Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-07-26

ward the harbor entrance the worried tor
pedo ships turned in n vain effort to es-
cape, but escape was not to be. Smoth-
cred at their guns by boat with fewer
weapons and lighter projectiles, but with
deadly aim, they blew up into fragments.
One went ashore and the other dropped
beneath the waves, while the victor hui
namely devoted his time to the rescue of
the few men who had survived his awful
fire. Less than one hour had passed,
less than sixty minutes had been neces-
sary to show the limited value of such
vessels against the deadly accuracy and
rapidity of the Americans.
Cervera Opens Fire.
AS the Teresa opened fire she received
the return fire of all the ships of the
American fleet. Steering to starboard
she made futile effort to escape to the
west. Closely following in her tracks
came the Oquendo, the Vizcaya and the
.Cristobal Colon, all superior in armament
to the Brokolyn and but little inferior to
the bulldogs of the American navy. The
Spaniards made gallant and desperate
fight, but the constant rattle of the rapid
fire guns in main and secondary battery
aboard the enemy, combined with an ac-
curacy ut long and short range little short
of marvellous, made the Castilian gunners
flee from their guns.
The Iowa and the Indiana being short
on steam We're operating at long range
until we'll after the action commenced
But they closed in and by the lapse of
half an hour were dealing deadly blows at
all but the swift Colon, which seemed in
fair way to glide out to the sea to the
west and make good her escape. The
Oregon, with Il burst of speed which has
caused naval authorities and writer's to
gasp and continue gasping, set sail for
the flying flagship, and before the Colon
gave up the fight was well up with the
chase. In to the shore turned the flag
ship of the enemy, but as she turned Cap
tain Clark's gallant vessel flew by, raking
her us she faltercd. Then she flew the
white flag and dashed wreck on the
beach.
On flew the Oregon, followed by the
Texas. Indiana and Iowa, ali delivering
hot voleys from large and small guns
The Brooklyn, ahead of her enemy, was
sending back her compliments from the
after turret, while her forward pieces
bore on the Colon, which passed inshore
of the Oquendo just as the Oregon raked
the flagship. As the Ouuendo veered
inshore the Oregon passed astern
and sent u compliment or two MS
she headed for the Nizcaya, now ho,ly
engaged with the Brooklyn and Texas.
The Iowa and Indiana, coming up slower
also beat the ship into shapeless mass
of twisted iron and steel. Less than Il
full hour of fighting and two of the es-
Gaping fleet ashore, abandoned and with
colors trailing their decks.
Nine and eleven miles from the harbor
entrance lay two of the best of SPANS
warships-one the flagship-battered out
of all semblauce to vessels of their for
mer power and speed. Just ahead, but
under fire which nothing atloat could
sustain and remain atloat, the proud Viz
caya, commanded by the officer who had
showed her off in New York harbor about
the time of the Maine disaster. was reel
ing along hopeless but still defiant Her
consort. the Colon, was gaining rapidly
and seemed to be about to escape. The
Nizcaya suddenly turned inshore. ran up
the white flag and her susviving sailors
leaped into the hostile sea to avoid the
| rain of iron which was slaughterng them
in winrows.
Seventeen miles of travel and less than
two hours of fighting and three of the
mighty cruisers We're gone. On swept the
Brooklyn and Oregon, the big battIeship
now close on the quarter of the flagship,
hanging grimly to the chase. Up lum-
bered the Indiana and Iowa and, no long
err able to maintain the chase, turned TO
the rescue of the unfortunates. A flag
broke out on the New York, now rushing
by, and Captain Taylor, on the Indiana,
saw his ships number called Then he
received n signal order to return to his
station off the blockade and guard the
harbor entrance. So slowly and reluc-
family he came about and dropped out of
| the fight.
Fighting Bob" Evans. with the Iowa.
having done as much damage as possible
while the enemy's fleet existed now turn
| ed his attention to caring for the suryiy-
ors. Even while at this work the New
York, under full steam and with screws
revolving under forced draught. plunged
| by on her way to get into the fight. On
| the bridge was the commander-in-chef,
whose orders were being so CALAMITY and
thoroughly carried out by the ships of the
two squadrons in his absence. He sent
Taylor back, tagged Evans to care for
| the wounded and surviving and then
raced ahead to where in the distance he
was able to see puffs of white smoke
mantlng the Oregon, and then later on
see geyser of water beyond the fleeing
Colon as thrtcen-inch shell exploded
on the inshorc side.
Orders We're Obcyed.
But 1t was too late. Even as the nee,
flagship drew near to the chase the Color