The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1898-07-06

tation that the surrender will be made
Tuesday or else that the bombardment
will begin.
The news from Dewey was equally
stirring in character His official dis
patch bore the Hong Kong date of
July 4, although it came from Cavite
July /. 1t told not only of the arrival
of the first expedition, but of the cap
ture of Guam, Ladrone islands, with its
garrison of six officers and 81 men, and
the surrender of the gunboat Leytc
with 81 officers and "a men.
Following are the details of the de-
struction of the Spanish fleet:
Three of the Spanish cruisers that
were bottled mp in Santiago harbor
and two torpedo boat destroyers were
pounded into helpless hulks by the
guns of Adm. Sampson's fleet on Sun
day in vain attempt to escape from
the harbor. The vessels were beached
in last effort to save as many of the
lives of the crews as possible.
Adm. Cerrera, on board the Cristo-
bal Colon, headed his feet in the at
tempt to get away at about $50
o'clock. So little were the Americans
expecting the dash that the flag ship
New York was cruising up the coast
to the east and returned only in time
to see the finish of the fight and to
fire shot oil. two at the torpedo boat
destroyers.
The Iowa. Indiana. Oregon, Massa-
chusetts, Texas, Brooklyn and the
converted yacht Gloucester, formerly
the Corsair. formed in position to give
battle as soon as the Colon was sighted
rounding the wreck of the Merrimac
The American vessels did not open
fire at once; they waited until Ger
vera's fleet were out of the range of
Morro's gurs before giving battle.
Cervera headed to the west, the Colon
in the lead. followed by the Vizcaya
and Oquendo and the destroyers all
firing rapidly.
All of the American battle ships
opened fire at once and the Spanish
were soon in hurricane of shot and
shell, but the Colon kept on bravely
till when about ten miles from the
westward of Moro Castle Adm. Ger
vera turned ais vessel to the shore and
beached her. She was blazing in a
score of places but her guns kept at
work and the white flag never showed
until she was completely disabled.
The Oquen'lo and Vizcaya were op-
posed to the Iowa, Texas and Indiana,
and went down to defeat with fearful
swiftaess, covering only about half
the distance made by the Colon be-
fore their captains ran them ashore.
Their crews fought with desperate
bravery, but their courage was no
match for the courage of our men
added to their superb gunnery. The
Spanish shells went wild for the most
part, but the American gun fire was
marked by nierciless precision. The
two cruisers both on fire, were
beached not more than one-quarter
OF a mile apart.
The most dramatic feature of the
battle was the contest between the
torpedo boat destroyers and the Glou-
cester. The latter was struck several
times and is the only American yes
sci reported damaged At first the
Gloucester fred upon them with her
six-pounders, but they ran past her
and engaged the battleships Finding
the fire too hot they turned and at
tackled the Gloucester again until both
destroyers were afire and had to be
beached. Their crews threw them
selves into the, surf to save their lives.
just before this the New York came
up and assisted in giving the finishing
blow to the destroyers
There was explosion after explosion
from the beaci,ed vessels.
CFF SANTIAGO. July 5.--Adm- Cer-
vera escaped to the shore in boat
sent by the Gloucester to the assist
ance of the lnfanta Marie Teresa, and
as soon as he touched the beach he
surrendered hims If and his staff to
Lieut. Morton and asked to be taken on
board the Gloucester, which was the
only American vessel near him at the
time with several Of his officers in
GLIDING the captain of the flagship.
The Spanish admiral who was also
wounded in the arm. was taken to the
I Gloucester and was received at her
panpwav bv her comnaauder F.iar4