Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-06-11
A DERELICT
How the Story of the Destruction of
Cervera'S Fleet Was Told.
Bv RICHARD HARDING DAVIS.
copyriaht by Serbners Sons

-----S
over the streaked walls Of MORO. and
the tiny blockhouse on every noun
tain-top, the squadron might have
been anchored off q deserted coast
The hills rose from the waters edge
like a wall, their peaks green and glar-
ing in the sun, their valleys dark with
shadows Nothing moved upon the
white beach at their feet, no smoke
rose from their ridges, not even a palm
stirred. The great range slept In
blue haze of heat. But only few
miles distant, masked by its frowning
front, lay a gayly colored, red-roofed
city, besieged by encircling regiments
q broad bay holding a squadron OF
great warships, and gliding catlike
through it's choked underground and
crouched among the fronds Of Its mo-
tionless palms were the ragged pa
triots Of the Cuban army, silent,
watchful, waiting. But the great range
gave no sign. 1t frowned in the SUM-
light, grim and impenetrable.
Its Sunday" exclaimed the captain.
He pointed with his finger at the decks
of the battleships, where hundreds OF
snow-white figures had gone to quar-
ters. IT'S church service" he said,
"or. it's general inspection"
Charming looked at his watch. 1t
was thirty minutes past nine. It's
church service" he said. Il can see
them carrying out the chaplain's read
ing-desk on the Indiana The press
boat pushed her way nearer into the
circle Of battleships until their leaden-
hued hulls lowered high above her. On
the deck of each, the ships company
stood, ranged in motionless ranks. The
calm Of Sabbath morning hung about
them. The sun fell upon them like
benediction, and 80 stin was the air
that those on the press-boat could
near, from the stripped and naked
decks, the voices of the men answering
the roll-call in rising monotone. "one,
two, three, four; one, two, three, four.
The white clad sailors might have been
a chorus of surpliced choir-boys.
But, up above them, the battle flags,
slumbering at the mast-heads, stirred
restlessly, and whimpered in their
sleep.
Out through the crack in the wall of
mountains, where the sea runs in to
meet the waters of Santiago harbor.
and from behind the shield Of Morro
Castle, a great, gray ship, like a great,
gray rat, stuck out her nose and peer
ed about her, and then struck boldly
for the open-sea. High before her she
bore the gold and blood-red flag of
Spain, and like fugitive leaping from
behind his prison. walls, she raced for
ward for her freedom, to give battle,
to NEE her death.
A shell from the Iowa" shrieked its
warning in a shrill crescendo, futter
of flags painted their message against
the sky. 1.-The enemy's ships are COM
ing out" they signaled, and the ranks
of white-clad figures, which the mo-
ment before stood motionless on the
decks, broke into thousands Of sepa-
rate beings who flung themselves, pant
ing, down the hatchways, or sprang,
cheering, to the fighting-tops.
Heavily, but swiftly, as islands slip
into the water when a volcano shakes
the ocean-bed. the great battleships
ripped apart with flame and smoke, the
thunder of their guns roared and beat
against the mountains, and, from the
shore, the Spanish forts roared back
at them, until the air between was
split and riven. The Spanish warships
were already scudding clouds of smoke
pierced with flashes Of red flame, and
as they fled, fighting, their batteries
ratified with unceasing, feverish fury
But the guns Of the American ships
straining in pursuit, answered steadi-
ly, carefully, with relentless accuracy
with cruel persistence. At regular In
tervals they doomed above the hurri-
cane uf sound like great bells tolling
for the dead.
1t seemed to Charming that he had
lived through many years; that the
strain of the spectacle would leave Its
mark upon his nerves forever He had
been buffeted and beaten by storm
of all the great emotions: pride OF
race and country, pity for the dead
agony for the dying, who clung to blis-
tering armor-plates,. or sank to suffo-
cation In the sea; the lust of the hunt
er, when the hunted thing Is fellow
man: the joys Of danger and OF excite
ment, when the shells lashed the
waves about him, and the triumph oj
victory. final, overwhelming and COM
plete,
Four of the enemy's squadron hac
struck their colors. two were on the
beach, broken and burning, two hat
sunk to the bottom of the sea, and two
were in abject flight Three battle
ships were hammering them with thir'
teen-inch guns. The battle was won.
Its all over" Charming said. Hi:
tone questioned his own words.
The captain Of the tugboat was star
ing at the face OF his silver watch, al
though it were a thing bewitched. HI
was pale and painting. He looked a
Charming piteously, as though n
doubted his own senses, and turned TIT
face of the watch toward him.
Twenty minutes!" Claiming sai(
Good God, Twenty minutes!"
He had been to hell and back agaii
in twenty minutes. He had seen al
empire. which had begun with Chris
topher Columbus and which had sprea'
over two continents, wiped off the MAJ
in twenty minutes. The captain CAV
a sudden cry of concern. Mr.. keat
ing" he gasped. "Oh, Lord, but for
got Mr.. Heating. Where Is Mr.. Keat
ing?"
II went below twice" Claiming an
swered. Hes insensible. See wha
YOU can do with him. but first-tak
me to the Iowa The Consolidate'
Press will want the facts"
In the dark cabin the captain foun'
Heating on the floor, where Channin,
had dragged him. and dripping wit
the water which Charming had thrown