| Show IEIN GUll iii UNHEARt OF Austrian Officers Comment On Do struction of Cerveras Pleat Captain Taylor gives an amusing account ac-count in the May Century of his in tenview ieith an Austrian lieutenant into boarded the Indiana immediately after the fight at Santiago He was in full uniform with a brilliant bril-liant display of epaulets and gold lace white waistcoat and trousers He found us covered with the smoke and dust of battle groups of halfnaked men lining up to salute him as he passed their faces streaked with powder smoke and coal dust He reached ass on the bridge finally in a state of polite bewilder mont and presented his captains request re-quest for permission to iass In through I our lilteckading lines and bring out from Santiago Austrian refugees desiring to leave that beselged town After referring refer-ring him to Admiral Sampson and tell lug him he would be found some distance dis-tance to the westivard he asked for news and I told him we had Just come out of action with Cereras squadron He shoseed great surprIse and said Then there hiss been a battle uss I replied And the result lIe asked eagerly Ve have defeated them But where is Cerveras fleet now he inquired HIs flagship the Maria Teresa is there lieutenant I answered point log at the sante time to the beach a few miles distant But I see nothing there but some smoke captain It is the smoke of the Maria Teresa hummIng lieutenant she Is a wreck upon the beach He was stient antI I continued Cloe to her on the beach Iotl will see another column of smoke that is the Oquendo burning On this side nearer to ems is the Piuton sunk in the breakers and the Furor is near lien but is on the bottom in deeper water and is not visible But he interrupted you have then destroyed half those splendid vessels of Convents Wait lieutenant I continued and look a few miles farther tea the westward west-ward and you wIll see another column of smoke that is the Tizcava on the beach near Asserraderos As to thuS Co Ion she Is still farther to the sweet ward out of sight from here but you will see her presently as your captain steers in that directIon to find AdmI ml Sampson who Is at that end of the lineHis His eyes ranged along the shore as I pointed out the different vessels Mein Gott he exclaimed Then you have destroyed the whole of that splendid squadron I did not think it possible After a moment more of sIlent astonishment aston-ishment lie said witir a pQlite synipa thy which concealed eager hirofessional I citrlosity And your injuries captain IVimat losses has the American squadron sus tamed None I replied But captain you do not understand under-stand it is what casualtieswhat ships lost or disabledthat I ask None lieutenant I said The Indiana In-diana was steuck twice suffered no injury in-jury or loss The other ships are vlrtu ally In the same condition We are all of us perfectly ready for another battle as much so as before Cervera came out this morning His astonishment was now complete Mehu Gottl he exclaimed again Admiral Sampsons fleet has destroyed these great Spanish ships and without injury to his ossa squadron Sir it is unheard of I must go tea Inform my captain |
