Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-07-05
CERVERA'S FLEET ANNIHILA
TED

mlThl CerVeTa u5eL udu ucCu uCotiOJ
ed. Cervera made dash out of the
harbor OF Santiago Sunday, but Was
pursued and fired upon by the
American fleet until he ran his
Vessels ashore. They were either
blown up or almost destroyed by
fire by the Spaniards. Cervera him
self surrendered with fully 800 others.
The Spanish lost several hundred
killed or wounded. Yeoman Geo. H.
Ellis, of the Brooklyn, was the only
American killed. Admiral Sampson in
his dispatch to Washington says the
| fleet attempted TO escape at $50 q. NJ,
and at 3 p. IN. the last of ships, the
Crstobal Colon, had run ashore sixty
miles west OF Santiago and let down her
colors. The Infauta Maria Teresa,
OquenGo and ViZcaya were forced
ashore, burned and blown up within
twenty miles of Santiago. The Furor
and Puton were destroyed within four
miles of the port. Our loss-one killed
and two wounded The enemy's loss
is probably several hundred from gun
fire, explosions and drowning.
l
$50 n. IN. Sunday that the Spanish
squadron, seven in all, including one
guuboat, came out OF Santiago in col
| umn and was destroyed within an hour
except the Cristobal Colon, which was
chased forty five miles to the westward
| by the Brooklyn, Oregon and Texas,
surrenderiug to the Brooklyn, but being
| heache1 to prevent sinking
None of our officers or men was in
iured except that on board theBrooklyn,
| Chief Yeoman E lis was killed and one
man was wounded. Admiral Cervere,
all his commanding officers, except OF
the Oquendo, about 20 other officers
and ] 800 men are prisoners. About
$50 were killed or drowned and 100
wounded, the latter being cared for on
the Solaco and the OIivette.
The Spanish Admiral was wounded
in one of his arms. His splendid ships,
the Cristobal Colon, flagship; the VIZ
caya, Almirante Oquendo and Iufanta
Maria Teresa, and The torpedo boat de-
stroyers Furor and Pluton, lie on the
Cuban rocks, shell ridden, smoking
hulks.
Cervera, on the Colon, made the
longest run toward liberty. He yielded
to fate only in the face Of death, and is
Il prisoner now on the Gloucester,
which before the war was j. Pierpont
Molgan's yacht Corsair.
When his ship, all ahame, was pound
ing on the shore, ten miles west OF
Santiago, boat from the Gloucester
put out to him and he gave his sword to
Lieutenant Morton, who was in charge
| of the boat. When he went aboard the
Gloucester he was met by Lieut-Com.
Richard Wainwright, who was the
watch officer OF the Maine the night
! she was blown up in Havana harbor.
Il congratulate you, sir" said the
lieutenant. commander, rs he grasped
the hand of the Spanish admiral. You
have made us gallant fight as ever
was made on the sea-"
Magnificent beyond description was
the bold dash by which Ceryera at
tempted to get his feet cut OF Santiago
harbor. Cervera himself led the way
with his flagship, the Chrstobal Colon.
1t was TO tie dash to liberty or to death,
|
plunge with eyes open.
Admiral Sampson on the New York
was not in The fight having gone to have
Il conference with General Shafter.
When Admiral Sampson left the
Moro the battle ships and the cruiser
Brooklyn were grouped oil the harbor
mouth.
Ii is not known whether Admiral
Cervera blew up the Merrimac or pass
ed it in single column. The Cristobal
Colon first eiIded out of the harbor and
steamed TO the westward.
la few seconds the American fleet
YVES in motion, the Indiana, which was
closest, heading straight in shore to get
close range. The Spsniards opened
fire with an 1l.inch Hontoria gun, and
mighty fountains of water rose above
the battleship and wet her decks. The
shell fell near her bow. The Indiana
replied with her IS inch guns, and Il
moment later let 20 everything she
could bring to bear, and then the fight
was on.
Cervera's flag was hidden for time
as he fled westward, his port broadrde
emitting flashes of flame. which mark
ed bis progress. For the next five
minutes he ran a gauntlet such as few
ships had ever run in history.
Shells burst on the decks OF the
Spanish cruisers at short intervals.
Often the ships were on fire, but again
and again their crews eXtinguished the
flames and manned again and again
the guns from which they had been
| driven.
Later the New York appeared. hav.
ing been summoned 10 return from
Aguadolcs. She was six miles away
when the deslroyer5 saw her. The
Moro Numbered at Sampson as he
came within range, but the Admiral
never headed, seeing only in the dis
lance the dim forms Of the Vizcaya aud
the Oquendo, hopelessly hemmed in by
circle of fire.
Cervera passed the bay in which the
Oquendo had sought refuge and held
on due westward course close to the
land, but evidently nourising the de5-
perate hope that he might break
through the line and reach free water.
He had passed in succession the IT,
diana, the Iowa, the Texas and the
Gloucester. Since his flag had appear
ed outside the harbor MS ship had been
struck again and again. By this time
the Yizcaya and the Oquendo were
beaten, but in spite of the twelve and
thirteen inch shells that were rained
upon him at a range which was short
for such guns, in spite of the fact that