Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-04
RUSSIA HAS To YIELD DCERVERkS LIFE ENDS
Germany Forces Acqescence vanqushed at Santiago Dies
in Austrian Aggrandizement. of Heart Affection.
OLD POLICY is REVERSED VICE ADMIRAL OF SPAIN
Grand Retired Because of Failing Health
father Degarded December IA Last.
PEACE FOR MOMENT CONDITION GRAVE FOR MONTH
Among
Eight More Dreadnoughts Defeat OF Cuba !
Vanquished at Santiago, Dies
of Heart Affection.
VICE ADMIRAL OF SPAIN
Retired Because of Failing Health
December IA Last.
CONDITION GRAVE FOR MONTH
Distinguished Career in Service OF
Country-Sent on Forlorn Hope
to Meet Defeat Of Cuba. !

| PUERTO REAL. Spain, April 3.-Vice
| Admiral Pascual Cervera. who command
ed the Spanish fleet in the battle of
Santiago, Cuba, died here this after
noon.
Cervera was retired from the active
list of the Spanish navy December il
last at his own request on account of
failing health. Shortly afterward he
improving his health.
During the last month he has been In
a critical condition. He was kept alive
only by the use of oxygen and hypo-
dermic injections.
He suffered from an affection Of the
| heart.
The members Of the admirals family
were present at his bedside, as was also
Rear Admiral Eulate. who was command
er of the Vizcaya at Santiago.
Admiral Cervera i'm his last hours asked
that no military honors be paid him. He
showed great fortitude and beseeched his
| relatives not to grieve. He retained con-
sciousness until within few minutes of
his death. King Alfonso has telegraphed
his condolences.
Career of Admiral Cervera.
Admiral Pascual Cervera was the most
distinguished and the ablest Of the Span
ish naval officers with whom the naval
forces of the United States had to con-
tend In the Spanish-American war.
Had Cervera been allowed to have his
way the Cape Verde fleet, Of which he
was the commander-the feet that Ad-
miral Sampson destroyed of the harbor
of Santiago de Cuba In such pitifully
one sided action-woud have been placed
upon a much more effective war footing
and the results might have been serious
to the United States, although they could
hardly have been different.
Don Pascual Cervera was long
headed and far-seeing man. He as old
fare and had studied the navies OF for
eign powers as had no other man In hia
country.
Himself an architect and constructor
of warships he realized to the full the
needs and defects of the ships he WAS
called upon to lead out to battle, and
pleaded with the minister of marine to go
to any reasonable length TO appease the
United States
For he added ominously. 'should
we go to war we shall be overwhelmed
His Fears Realized
Shortly before the outbreak Of the war
Admiral Cervera wrote as follows:
MY fears are realized. The conflict is
fast coming upon US, and the Colon has
not received her big guns: the Carlos v
has not been delivered and her 10-cm.
artillery is not yet mounted: the Pelayo
is not ready for want of finishing her
redoubt, and l believe her secondary bat
y-in hos crfil l<arxy Cy,d or
the Numancia we had better not speak
Cervera was the most astonished man
in the Spanish navy when he was ordered
to sail forth and meet the sea power of
the United States. But he obeyed orders,
| although his fleet was short of coal and
rations. the bottoms of some of the ships
| were foul, the armament was obsolete or
defective and the equipment generally
speaking, about as poor as could well be
ina gined. Handicapped as he was, he
made a brave fight and was not taken
prisoner until his fleet was helpless.
He sailed from the Cape Verde Islands
| with four cruisers and three torpedo boat
destroyers April. 1899. entered the har-
| Dor of Santiago de Cuba May 10, and
| lost his entire fleet off that port July s
in an attempt to force his way through
| Admiral SIMPSONS blockading squadron.
Cervera's Story of Fight.
In his description Of his own flag
ship and his own rescue from death at
that time Admiral Cervera said:
THE enemys fire produced terrible
damages on board the Infanta Maria 1e-
resa, destroying the elements OF de-
fense-among others. the net for protec-
| ton against fire.
| "In this critical moment the captain of
| the ship Senior Concas, fell wounded.
1t was necessary to withdraw him. L tax
| ing command of the vessel because 1t was
impossible to find the second comman-
tdant.
Immediately afterward they reported
| to me that my cabin was burning, owing
to an explosion. The fire soon became
very great and ignited other parts OF the
| shin / gave orders to my aid 70 mood
the after magazines. but 1t was impos-
sibe
"Dense clouds Of smoke impeded walk
| ing in the passages and praclcing any
| kind of operations. In this situation 4
could only think of beaching the ship and
did so, running aground on Punta Ca
| brera.
The contest was impossible on our side.
There was nothing more to be done but
to save as much as we could. ! thought
| to lower the flag, but that was not pos
| sible on account of the hre, Which pre-
| vented all operations.
| I'm these anxious moments two boats
came to the aid of the Maria Teresa
into which a number OF US jumped. Those
nothing :,
THE Maria Teresa lowered a small
| boat. which sank before it could be OF
any assistance. Subsequently the men
on the ship succeeded in launching a
steam launch, but this also sank. after
making one voyage to the beach.
| Il succeeded in saving myself with the
aid of two sailors. all of us arriving on
board the American ship Gloucester
naked
| Cervera sprang from the proudest Cas-
| lillian blood He was a veteran or two
| or three wars at the time he was called
| upon to contend with the United States
He was born February 13. 1889. His
| family was one of wealth. His father
was the most prominent wine merchant
| in Spain and his mother a Topete- Many
| of the foremost Spanish naval officers
| were members of the Topete family, and
| under one of them the young Cervera
| lea rned many valuable lessons in naval
warfare
Saw Foreign Service.
Young Cervera was graduated from the
naval academy of San Fernando. which in
Spain corresponds to Annapolis. and after
spending the required time ON a training
ship he saw foreign service. He brought
distinction on the Spanish arms in Africa,
Cuba and Jolo.
In 1859 Cervera engaged in naval opera !