The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-27
Giving Details of Destruction
of Cervera's Fleet.
A LURID BATTLE PICTURE
DESPERATE RUSH OF THE SPAN
ISL SQUADRON.
STRAIGHT INTO THE "MOUTH OF HE'LL
Vivid Portrayal of the Vain Effort to Escape
from The Swift-wnged American Ships
Vomiting from Every Gunfloods
Of Flaming Death.

toliiluHS HoH Lively Ouht 'oouS
Of Flaming Death.
Washington, ID. c., July 26.-The
Navy Department today made public the
report of Admiral Sampson on the de-
struction of Cervera's squadron, off San
tiago, July g. 1t is as follows:
u. S. Flagship New York. First Rate,
off Santiago de Cuba, July 10, lS9S.
Sir
| have the honor to make the following
report upon the battle with and the de-
struction Of the Spanish squadron, COM
manded by Admiral Cervera, oil Santi-
ago de Cuba, on Sunday, July J. 1S9S.
.. The enemy's vessels came out of the
harbor between $50 and 10 a. m. the
head of the column appearing around
Cav Smith at 9:31. and emerging from
the channel five or six minutes later.
8. The positions of the vessels of my
command off Santiago at that moment
were as follows:
The fiagsnip. New York. WAS four
miles east of her blockading station, and
about seven miles from the harbor en-
trance She had started for Siboney.
where | intended to land. accompanied
by several of my staff. and go to the
front to consult with General Shafter.
A discussion of the situation. and Il
more definite understanding between us
o. the operation proposed. had been rem
dered necessary by the unexpectedly
strong resistance of the Spanish garri-
son of Santiago. / had sent my chief of
staff on shore suffering from heat pros
tration. | made arrangements to go TO
his headquarters. and my flagship was in
the position mentioned above when the
Spanish squadron appeared in the chan
mel. The remaining vessels were in or
near their usual blockading position:
distributed in a semi-circle i'm the follow
ing order:
THE AMERICANS POSITION.
The Indiana about a mile and half
from shore. the Oregon. the New York S
place between the two. the Iowa. Texas
and Brooklyn the latter two miles from
the shore west of Santiago. The dis
lance the vessels from the harbor
entrance was from two and one half to
four miles, the latter being the limit of
day blockading distance. The length
of the arc formed by the ships was about
eight miles. The Massachusetts had left
at 4 a. m. for Guantanamo for coal.
Her station was between the Iowa and
Texas. The auxiliaries Gloucester and
Vixen lay close to the land and nearer
the harbOr entrance than the large yes
sells. the Gloucester to the eastward and
the Vixen to the westward. The torpe-
do boat Ericsson was in company with
the flagship and remained with her dur
ing the chase until ordered to discon-
time. when she rendered very efficient
service in rescuing prisoners from the
burning ViZcaya. / enclose a diagram
showing approximately the positions Of
the vessels as described above.
4. The Spanish vessels came rapidly
out Of the harbor at n speed estimated
at from eight to ten knots. and i'm the
following order: Infanta Maria Teresa
t1agship). Vizcaya. Cristobal Colon. and
the Almirante Oqnendo. The distance
between these ships was about 800 yards.
which means that from the time the first
one became visible in the upper reach of
the channel until the last one was out OF
the harbor. an interval of only about
twelve minutes elapsed. Following the
Oquendo. at n distance of about 1.2O(
yards. came the torpedo boat destroysl
Pluton and after her the Fnror. The
armored cruisers. as rapidly as they
could ring their guns to bear, opened
a vigorous fire upon the blockading yes
sells, and emerged from the channe
shrouded in1a the smoke from their guns
SPRANG TO THEIR GUNS.
5. The men Of orr ships in front Of thu
port were at Sunday quarters for in
spection.' The signal was made stimuli
taneously from several vessels, enemy
ships escaping" and general quarter.
was sounded. The men cheered as they
sprang to their guns, and fire was open
ed probably within eight minutes by thu
vessels whose guns commanded the en-
trance. The New York turned abou
and steamed for the escaping fleet, fly
ing the signal ''close in toward harbol
entrance and attack vessels" and grad
ually increasing speed until the end O
the chase, she was making 1872 knots
and was rapidly closing on the CristOba
Colon. She was not. ut any time, with
in the range of the heavy Spanish ships
and her only part in the firing was to re
ceive the undivided fire from the fort
i'm passing the harbor entranuce, ant
to fire Il few shots at one of the destroy
ers, thought ut the moment to he ut
tempting TO escape from the Gloucester
6. The Spanish vessels upon clearin.
the harbor turned to the westward IL
column increasing their speed to the full
power of their engines. The heav,
blockading vessels, which had closed il
toward the MORO at the instant of tn
enemy's appearance, and at their bes
speed delivered a rapid fire. The initil
speed of the Spaniards carried them rap
a, l. Il. nd
battle developed into a chase in whicl
the Brooklyn and Texas had Mt the star
the advantage of position. The Brook
Iyn maintained this lead. The Orego
.steaming with amazing speed from th
commencement Of the action. took frs
place. The Iowa and the Indiana hayin
done good work and not having tn
speed of the other ships We're directed b
me in succession, at about the time th