Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-09
FIGHTING BOB'SFIGHT
Capt. Evans Account Of the Flight
of CerVera's Fleet.
THE iowa saw THE ENEMY FIRST
He Says the Naval Battle Off San
tiago Was a Spectacle.
HIS PRAISE CT CERVERA
HIS PRAISE c. CERVERA
copyright. 1898, by the Associated Press.l

the first ship to see the Spanish feet COM
ing out of the harbor Somebody on the
bridge shouted: What's 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 9s33 m.
Fighting Bob Evans the commander of
the Iowa. was sitting in his cabin, talking
to his son, a cadet on the Massachusetts.
who, luckily, had been left behind in
picket launch when the Massachusetts went
to Guantanamo 10 coal at dawn.
Captain Evans account of the battle, rs
told in the cabin of the Iowa to a CORE
spondent of the Associated Press, is intense
ly interesting. He said:
AT the time general quarters was
sounded the engine bell rang full speed
ahead and 1 put the helm to starboard and
the Iowa crossed the bows OF the lntant<.
Maria Teresa. the first snip out. AS the
Spanish admiral swung to the westward the
Pinch shells from the forward turret OF
the Iowa seemed to strike him fair in the
bow, and the fight was a spectacle
The Iown's Fire.
"As the squadron came out In column, the
ships beautifully spaced as to distance, and
gradually increasing their speed to their
thirteen knots it was superb
The Iowa from this moment, kept up
steady fire from her heavy guns, heading
all the time to keep the Infanta Maria Te-
resa on her starboard bow, and hoping TO
ram one of the leading ships.
In the meantime the Oregon, Indiana.
Brooklyn and Texas were doing excellent
work with their heavy guns
In n very short space of time the enc
my's ships were all clear of the harbor
mouth. and 1t became evidently impossible
for the Iowa to ram either the first or the
second ship on account of their speed.
The range at this time was 2,0o0 yards
from the leading ship. The Iowa's helm
was Immediately put hard to the starboard
and the entire starboard broadside was
poured into the Infanta Maria Teresa The
helm was then quickly shifted to port and
the ship headed across the stern of the
Teresa in an effort to head off the Oquen-
do. 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.
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 dam
age. The other passed through the side at
the water line with the cofferdam, where it
still remains.
AS ii was now obviously impossible to
ram any of the Spanish ships account
of their superior speed, the 1owa's helm
was put to the starboard and she ran on a
course parallel with the enemy.
Punishment Was Terrific.
being then abreast of the Aimirante
Oquendo. at distance of 100 yards, the
1Owa's entire battery. including the rapid
fire guns, was opened on Oquendo. The
punishment was terrific. Many u and s.
flch shells We're seen to explode inside of
her, and smoke came out through her
hatches. Two 12-inch shells from the
Iowa pierced the Almirante OCuendo at
the same moment. one forward and the
other aft. The Oquendo seemed to stop her
engines for a moment and lost Roadway,
but she Immediately resumed her speed and
gradually drew ahead of the Iowa and
came under the terrific fire of the Oregon
and Texas.
AT this moment the alarm of torpedo
boats was sounded and two torpedo boat
destrOyers were discovered in the Starboard
quarter at a distance of 1000 yards. Fire
was at once opened on them with the at
ter battery and Finch shell cut the stern
of one destroyer squarely off. AS the shell
struck small torpedo boat fired back at
the battle ship, sending a shell within a
few feet of my head | said TO Executive
Officer Rogers: That little chap has got a
lot Of check Rogers shouted back: She
shoots very well. all the same
We'll among the advancing cruisers, spit
lhe little Gloucester. shooting first at a
cruiser and then at torpedo boat and
hitting a head wherever she saw it. The
ylaTVel was that she was not destroyed by
Che rain of shells
Tore the Nizcaya's Sides.
TN the meantime the Vizcaya was
slowly drawing abeam of the Iowa, and
for the space of fifteen minutes it was
give and take between the two ships. The
Eizcaya fired rapidly but wildly, not one
sbot taking effect on the Iowa, while the
shells from the Iowa were tearing great
rents in the sides of the Nizcaya. AS the
latter passed ahead of the Iowa she came
under the numerous fire of the Oregon
AT this time the Infanta Maria Teresa
and the Almirante OqueUdo, leading the
enemy's column, were seen 10 be heading
for the beach and in flames. The Texas,
Oregon and Iowa pounded them unmerci-
fully They ceased to reply to the fire and
in few moments the Spanish cruisers
were a mass of flames and on the rocks
with their colors down, the Teresa flying
q vi ite flag at the fore.
The crews of the enemy's ships strip
ped themselves and began jumping over
board, and one of the smaller magazines
began TO explode.
tobal Colon were exchanging compliments
In a likely fashion at apparently long
range. and the Oregon. with her locomo-
tive speed. was hanging well on the Colon,
d.
The Teresa and the OqueHdo were in
flames on the beach just twenty minutes
after the first shot was fred. Fifty min
utes after the first shot was fired the
Nizcaya put her helm TO port with a
great burst Of fame from the after part
of the ship, and headed slowly for the
rocks at Aserradero, where she found her
last resting place
The Burning Battle Ship.
AS it was apparent that the Iowa
could not possibly catch the Cristobal Co
lon and that the Oregon and Brooklyn
undoubtedly would, and as the fast New
York was also on her trail decided that
the calls of humanity should be answered
and attention given to the twelve or fif-
teen hundred Spanish officers and men who
had struck their colors TO the America
squadron commanded by Admiral Samp-
Son
Il therefore headed for the wreck Of
the Nizcaya, now burning furiously fore
pnd aft. When / was in as far as the
depth Of water would admit lowered all
my boats and sent them at once to the
assistance of the unfortunate men who
were being drowned by dozens or roasted
on the decks.
Il soon discovered that the insurgent
t'upauS from shore y5era Sbnotinrr -,