Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-09-02

i Oh tue SdDtdlH SlllluSSS du Eyes tul IL
ed westward. Upon the peak of the
Iowa, which lay abreast Of the en-
trance, the, startling signal was read,
''Enemy's ships coming out"
Although the idea that Cervera
| would come out had been abandoned
the possibility of his doing so had
been talked over and planned for until
every man in the American fleet was
ready to meet the emergency should it
come. Captain Taylor gave series of
orders, almost in breath, which turn
ed the Indiana from a peaceful ship
of parade into a fighting terror. Clear
ship for action" said he, and then
quickly, "Bugles, call to general quar-,
| tersr'
Division officers took up the work,
and rapidly the commands went
around: Turn on the current of the
electric hoists!' "Steam and pressure
on the turretsr' Hoist the battle
flags and LAY aloft rangefinders in
the tops and give us our distance from
MOrro.'
Captain Taylor says that he thinks
it did not require more than two min
utes to execute these commands, to-
gether with the more belligerent ones:
"Full speed aheadr' ''The starbOard
battery will engage" and 'Set your
sights for 1000 yardsr'
All hands rushed below, or, in fact,
threw themselves down the ladder to
their posts Bruised and bleeding,
their captain says, they staggered to
the guns, reaching there naked to the
waist. When Captain Taylor ordered
the ball opened. saying, Lads, our
chance has come at last" the men re-
sponded with yell that was savage
in its suppressed desire to get at the
Spaniards. When the Teresa and Viz
caya came out from under old Moro,
it seemed to the watchers on the In
diana that they were heading east and
the first business in hand would be
ramming or taking n blow. The 13
inch guns were loaded ready to crush
at short range any Spanish ship at
tempting to break through the line
past the Indiana.
Suddenly the enemy turned west
ward, keeping up brisk cannonade
upon the Indiana. But the shells pass
ed over. The Indiana had a perfect
range upon Moro, and as the Spanish
ships almost touched the point when
they emerged from the entrance there
was no time lost in pouring effective
chr ;,,ta
rapidity. Nearly all of the 1876
projectiles fired from her guns that
day were expended in the first 40 min
utes of the fight.
For a short time the Indiana was
under fire from the Moro and SOcapa
batteries. but when Captain Taylor
saw that the Spanish torpedo boats
were not to be feared and the enemy
getting away to the westward he turn
ed his helm and ran for the coast, re-
doubling his fire upon Cervera's ships.
The Indiana was SQuarely upon the
flank OF the Spanish fleet. One of her
shells, the heaviest of them, struck the
Teresa and exploded against her. An
other struck the Vizcaya. and she i'm
mediately burst into flames. When the
Oquendo and Colon came within
range, both treated the Indiana to
heavy broadsides. In return the In
diana struck the Oquendo several
times, and the Colon also felt the
weight of one Of her heavy projectiles.
About the same time the torpedo boat
destroyer Furor got in the way of
Is inch shell from the Hoosier battle
ship which set her in flames and ex-
ploded her boiler.
Captain Taylor watched the fight of
the plucky Gloucester with the de-
stroyers and tried to signal the gal
liant Wainwright to his advantage. But
the smoke obscured the signals, also
endangering the Gloucester in the fire
of the Indiana and Iowa, which were
together at that stage of the fight
Turning to the main enemy, Captain
Taylor saw the Colon speeding rapidly
away with one of his shots in her.
Some distance behind, the Vizcaya lin
gered, with the marks of the Indiana's
batteries upon her. Last in the Span
ish line at this time were the Teresa
and Oquendo, and upon these the In
diana's secondary battery was trained,
with now and then shot to help the
Gloucester against the Pluton and
FurOr.
Suddenly the Teresa turned to the
beach, with fire pouring up through
her matches. When she struck her col
ors, the men at the upper batteries of
the Indiana set up a shout Of exulta-
ton. which had scarcely died away be-
fore it was called to life again by the
swift collapse Of the Oquendo. This
ship headed for shore, also in flames,
and after hauling down her colors
went upon the beach near her consort.
Meantime the Pluton and Furor had
gone down, and the Indiana turned
her full attention upon the ViZcaya,
the best fighter Of the Spanish fleet.
Firing became deliberate, although the
range was long, for the ViZcaya had
good speed. Captain Taylor used his
forward 13 and 8 inch guns upon her
until she turned as if to avoid battle.
The case of the Vizcaya did not seem
hopeless, although she was on fire. To |
on the Indiana she seemed |
to be aiming to escape by turning in
shore and doubling back to the harbor. |