The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-09
GrewsOme Picture of Carnage, with
RevengefuI Cubans Ashore and
Hungry Sharks in the Water.
SKATERS LINES ADVANCED
HIS ARMY WITHIN 400 YARDS OF
SPANISH INTRENCHMENTs.
Troops in Santiago without Food
Hatred of Cubans ExempIifed.

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Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.)
OFF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, July Z, per
the Associated Press dispatch boat Daunt-
| less, via Port Antonio. Jamaica, July 8, by
way of Kingston, July 8, $3.50 p. m.-The
battle ship Iowa was the first ship to see
the Spanish fleet coming out of the harbor.
| Somebody on the bridge shouted whats
| that black thing coming out of the harbor?"
| A moment later the Iowa was at general
| quarters, and the signal was hoisted that
| the enemy's ships were coming out. A gun
| was fired to attract the attention of the
| fleet at 1888 a. m.
Fighting Bob" Evars, the commander of
the Iowa, was sitting in his cabin, talking
to his son, cadet on the Massachusetts,
who, luckily had been left behind in
picket launch when the Massachusetts, went
to Guantanamo to coal at dawn. Captain
Evanss account of the battle as told in the
cabin of the Iowa to correspondent of the
Associated Press, is intensely interesting.
He said: ''At the time general quarters
was sounded the engine bell rang full speed
ahead, ,and I put the helm to starboard
and the Iowa crossed the bows of the In
fanta Maria Teresa, the first ship out. AS
the Spanish admiral swung to the west
ward the twelve-inch shells from the for
ward turret of the Iowa seemed to strike
him fair in the bow, and the fight was
| spectacle
LAS the squadron came out in column, tho
| ships beautifully spaced as to distance, and
gradually increasing their speed to thirteen
knots, it was superb. The Iowa from this
moment kept up a steady fire from her
heavy guns, heading all the time to keep
| the Infanta Maria Teresa on her starboard
| bow, and hoping to ram one of the leading
| ships In the meantime the Oregon, Indi-
ana, Brooklyn and Texas were doing excel
| lent work with their heavy guns. In a
very short space of time the enemy's ships
! We're all clear of the harbor mouth, and it
| became evidently impossible for the Iowa
| TO ram either the first or the second ship
on account of their speed.
| A TORRENT OF SHELLS
1.-THE range at this time was 1900 yards
from the leading ship. The Iowa's helm
was Immediately put hard to the starboard,
and the entire starhoard broadside was
poured into the Infanta Maria Teresa. The
helm was then quickly shifted to port and
the ships went across the stern of the
Teresa in an effort 10 head off the Oauendo.
All the time the engines were driving at
full speed ahead. A perfect torrent of
shells from the enemy passed over the
smokestacks and superstructure of the ship,
but none struck her.
1.-THE Cristobal Colon, being much faster
than the rest of the Spanish ships. passed
rapidly to the front in an effort to escape.
In passing the Iowa the Colon placed two
six-inch shells fairly in our starboard bow.
One passed through the cofferdam and dis
pensary, wrecking the latter, and bursting
on the berth deck, doing considerable lam
age. The other passed through the side at
the water line, within the cofferdam, where
1t still remains.
'As it was now obviously impossible to
ram any of the Spanish ships on account
of their superior speed, the Iowa's helm was
put to the starboard and she ran on a course
parallel with the enemy. Being then abreast
of the Almirante Oquendo at a distance of
1100 yards, the Iowas entire battery, in
cluding the rapid-fire guns, was opened on
the Oquendo. The punishment was terrific.
Many twelve and eight-inch shells were seen
to explode inside of her and smoke was soon
coming through her matches. Two 12-inch
shells from the Iowa pierced the Almirante
Oquendo at the same moment, one forward
and the other aft. The Oquendo seemed to
stop her engines for a moment and lost
headway but she Immediately resumed her
speed and gradually drew ahead of the
Iowa and came under the terrific fire of the
Oregon and the Texas.
THE TORPEDO BOATS.
cat this moment the alarm of torpedo
boats was sounded and two torpedo boat
destroyers were discovered in the starboard
quarter at a distance of four thousand
wards Fire was at once opened on them
with the after battery and a twelve.inch
na of dpSfr0V0F S0IlaPalU
off. AS the shell struck. a small torpedo
boat fired back at the battle ship, sending a
shell within few feet of my head. said TO
Executive officer Rogers: That little chap
has got a lot of cheek Rogers shouted
back. She shoots very well, all the same
"Well up among the advancing cruisers,
shifting shots at one and then another, was
the little Gloucester, shooting first at a
cruiser and then at a top torpedo boat and
hitting a head wherever she saw one. The
marvel was that she was not destroyed by
the rain or shells. In the meantime the Viz
caya was slowly drawing abeam of the Iowa
and for the space of fifteen minutes it was
give and take between the two ships. The
Vizcaya fired rapidly but wildly, mot one
shot taking effect on the Iowa, while the
shells from the Iowa were tearing great
rents in the sides of the Vizcaya. AS the
latter passed ahead of the Iowa she came
under the murderous fire of the Oregon.
At this time the Infanta Maria Teresa and
the .Almirante Oquendo, leading the enemys
column, were seen to be heading for the
beach and in flames. The Texas, oregon
and Iowa pounded them unmercifully They
ceased to reply to the fire and in few mo-
ments the Spanish cruisers were a mass of
flames and on the rocks with their colors
down, the Teresa flying white flag at the