The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-07-19


properly manned, in the harbor.
Commodore Schleys party first
steamed around the wreck of the Reina
Mercedes, which lies with her bow
pointed toward the city. She had a
list to the starboard and rested on a
reef near the foot of MORO cliff. The
cruiser was sunk to the upper deck, on
which one six-inch gun remained. One
torpedo tube was loaded and the auxil-
airy battery seemed in place. Evident
~ the crew of the Reina Mercedes left
her in hurry. This is less to be Won
dered at when it is noted that there
were great gaps in her sides, showing
where two twelve and two thirteen
inch shells struck her. The sea wash
ed through the after cabin, which was
decorated in oldfashioned style and
silk curtain could be plainly seen over
an inner door as the launch steamed by
About six hundred yards ahead of the
Reina Mercedes and alomst in line with
her was the wreck of the Merrimac,
lying in fully six fathoms of water on
the very edge of the channel. Had not
the current swung the doomed ship
alongside instead of athwart the chan
mel the latter would have been well
blocked. When Assistant Naval Con-
structor Hobson took the collier into
the harbor he was hunting for a four
fathom spot, and only missed by few
hundred yards.
At the firing station on the west side,
which Commodore Schley inspected in
person, the American party met a
courteous but gloomy. Commodore
Schley was his own interpreter and adj
vised the officer, with the few men I'M
der his command. to go up to the city
and surrender as quickly as possible
When the Spanish captain was asked
TO point out the route to the six-inch
battery on the west hill he said there
was none and explained that the way
to get there was over steep, rocky and
difficult ground. 1t was learned later
that this was not true, and it was sur
missed that the Spaniard was anxious
to prevent the Americans from seeing
the damage done by the bombardment
Commodore Schley then said he was
determined to have a glimpse of San
tiago City, and the launch was headed
along the west side of the channel. go
ing slowly and sticking to the shallow
water lest some contact mine put an
end, as the commodore remarked, ito
our pleasure party"
Skirting the broad, lake-like spot in
the harbor where the Spanish fleet, de-
stroyed two weeks ago to-day, used to
lie during the commandments, and not
ing the brilliantly painted buoyS which
marked the shadows, Punta Gorda was
rounded and, distant about two miles,
the city of Santiago shone out, the
cathedral being especially we'll defined
and the masts and tunnels Of not a few
vessels showing at it's wharves. AT that
distance Santiago did not show any
traces of the destruction wrought by
the LOG eight-inch shells fired on the
city last Monday.
Returning to the Brooklyn, Commo-
dore Schley, accompanied by his staff
Ia inc
soon after the mines were exploded.
Captain Cook of the Brooklyn is au-
thority for the statement that the for
mer Spanish flagship, the Infanta Ma
ria Teresa, has foated off the reef on
which she stranded, and that her heavy
armament is practically uninjured. The
captain also says this cruiser will al
most surely be saved and form an adj
dition to the United States navy
trophy of the glorious July 8.
The Cristobal Colon may also be
saved, though a good deal depends
upon the weather, which is very un-
certain at this time Of the year. A
heavy storm might drive the cruiser so
high on the coral reef that it would be
impossible to float her. Many Of the
naval men are outspoken in their crit
icism of the treatment of the Colon i'm
mediately after her surrender They
believe the ship could have been saved
when she slipped back from the reef
into deep water had divers, carpenters
and machinists, with a competent crew,
been sent on board of her.s
The crew of the Brooklyn regarded
the Vizcaya as their particular enemy
since the time when they were both
present at Queen Victoria's Jubilee dis
play, when there was much comment
abroad on what a good fight might be
expected between the two ships If they
ever met. OF the four big ships which
were in Admiral Cerveras fleet, only
two are surely doomed to destruction.
They are the Vizcaya and the Almi-
rante Oquendo, and these, as coinci-
dence, were the two cruisers which
went into Havana harbor after the
blowing UP of the Maine, and were
moored near the wreck of the United
States battle-ship in all their bravery
Of paint, gliding and bunting seeming
to gloat over the ruin caused, while the
people of Havana shouted themselves
hoarse, fired myriads of bombs and
Dragged increasingly Of what the two
formidable cruisers of Spain would do
with the United States navy should
fight ever be possible.
Surely" remarked Lieutenant Com
mander Wainwright of the Gloucester,
formerly of the Maine, this avenges
the Maine"
Speaking of the military victories of
July 1 and 2, and of the naval victory
on July 8, Commodore Schley said SER
iously: These victories may serve
not only to deprive Spain of her CO.
lonial possessions, but to bring about
a change of frontiers in Europe. Spain
cannot get the terms now which she
might have had two months ago What
can she hope for in six months more
of such warfare? Whom the gods
would destroy they first make mad"
CALIFORNIANS IN NEW YORK.
NEW YORK, July Isl. G. Eastland Of
San Francisco and e. A. Schaffer of Los
A Lee at