Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-14

| Merrimacs engine is disabled and she
is helpless; am obliged to have her
lowed to Key West. Have been abso-
1 lutely unable to coal the Texas, Marble
1 head, Vixen and Brooklyn from collier.
| owing to very rough seas and boisterous
weather since leaving Key West. Brook
lyn is the only one in squadron having
/ more than sufficient coal to reach Key
| West Impossible to remain off Santa
go in present state of coal account OF
squadron Not possible to coal to lee
ward of Cape Cruz in summer, owing
| to southwest winds. Harvard Just re-
ports to me she has only coal enough to
reach Jamaica and she will proceed to
Port Royal: also reports no small YES
sells could coal at Gonaives or Mole,
Hayti Minneapolis has only coal
enough to reach Key West and same of
Yale, which will tow Merrimac. 1t is to
be regretted that the departments or
ders can not be obeyed, earnestly as we
| have all striven to that end am
forced to return to Key West via Yucca
tan passage for coal. Can ascertain
| nothing certain concerning enemy. Was
obliged to send Eagle to Port Antonio.
Jamaica, yesterday, as she had only
| twenty-seven tons of coal on board. VIII
/ leave st. Paul here. Will require $500
tons OF coal at Key West
/ The coal supply of the vessels of the
flying squadron at noon on May 81 wac
sufficient to have enabled them to steam
at ten knots per hour: The Brooklyn for
eleven and one-quarter days; Iowa, sew
en- and cne-half days; Massachusetts.
ten days; Texas. elk and one-quarter
days; Marblehead, three and one-quar-
| ter days; Vixen, eleven and one-half
days Or to have remained on blockade
off Santiago de Cuba:
/ The Brooklyn, 26 days; Iowa, 16 days:
Massachusetts,, so days; Texas, 10 days:
Marblehead. days; Vixen, 90 days
And then steam to Gonaives, Hayti or
to Cape Cruz, Cuba. to coal
| AT that date the flying squadron was
accompanied by the collier Merrimac,
containing 1850 tons of coal
| The amount Of coal required to COM
pletely fill the coal bunkers OF all the
vessels OF the flying squadron on this
date was ESQ tons
| The conditions of wind, sea and
| weather from noon on May 26 to June
were favorable for taking coal from a
collier at sea off Santiago de Cuba.
The Iowa, Castine and Dupont coaled
at Cfenfuegos from the collier Merrimac
on May 90 and the Massachusetts, and
| Castine on May a. The Texas asked
permission to coal first on May % and
was refsed by Commodore Schley, who
ordered the Iowa. to coal first and the
Massachusetts second.
The Texas was ordered to coal from
the collier on May "a. but the order was
revoked. as the Massachusetts, was
alongside Of the collier and the COM
handing officer OF the collier deemed 1t
unsafe to place his vessel between two
battleships.
The Texas and Marblehead coaled at
sea off Santiago from golfers May 81
and Is: the Massachusetts and Vixen on
May 30: the Brooklyn and Iowa on May
30: the Brooklyn, Texas and Marblehead
on May 81
At 1886 p. M. May q. Commodore
schley signaleti to the St Paul. III
Sampson comes here tell him half OF
broken down."
At 10:45 D. m, May q Commodore
Schley ,signalled to the Texas: THE
more coal you take in this smooth
weather. the less you will have to take
in Hayti."
Commodore Schley made no effort to
ascertain whether the Spanish squadron
was in the harbor Of Santiago: he,sleft
said farbor entirely unguarded from 6
p. m. of May 26 to p. m. OF May a.
and guarded only by the scout st. Paul
from 5 p. m. May q until about s p. M
May %.
The flying squadron arrived OF the
harbor of Santiago de Cuba. seven
miles south of the Moro, at s p. m. May
% and established blockade. The dis
tance from Cienfuegos to Santiago is 315
miles. Commodore Schley did not pro-
coed with all dispatch from Cienfuegos
to Santiago de Cuba.
Early on the morning OF May 80 the
Cristobal Colon and other vessels Of the
Spanish squadron We're discovered at
anchor in the harbor Of Santiago, about
1900 yards from the entrance.
No attempt was made by Commodore
schley on May 90 or May 80 to capture
or destroy these Spanish vessels.
At 1880 p. M. May 80 the cruiser New
Orleans and the collier Sterling joined
the flying squadron
At 1885 a. M. May 81. Commodore
schley shifted his flag to the Massachu
sets.
At 11:10 a. m. the flagship Massachu-
sets signalled The Massachusetts,
New Orleans and Iowa will go in after
dinner to distance of 1000 yards and
fire at the Cristobal Colon with eight,
twelve and thirteen-inch guns. Speed,
about ten knots
AT 1880 D. m. the three vessels desig-
mated steamed in column toward the en-
trance of the harbor of Santiago, head
Ing to the eastward at about ten knots
speed The ships passed the harbor en-
trance, about 1000 yards distant from
the Moro, firing at the Colon and the
shore batteries with ranges varying
from 1000 yards to $500 yards. All pro-
tectiles fell short.
When the ships had passed to the
eastward of the entrance the flagship
turned off shore. followed in succession
by the other ships. repassed the en-
trance and fired as before, but with
ranges varying from 5000 yards to H.
COO yards. Some OF these projectiles fell
near the Colon
The fire was returned by the ships in
the harbor and by the land batteries,
but no large guns We're used by the bat
teries. Several projectiles passed over