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Show The Official Report of Captain Sampson to Secretary Long- The Brooklyn Stood the Brunt of the Fight at First, But Was Speedily Joined by the Other Ships Performances of the Brooklyn and the Gloucester Particularly Commended. Tba navy department haa made pub-li- e the report of Admiral Sampaon and the commander of tha vessels of hla fleet, of the destruction of the Spanish fleet at Santiago July S. It is a most important document, settling, aa It does, many points concerning which there haa been a misapprehension. The report is dated off Santiago da Cuba, July IS, addressed to Secretary Long, and ia aa follows: M Cerverm off Santiago da Cuba on Sunday, July I, 18BS. Second The enemy'a reside came mlral out of the harbor between B:S5 and 10 a. m., tha head of the column appearing around Cayosmilh at B:31 and emerging from the channel lira or six minutes later. Third Tha positions of the reaaels of my eommand off Santiago at the moment, were: Flagship Kew York P I hare tha honor to was four miles eaat of her blockading the station and about seren miles from the of the harbor entrance. She had started for destruction the and battle malce the following report upon Spanish squadron, commanded by Ad- - resistance of tha Spanish garrison nt Santiago, I had aent my chief of etaff on shore the day before to arrange nn interview with Gen. Shafter, who haa been suffering from heat prostration. I made arrangements to go to hi headquarters and my flagship was ia tha position mentioned above, when tho Spanish squadron appeared ia tha channel. Tha remaining vessels were in or near their usual blockading poaltiona, distributed in a semi-eircabout the harbor entranee, eounting from the eastward in tha following order: The Indiana, about a mil and a half from shore; the Oregon, the Kew York's plaee; between these two tho the Iowa, Texas and Brooklyn, latter two miles from tho shore west of Santiago. The distance of the vessels from the harbor entrance was f from two and to four miles, the latter being the limit of day blockading distance. The length of nre formed by the ships wss about eight ls one-hal- milea. n Sir: First. companied by severs I of my staff, and and lira waa opened probably within go to the front to consult with General eight minutes by the vessel whose Shatter for a discussion of tha situa- guns commanded the entraneeL tion and for a more definite underThe Kew York turned about and standing between na of tho operations steamed for the escaping fleet, flying proposed, which had been rendered tha aignal close In toward harbor a- -. necessary by the nneupectedly atrong tranee and attack vessels" and grads Slboney where 1 intended to land ac Tha Uassachusetts had left at 4 m., for Guantanamo for eoal. Her station waa between the Iowa" and Texas. Tha auxiliary Gloucester and Vixen lay close to the land and nearer to the harbor entranee than the larger vessels, the Gloucester to the eastward and the Vixen to the westward. The Kriccaon was in company with the flagship end remained with her during tha chase until ordered to discontinue, when aha rendered very efficient service in rescuing prisoners from tha burning Vizcaya. I enclose a diagram showing approximately the positions of the vessels as described above. Fourth The Spanish vessels came rapidly oat of the harbor, at a speed estimated at from eight to ten knot and in tha following order: Infanta Marin Teresa (flagship); Vizcaya, Cristobal Colon" and tha Almirante Oqnenda The distance between these shipa was about 800 yards, which means that from the time the first one became visible in the upper reach of the channel until the last one was out of the harbor an interval of only sbont twelva minutes elapsed. Following the Oqnendo, nt n distance of about 1,100 yards, came tha torpedo-boa- t destroyer Fin ton and after her the Furor. The armed cruisers, na rapidly as they could bring their guns to hear, opened a vigorous fire upon the blockading vessels and emerged from tha channel shrouded in the smoke from their guns. Fifth The men of onr ships in front of the port were nt Sunday quarters for inspection. The signal wan made simultaneously from several vessels, enemy'a ahipa escaping, and general The men quarters waa sounded. cheered aa they sprang in their guns ally increasing speed, until toward the end of thu chase she