The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-10-05

reckon with the excitable nature of our
nation"
AS the days went on and the condi-
ton of the Spanish fleet continued to De
revealed more in detail th4 aspect OF
affairs steadily grew WORSE. Three sail
ors fell overheard through the break
ing of an old bridge rope. and at the
time of Cervera's incidental reference
to it fifty days had gone without an
answer to the request for repairs. The
rope fairly typified the situation.
In the beginning of April Havana be-
gan to clamor to the home govCrnm ent
for the coming of the squadron" and
on April Cervera, with his four ships,
the victim of his country's irrepcassible
passion and Ct the thrones political
necessities. sailed from Cadiz for the
Cape Verde islands as an embodiment
of action" No plan of campaign vas
supplied to him, in accordance with his
request, and there was nothing in the
one which reached him at Cape Verde.
He vent literally without purpose, for
under the circumstances no rational
purpose was conceivable. Again from
Cape Verde Cervera wrote: TT is
disaster already. But I will trouble
you no more" On April % the council
of war at Madrid confirmed the orders
of the ministry, and on April 20 the
squadron. in which it is safe to say
there was little that was warlike but
the mems spirits, left for America.
They reached our shores scarcely
better in condition than the ship
wrecked sailor who has barely raised
himself clear of the breakers. Their
coal was gone; there was none to be
had at Martinique hardly any at Cura-
10 n hun ~
found his way into Santiago, where he
thought supplies could be obtained, but
even in that he was disappointed. Soon
there arose the same sort of popular
clar9or for him to depart from Cuba
that had arisen to drive him across the
Atlantic. Santiago complained that his
arrival there had made that city the
target of the entire American forces
Cervera was handed over by the home
government to the command of the
Cuban governor general, Blanco, to be
asked to explain his reasons for stay
ing at Santiago. Cervera had thought
that. staying at Santiago. he could at
least help in defending the city, avert
the doom that was staring his squad
ron in the face, and maintain in some
measure over the enemy the moral ter
rorism of hostile fleet in existence.
Il shall never be >the one to decree the
horrible and useless hetacomb which
will be the only possible result of
sortie from here" he wrote to General
Lirares. But the order, to put to sea
came to him, and so, cast out, but with
the dignity of the gladiator about to
die. to sea Cervera went. without the
faintest vision Of q haven beyond the
bottomless pit that yawned before him.
The next few moments of the prog
ress of Cervera's flagship, the Maria
Teresa, are described by Miguel Lopez,
the pilot who took her out of the har-
Dor:
Il was in the forward tower by the
side of Admiral Cervera who was as
calm as though he had been at anchor
and in his own cabin. and was observ-
ing the channel and the hostile ships
and only said these words:
Pilot. when can we shift the heinz?
He had reference to turning to star
board. which could only be done after
we had passed Diamante Bank. After
a few seconds he said:
Pilot. advise me when we can shift
the helm
al will advise you, admiral I an
swered.
"a few moments later I said; 'Ad-
miral, the helm may be shifted now.
I'm moment the admiral, without
shouting, without becoming excited, as
calm as usual, said: TO starboard,
and the next minute. 'Firel'
When the Teresa's guns roared there
were already many dead and wound
ed in the battery" for the American
fire had begun but, the admiral turned
and said: Goodbye, pilot; go now;
go and be sure you let them pay you,
because you have earned it we'll"
Riddled and on fire. with the steam
which should have helped her fight
escaping through a shattered steam
pipe and the fire main broken by a
shell. and with the crew unable to
get through the flames to flood the
magazine, the Teresa was headed for
the beach, and there this old warrior.
a sacrifice to fate. had to fling himself
into the sea and swim ashore, with
the help of two seamen and his son.
Next from the shore he was taken to
the Gloucester by Commander Vain
wright, and by him transferred to Cap
tain Evans on the Iowa. In the fall
he returned to Spain, and with the for
NAL court-martial which follows defeat,
the tragedy was over.
Never did a man wearing his coun-
try's uniform dedicate himself more
unreservedly to its service. or face
more like a hero the death which duty
long held before his eyes. The great
Spain which at one time dominated the
arms of the world shone with undimin-
ished splendor in this central figure of
her last awful humiliation.
Let Ameria give him some sign of
her respect and friendship, and mean
time let all the world admire. For the
loving cup, or whatever the object
eventually turns out to be- will be
more than tribute to Cervera alone.
From the beginning to the end of their
supreme trial not one of the captains
of his fleet blenched and the crews
were worthy of their captains.
Knew Her.