The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-07-14

twenty-five minutes after tho Nrst shin
had been sighted half the Spanish fleet
had surrendered or was on fire.
AS our vessels rushed toward them
every ship was hulled time and again.
and 1t almost seemed in the sureness and
uirecthess or our batteries as if it were
the target practice of a summer morning
ara rot the humiliation of q squadron.
Even this interval would have been short
ened measurably. fer aiding them and
hindering US was the cloud of smoke
Hfich concealed, and at the best, only
falf revealed the wrecked enemy.
1t was grand, sad sight a pathetic
one to seamen who know how much sea-
men thought and patriotic effort had gone
into the construction OF these six splendid
vessels now lying bruised and beating on
the shores they had hoped to defend
There was no time, however, to indulge
In emotions of sympathy or OF pity, for
still rushing eagerly westward, closely
distance by the Indiana, came the tor
pedo destroyers. In the
Hot Eagerness of Destruction.
we turned lose our smaller guns on these
loudly heralded and ineffective craft and
finally, by lucky hit dropped twelve
inch she'll into the bow of the leading de-
stroyer. At the same instant the little
Hist was rapidly closing upon Them,
pouring sickening fire into their fragile
huls.
The Gloucester joined in this splendid
assault and so effective was the rain of
rapid-fire projectiles that both torpedo
boats swung their helms hard aport, ran
for the shore and buried what was left of
them among the pitiless rocks of the
coast.
BY 1915 we were in full cry after the
other Spanish ships, then about four miles
ahead and busy with hot replies to the de-
termlned assault of the Oregon, Texas and
Brooklyn. Bending every energy to over
take the Colon, which was then five miles
away and perhaps two miles ahead in
direct line a mile and a half further in
shore, we picked up
The Flying Vfzcayn,
The game must have seemed up to her
then, for with quick turn to starboard
she ran shoreward. and we saw in an
instant that she was flaming fore and aft.
A beautiful Spanish flag flying from her
gait and another higher still from her
maintop mast head, showed her to be the
flagship of the second in command. She
Jagged heavily in the water. No longer
did she carry 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 a touch of our helm to give her
finishing broadside the beautiful flags
drifted from truck and gait end and the
white flag of surrender went up, and the
cheers of our ship went with it.
We cpped our engines when close
aboard, and hoisted out our boats 10 save
her people We received on board 80
of her crew, the Hist took another hun
dred and that was all that was left of
them, for the other hapless sailors were
lying dead and wounded on her burning
decks. The confie grafton aboard ship
was astounding; ana even now, when
the opportunity for calm reflection has
come, 1t is impossible to explain where so
much inhamable Tatter could have been
collected on board an armored 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 tow
ering masts. Over the ship a cloud Of
rosy light lowered. and when, after a
time, the explosions Of the free powder
were added. great volumes OF smoke shut
out the sky. Several explosions of terri
BILE force followed, but Notwithstanding
this, and while the flames were stu
quivering through every outlet and en-
circling the hull, our boats were busy
with the rescue of the unfortunate
wounded and those more lucky survivors
who had sought the water on the 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 over
sword to Capt. Evans; but Evans,
Gentle ms He Ia Brave,
declined to receive IL. and, waving Il
back with a friendly gesture, he grasped
the hand of the Spanisrd and welcomed
his brother officer to the hospitality OF
the ship.
Much affected by his reception. Capt.
Eulate asked permission to meet the
Icwa's officers, and to each he gave 4
fritz
word Of gratitude before he was carried