was making sixteen end one-hs- lf knots snd was rapidly closing on the Cristobal Colon. Bha waa not at any time within the range of the heavy Spanish ships, and her only part in tha firing waa to receive the undivided flm from tho forts la passing tha harbor entrance, and to fire n few shots at one of the destroyers, though at tha moment the destroyer was attempting to escap from tha Gloucester. Sixth The Spanish vessels upon clearing the harbor, turned to tha westward and increased their speed to the full power of their engines. Tbs heavy blockading vessels, which had closed in toward the Morro at tha Instant of the enemy's appearance, and at their beet speed, delivered n rapid Are, and destructive, which speedily overwhelmed end silenced the Spanish fire. The initial speed of the Spaniards carried them rapidly past tha blockading vessels and tba battle developed into n chase in which the Brooklyn and Texas had st the start the advantage of position. The Brooklyn maintained this lend until tha Oregon, steaming with amusing speed from the commencement of the The Iowa action, took first place. and Indiana had dona good work, and not having the speed of the other ships, were directed by me in succession at about tba time tha Vlxeaya waa beached, to drop out of tha chase and resume blockading stations. These vessels rescued many prisoners. Thu Vixen, finding that the rush of tho Spanish ships would put her betwuen two fires, ran outside of her own column and remained there during tha battia and chase. Seventh The skillfull handling and gallant fighting of the Gloucester" won the admiration of every one who witnessed it and merits of commendation of the Kavy department. Sha is a fast and antirely unprotected auxiliary vessel tha yacht Corsicana and haa a battery of light rapid-fir- s guns, Bha waa running about two miles from tha harbor enteranen to tha eastward, and immediately steamed out, firing upon the large ship. Anticipating the of tha Fluton and Furor the Gloucester was stowed thereby gaining more rapidly a high pressure of steam, and when tha destroyers came out she steamed for them nt full peed end wss able to done to short range, where her fire was acaurata, deadly and of great volume. During this fight the Gloucester was nnder the fire of the Bocepe battery. Within twenty minutes from the time they emerged from Santiago harbor, the careers of tha Furor and tha Pinion were ended and of their people killed. The Furor was bleached and sank in tha aurf, tha two-thir- Fluton aank in deep water a few minutes later. The destroyers probably suffered much injury from tha fire of the secondary batteries of the battleships Iowa, Indiana, and the Texas, yet 1 think a very considerable factor in their speedy destruction was the fire at close range of the j Gloucester's battery. After resuing the survivor of the destroyers the Gloucester did exeelent service in landing and securing the erew of the Infanto Marin Teresa. ; i Kl'SU or BPAXUUI MIUADBOX. Eight Tha method of escape attempted by the Spaniards (nil steering In at tha name direction and in formation), removed all tactical doubts or difficulties, and made plain the duty of every United States vessel to close in and immediately engage in tha pursuit of eaeh ship. Tb task was promptly and effeetly dona. As already stated, tha first rush of tha Spanish squadron carried it past a number of blockading ahipa which oould not Immediately work np to their beat apeed; but they suffered heavily In passing. The Infanta Maria Teresa and tha Oquendo were probably set on fire by sheila fired dur- - at Juan Gonaalea, seven milea from the port Ninth Tha Vlxeaya waa atill nnder the fire of the leading vessels; the Cristobal Colon bad drawn ahead, leading tha chase, and soon passed beyond the range of the guns of the lending American ships. The Vlxeaya was soon art on firs, and nt 11:15 aha turned in shore and was bleached at Aeuerraderca, fifteen miles from Santiago, buraing fiercely and with bar reserve of ammunition on deek already beginning to explode. When about ten miles west of Santiago tho Indiana had been signaled to go back to the harbor entranee, and nt A ooe traderoue the Iowa waa signaled to " resume blockading station." Tha Iowa, assisted by tha Erteoaon and tho Hist, took off tho erew of the Vlxeaya, while tha Harvard ai the Oloneester rescued those of the Infante Marin Teresa