The National tribune., 1903-07-23
THE AMERICAN
I SPANISH WAR
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circle, with the MORO for its center, The
little Vixen lay farthest to the west and
| closest in shore; then came the Brooklyn
she was out OF. position, outside the
semi-circle and about 1000 yards distance
| from the Moro; almost due east of the
Brooklyn, and 5,16O yards S. S. w. from
ing nearly east. with her port broadside
| to the shore. To the east of the Texas
and in the order named came the Iowa,
Oregon and Indiana. These ships lay in
positions on the semi-circe. They
were about 2,O00, yards apart and each
been ordered by the Admiral. Close in.
shore to the eastward lay the converted
yacht Chichester: she was about 4,30O
yards from the Morro. The flagship New
York had left her blOckading station about
8 o'clock to so To Siboney, where the Ad-
Gen. Shafter; the Massachusetts had gone
earlier i'll the morning to Guantanamo to
coal. Pursuant to orders, the remaining
ships had closed in to fill up the gaps in
the blockading line. The torpedo-boat Err
lesson and the converted yacht Hornet lay
about six miles to the eastward of the
Moro.
The usual Sunday-morning muster and
inspection had been omitted to give the
men a chance to rest; and as the Chaplain
was ill, there had been no prayers on the
quarter deck, as was customary. Most of
the men were lying around the decks.
Shortly before $50 a. m., moving columns
of smoke were seen back of the hills to
the west of the harbOr- mouth. There was
but little breeze and the smoke went
straight up. 1t had become an instructive
habit and almost second nature to watch
the Moro and the harbor: and nothing
that was visible in the direction of the en-
from the columns of smoke. that some of
the ships inside were changing their posi-
ton; it was hoped, no doubt, by many,
that the Spanish ships were coming out.
Very soon after the smoke was first OBJ
served, the black bow of Il big ship was
seen pOking out of the channel to the east
of Smith Cay.
APPEARANCE OF THE ENEMY.
Almost simultaneously signal guns were
fired from the Iowa and Oregon; and the
signal. 30, The cnemy's vessels are es-
Gaping" was hOisted on all our ships. On
the Texas, some one shouted down
through the ward-rOom hatch, They're
coming out" and q moment later the gen
eral alarm sounded. 1t is hard to describe
ones emotions at this time. There was
a feeling of intense but suppressed excite
ment and of mOmentary doubt that the
Spaniards were really coming out and
there was n desire on the part of nearly
every one to verify, by the testimony of
his own eyes, the stupendOus fact that the
long enemy was at last coming
out TO meet us: but with ALL think, there
was feeling of elatiOn over the fact that
the enemy was coming. One felt as if the
time of his life-or at least, of his naval
lifc-had come.
4.,,.x
The ships were already cleared for action
and ammunition was kept in readiness near
the guns. We were practically ready for
battle at any time. The men instructive
ly went to their stations. They had al
most lived at the guns for five weeks. AS
the engines were moved frequently to keep
the ship in position, the fires were kept in
good condition, heavy and covered over,
a third of them being cleaned every watch,
as is usual at sea- The steam pressure
was always Kept UP to the highest work
ing-pressure. The officer-ofthe-deck shout
ed down the speaking tube: For Gods
sake, give u.s. all the steam You can!
slamming down. of battle-hatches, shut
ting out the last ray of natural light from
the compartments below the protective
deck; the shutting of water-tight doors;
the calls of the men in the handling-rOOms
and at the ammunition hOists; the hurry
ing of feet as the men went to their sta
tions; the changing of the general alarm
all apparent confusion. yet all per-
feet system and order. The ships
were sighted and the general alarm
was sounded at 9:33; just three minutes
afterwards, We began firing with our port
guns. The Spaniards said that they had
expected to surprise us at prayers; what
a cruel disappointment!
The leading ship of the enemy came out
rapidly, firing with her big gun as she
cleared SOcopa Point, probably at the
Brooklyn or the Texas; the shell fell short
Tie forts opened fire simultaneously.
The leading vessel of the enemy was
soon followed by three others; they came
out rapidly, running apparently ut about
nine knots. We now know that the order
in which the enemy came out was as fol-
lows: 1st, the Maria Teresa, flying the
flag of Admiral Cervera; I'd. the Vizcaya;
Sd, the Cristobal Colon: 4th, the Almirante
Oquendo. AS soon as the Maria Teresa
cleared the mouth of the harbor, she turn
ed sharply to the west and ran full speed
close inshOre, the other vessels following
in her wake at intervals of about 500 or
Coo yards.
The ships of our squadron that were
lying to the eastward of the Texas, as well
as the Brooklyn, were headed towards the
MORO, so that they had only to go ahead
at full speed, as they did, to close in on
the enemy. The Texas was headed to-
wards the east. and as soon as the enemy
was sighted, she went ahead full speed
with both engines and with the helm
SO as to swing around
to the west; as she swung, the port guns
were fired as rapidly as possible, the tur-
ret gun being fired.
The other vessels of our force, with the
exception of the Vixen, headed full speed
for the enemy, firing with their main and
secondary batteries as they closed in. The
Vixen was lying close inshOre about $500
yards west of the Moro, and right in the
path of the enemy's ships. Had she re-
mained there she would have been caught
between the shore and the enemy's ships.
or between the enemy's line of battle and
our ships, and exposed to the fire of both:
so she very properly and promptly hustled
seawards, going beyond the Brooklyn's
first position, and ran parallel to our ships
and outside of them during the engage
ment. The Gloucester, lying little to the
eastward of the MORO and about mile
and a half off shore, headed at full-speed
for the enemy, firing as she approached:
she began firing at about $500 yards and
soon reduced her distance to less than
5000 yards, when she slowed down to
wait for the two Spanish torpedo destroy
ers in case they should come out.
THE sPANIARDs OPEN FIRE.
As soon as they cleared the entrance.
the enemy's ships opened a very rapid,
fierce fire on our ships. At first their
range seemed to be fairly good. but LATER