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


heavy shells striking beyond her, ana
at 1:20 o'clock she gave up without
firing another shot, hauled down her
colors and ran ashore at Rio Torpuino,
forty-eight miles from Santiago. Cap
tain Cook, of the Brooklyn, went on
board to receive the surrender. Wnlle
his boat was alongside I came up in
the New York. received his report and
placed the Oregon in charge of the
wreck to save her if possible, and di-
rected the prisoners to be transferred
to the ResOlute, which had followed In
the chase 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
did not modify. The Cristobal Colon
was not injured by our firing and prob
ably is not much injured by Bleaching,
though she ran ashore at high speed
The beach was so steep that she came
off by the working of the sea. But
her sea valves were opened and brok-
en- treacherously, 1 am sure, after her
surrender, and, despite all efforts, she
sank. When it became evident that
she could not be kept afloat, she was
pushed by the New York bodily upon
the beach, (the New York's stem be-
ing placed against her for this purpose
the ship being handled by Captain
Chadwick with admirable judgemenD,
and sank in shoal water and may be
saved. Had this not been done she
would have gone down in deep water
and would have been, to a certainty, a
total loss.
/ regard this complete and important
victory over the Spanish forces as the
successful finish of several weeks of
ardOus and close blockade, so stringent
and effective during the night that the
Al 1t. l,1
attempt to escape at night and de-
liberately made the attempt in day
light. That this was the case [ was
Informed by the commanding officer of
the CristObal Colon.
Admiral Sampson at this point fully
describes the manner in which the
blockade of the harbor was maintain
ed, showing that it was impossible for
any of Cerveras ships to escape with
out detection. Every night an Ameri-
can battleship turned it's Searchlight
on the channel leading out of the har-
Dor.
Admiral Sampson continues as fol-
lows:
When all the work was done so we'll,
it is difficult to discriminate in praise.
The object of the blockade of Ger
| vera's squadron was fully accomplish
ed and each individual bore we'll his
part in it, the commodore in command
of the second division, the captains of
the ships, their officers and men. The
fire of the battleships was powerful and
destructive and the resistance of the
Spanish squadron was in great part
broken almost before the had got be-
yond the range of their own forts The
fine speed Of the Oregon enabled her
to take a front position in the chase,
and the Cristobal Colon did not give
up until the Oregon had thrown a
13-inch shell beyond her. This per-
formance adds to the already brilliant
record of this fine battleship and
speaks highly of the skill and care
with which her admirable efficiency has
been maintained during a service un-
precedented in the history of vessels
Of her class. The Brooklyn's westerly
blockading position gave her an ad-
vantage in the chase which she main
{ tanned to the end, and she employed
her fine battery with telling effect. The
Texas and the New York were gaining
on the chase during the last hour, and,
had any accident befallen the Brook
lyn, would have speedily overhauled
j the CristObal Colon. From the mo-
ment the Spanish vessels exhausted
| her first burst of speed the result was
| never in doubt. She fell, in fact, far
| below what might reasonably have
! been expected Of her. Careful meas
Y
| her an average speed from the time
| she cleared the harbor mouth until the
| time she was at Rio Tarquino of 1871
! knots. Neither the New York nor the
| Brooklyn stopped to couple up their
| forward engines, but ran out to the
| chase with one pair, getting steam,
of course, as rapidly as possible in all
| boilers. To stop to couple the forward
| engines would have meant a delay of
! fifteen minutes or four miles in the
| chase.
| OUR LOSS.
! Several of the ships were struck, the
Brooklyn more often than the others
| but very slight material injury was
| done, the greatest being aboard the
| Iowa. Our loss was one man killed and
! one wounded, both on the Brooklyn. II
is difficult to explain this immunity
| from loss of life or injury to ships in
combat with modern vessels of the
, best type, but Spanish gunnery is poor
! at best, and the superior weight and
, accuracy of our fire speedily drove the
, men from their guns and silenced theil
| fire. This is borne out by the state.
mentS of prisoners and by observation
| The Spanish vessels, as they dashed
| out of the harbor, were covered with
the smoke of their own guns, but thi:
| speedily diminished in volume anC
| from the rapid fire batteries of tn.
! battleships appears to have been re
| markably destructive. An examina
| ton of the stranded vessels shows tha
the Almirante OQuendo especially suf
| fered terribly from the fire. Her side
| are everywhere pierced and her deck
, were strewn with the charred remain
| of those who had fallen.
The reports of Commodore W. S
Schley and of the commanding Office
| are enclosed
A board appointed by me severa
! days ago. has made a critical examina
| tion of the stranded vessels. both Will
a view of reporting on our fire, of mil
! itary features involved and reporting
| upon the chance of saving any of then
and of wrecking the remainder. TIL
report of the board will be speedil,
forwarded.
! Very respectfully,
| w. T. SAMPSON,
| Rear Admiral, u. S. Navy.
| Commander-in-Chief United States Ma
| Wy Force North Atlantic Station.
| CnHpSnDnDEy