and tho Alml-rnnm. chanea of escape was by superior and sustained speed. When the Vlxeaya went ashore, the Colon was about six milea ahead of the Brooklyn an-- i tha Oregon, but her apart was finished, and tha American ship were now gaining upon her. Behind the cams and Oregon the Brooklyn Texas, Vixen and Kew York. It wu evident from the bridge of the Kew York that nil tb American ahipa wera gradually overhauling the chase, and that she had no ehanee of taupe. the Brooklyn and tha opened fir and got their the Oregons heavy shells range striking beyond her and nt 1:10 aha gave np without firing another shot, honied down her colors and ran ashore at Rio Tornqulno, forty-eigmiles from Santiaga Capt Cook of tha Brooklyn went on hoard to receive the anrrender. Oquendo. While his boat waa alongside I earns Thin rescue of prisoners, including np in the Knw York, received hia rethe wounded, from tha burning ahipa, port and plaeed the Oregon in was tha occasion of some of the moat charge of the wreck, touve her if daring and gallant conduct of tha day. possible, and directed the prisoners to Tha ahipa were burning for and aft, be transferred to the Resolute, their guns and reserve ammunition which had followed the chase. Commodore Schley, whose chief of staff had gone on hoard to receive the surrender, had directed that all their personal effects should lie retained by the I officers. This order 1 did not modify. Tha Cristobal Colon wu not injured by onr firing, and probably is not Injured mnch by benching, though aha nn ashore at high speed. The beach ia so steep that she cam off by the working of the sea. But her sea valves were opened and broken, treacherously, I am sure, after her surrender, and despite nil efforts she sank. When it beeams evident that sha eonld not be kept afloat, sha was pushed by the Kew York bodily npon the beach, the Kew York's stem being plaeed against her for this purpose tho ship being handled by Capt. Cbadwtek with admirable judgment and sank in shoal water and Had this not been may bo saved. dona alia would have gone down in deep water and would have bun to certainty a total loss. Eleventh I regard this complete and important victory over tha Spanish fores as the noeessful finish of several weeks of arduous and close blockade, so stringent and affective during the night that tha enemy was deterred from making tha attempt to COMMODORE W. & SCHLEY escape at night and deliberately electCommander Seeo nd Squadron North Atlantic Fleet ed to make the attempt lu daylight That aueli was the ease I was informed ing the first fifteen minutes of the en- were exploding, and it was not known by tha commanding officer of tha gagement It wss afterwards learned nt what moment tho lira would reach Cristobal Colon. that the Intents Maria Tereia's firs tho main magazines. In addition to 1LWIUSI or HJlRBOU. main had been cut by ona of onr ahote this a heavy aurf was running jut inTwelfth It ecemi proper to briefly and that aha waa unable to extinguish side of tha Spanish ships. Bat no risk d scribe here the manner in which the fire. With large volumes of smoke deterred onr officers and men nntll this waa accomplished. The harbor of rising from their lower decks aft, these their work of humanity wu complete. Santiago ia naturally easy to blockade vessels gave up both fight and flight CPUS or THU COLO. there being but one entrance and Tenth There remained now of tha that a narrow one; and the deep water and ran in on tha bench tha Infanta Maria Teresa at about 10:15 a. m. nt Spanish ahipa only tho Cristobal extending close np to the share line milea from Colon, but she wu their but and presenting no difficulties of navigation Klmanlma, six and one-haSantiago harbor enteranen, and tba futeat vessel. Forced by the situa- outside of the entrance. At the time Almirante Oqnendo at about 10:30 a. tion to hug the Cuban coast, her only of mv arrival hftnrm On-- w nr) .Time 1 At 15:50 Oregon te lf I' A ( if you are dissatisfied with the size of piece or with the quality of the chewing tobacco you are using ) (! 5 ) () ) ( ! , i k () () () O o () oo and you 11 get your moneys worth The nt piece of Battle Ax is larger than the nt piece of any other brand of the same high quality, and is the largest niece of really good chewing tobacco that is sold for 10 cents 10-ce- 10-ce- member the name when you buy again () () t&i wi i j) I cco |