresa and the Oquendo were in flame:
+. on the beach just twenty minutes after tn,
first shot was fired.
The vixcaya Goes Down
Fifty minutes after the first shot wa,
fred the vizcaya put her helm to port witt
q great burst of flame from the after par
Of the ship and headed slowly for the rock