Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-29
THE BRO0KLYN'S PART

Department. mas mduc puDliC tuc &c
ports OF Captain Cook, Of the Brook
lyn; Lieut. Usher, commanding the
| Ericsson. and Captain Cotton, OF the
J Harvard, giving their stories of the
destruction of Cervera's feet.
The full text of the report OF Capt.
Cook follows:
U. S. F. S. Brooklyn, First Rate,
At Anchor, Guantanamo Bay, July I.
SIR
lat a. m. July 3, gave orders
and arrangements were made for gen.
eral muster at $50 a. m. At $3.50 a.
m. the enemy were telegraphed by the
Iowa as coming out. At the same time
they were discovered by the qaurter-
! master on watch, n. Anderson of this
ship, and reported to the officer of the
deck. The executive officers, Lieut..
Commander Mason, who was on deck
about to execute the order for gen.
eral muster, immediately gave the
order "clear ship for action and gen.
eral quarters" Signal was made at
the same time enemy coming out, ac-
ton" l went Immediately forward,
stood for the enemy and gave order to
get steam on all boilers. We started
with steam On three boilers at about
IL knots speed.
1.-THE head Of the Spanish squad
ron in column, was just outside the
entrance Of the harbor of Santiago,
heading about S. W. The Spanish
squadron consisted of the Maria Teresa
! (fagship), ViZcaya, Oquendo and Colon
and two torpedo destroyers. We
! opened fire ON the leading ship in five
minutes from the discovery
3-The port battery was first engas-
| ed as We stood with port helm to head
| off the leading ship and giving them a
raking fire at about 1000 yards range.
The enemy turned to the westward to
| close into the land. We then bore
around to starboard, bringing the star
board battery into action. The enemy
Rugged the shore to the westward. The
Brooklyn leading, was followed by the
Texas, Iowa, Oregon, Indiana and Glou-
cester. The Vixen, which had been to
westward of us On the blockade, ran
| to the southwark and eastward OF us
and kept for some time Off our port
side distant about 1000 yards. evil
IDENTIFY intending to guard against tos'
|
shells passing over us fell very thick
about her, some passing over her. At
| this time the firing was very fast and
the whistling of shell Mcessant and
our escape with so little injury was
miraculous and can only be attributed
to bad craftsmanship on the part OF
the enemy. The Maria Teresa, which
had dropped astern while we were
wearing, under the heavy fire OF our
fleet, ran ashore.
5-The Vizcaya. OQuendo and Colon
continuing on and gaining In distance.
The Brooklyn was engaged with three
leading ships of the enemy which We're
forging ahead, the Texas, Iowa aud
Indiana keeping up a heavy hre put
steadily dropping astern. The oregon
was keeping UP a steady flre and was
coming up in the most glorious and gai-
liant style. outstripping all others. 1t
was AN inspiring sight to see this bat
tleship with large white wave before
her and her smokestacks blechlng forta
continued puffs from her forced draft.
We we're making fourteen knots at the
time and the Oregon came UP OH our
! starboard quarter at about SIX NUM-
red yards and maintained her position
! though we soon after increased our
speed to fifteen knots and just be1ore
the Colon surrendered were making
nearly sixteen knots.
| 6-The OQuendo, soon after the lali-
| ing out of the Teresa, dropped asterh
| and On fire, ran ashore. Inc Vlzcaya
| and Colon continued on, under IRE
from the Brooklyn and oregon. LEE
other vessels of our fleet were well
astern and out of range. The leXas
was evidently coming up last. Al
| about TO-: SO a. m. the Flzcaya was
seen to be on fire, and the Colon pass
ed inside of her. with increased speed,
took the lead and gradually forged
| ahead. The Vizcaya soon after ran
on the beach, blaze of fire. we Sig
nailed the Oregon TO cease firing on
the Vizcaya, as her flag was down
Firing Immediately ceased, and we
beth continued the chase of the Colon,
now about $4,000 yards away. The
! ranges ran from Loo to 5000 yards.
| We steered straight for distant point
near Cape Cruz, while the Colon Kept
close to the land, running into all the
| big vessels. She could not have come
| out without crossing our bows, and we
were steadily gaining on her. We were
getting more steam all the time, and
now had four and one-half boilers on,
and the remaining one and one-hal1
nearly ready.
After running for about fifty miles
west from the entrance the Colon ran
into a blight on land, beached, fired a
gun to Reward and hauled down her
! flag. The-Oregon and Brooklyn had
| just previously begun to fire upon the
| Colon, and were landing shell close to
| her. / was sent on board by Comma
| dcre Schley to receive the surrender
The captain spoke English, and re-
ceived me pleasantly, though naturally
much depressed He surrendered I'M
| conditionally. He was polite, shook
! hands and said that his case was hope
less, and that he saw that we were too
much for him. l was on board about
| fifteen minutes. AS we came down
from the Colon the flagship New York
came in with the Texas. l reported
on board to Rear Admiral Sampson.
stated to him that believed the Colon
| could be gotten off the beach.
! S-During the entire action I was In
constant communication with you, so
that was enabled to promptly execute
your orders and instructions. The Of
ficers and crew behaved with great
and uneXceptionable GOODNESS and
! bravery, so that it Is difficult to dis