The San Francisco call., 1898-07-07
Aboard the Iowa Durin9 the Crushing of CerVera'S
 Ships.
Furious Slaughter Followed by Touching Courtesy to Cap
 tured Spanish Officers.

aiding them and hindering us was the cloud of smoke which concealed and at best only half revealed the wreck of the enemy. It was a grand, sad sight-a pathetic one to seamen, who know how much patient thought and patriotic eff fort had gone into the construction of these splendid vessels, now lying bruised and burning on the shores they had hoped to defend.
 There was no time, however, to in dulge in emotions of sympathy or of pity, for still rushing eagerly west ward, closely followed by the New York and at a further distance by the Indiana, came the torpedo-boat de- stroyers. In hot eagerness of destruc- tion we turned loose our smaller guns on these loudly heralded and ineffec- tive craft, and finally by lucky hit dropped 12-inch shell into the bow of the leading destroyer. At the same in stant the little Hist was rapidly clos ing upon them, pouring a SiCkening fire into their fragile hulls. The Glou- cester joined in this splendid assault, and so sure and so effective was their rapid fire of projectiles that both tor pedo boats swung their helms hard-a- port, ran for shore and buried what was left of them among the pitiless rocks of the coast.
 By quarter past 10 we were in full cry after the other Spanish ships, then about four miles ahead, busy with hot replies to the determined assaults of the Oregon, Texas and Brooklyn. Bend ing every energy to overtake the Co., lon, which was then five miles away and perhaps two miles ahead in a di- rect line and a mile and half further inshore, we picked up the flying Viz caya. The game must have seemed up to her then, fir with a quick turn to Cf o Fl r6 cha Sh ar6 nd IKrA saw in an instant that she was flaming fore and aft. = beautiful Spanish flag floating from her ~aff and another higher still from her maintopmast head showed her to be the flagship of the second in command. She Jagged heavily in the water; no longer did she carry the bone in her teeth and her foaming wake was gone. When we drew near we saw something had gone amiss with her, for just as we swung with touch of our helm to give her a finishing broadside the beautiful flags drifted from the truck and gaff end and the white flag of surrender went up and the cheers of our ship went with it.
 We stopped our engines when close aboard and hoisted cut our boats to save her people. We received on board 250 of her crew. The Hist took another hundred, and that was all that was left of them, for the other hapless sail ors were lying dead and wounded on her burning decks.
 The ccnfagration aboard this ship was astounding, and even now, when the opportunity for calm reflection has come 1t is impossible to explain where so much inflammable material could have been collected on board an ar mored vessel.
 Through the air ports and gun ports Of the doomed ship quivering fires shone with blood-red light upon the light woodwork of the bridge and upper deck, and long tongues of flame licked the towering masts. Over the ship cloud of rosy light lowered, and when, after a time, explosions of free powder were added, great volumes of smoke shut out the sky.
 Several explosions of terrific force followed but notwithstanding this and while the flames were still quivering through every outlet and encircling the hull our boats were busy rescuing the unfortunate wounded and the more lucky of the survivors who had sought the water or shore as their only refuge from a dreadful death.
 When the Spanish captain of the Viz caya, that courteous Eulate. of whom we heard so much when his ship was in the harbor of New York, was lifted
  presented his sword to Captain Evans as a symbol, but Evans, gentle as he is brave, declined to receive it, and waving it back with a friendly gesture, he grasped the hand of the Spaniard and welcomed his brother officer to the hospitality of the ship.
 Much affected by his reception. Cap tain Eulate asked permission to meet the Iowa's officers and to each he gave a warm grip of his hand and a friendly word of gratitude before he was car ried below. The Oregon and Brooklyn joined in the attack, but were a little too far out to get into the best of it. and their efforts were directed more to head off and catch the Colon than to join in the general action There was wisdom in this, approved by all good sailors, for they knew what work was cut out for them and in what good hands the other ships were left.
 The glorious Texas, no longer a "hoodoo," gave is principal attention to the Vizcaya. and one of her 12-inch shells, smashi through the fire room of the Spania~d. caused her to make that quick turn to shore which at first we did not understand. The New York was so far to eastward that we had a long chase and a stern chase before she got into action. and she passed us just after the Vizcaya surrendered.
 She made a splendid marine picture as she rushed eagerly in hot chase after the Colon, and as she shot past we gave Sampson cheer after cheer, and cheer after cheer came back to us from as gallant crew as ever served a gun or fed roaring furnace.
 Some of the crew had swum to the beach. but finding the hostile shores commanded by alert parties of Cuban