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Page 72
Now the ships that he had left on guard did close in with what speed
they could command, while their sweating stokers toiled like demons in
the hideous heat of the fire-rooms to produce still greater heat and
more steam. As the on-rushing Spaniards cleared the harbor's mouth,
every American ship was moving towards them and delivering a fire so
incredibly terrific and of such deadly accuracy that its like was never
known in the whole history of naval warfare.
At the outset the little _Gloucester_, commanded by
Lieutenant-Commander Richard Wainwright, who had been navigating
officer of the _Maine_ at the time of her destruction, made a dash for
her legitimate opponents, the two torpedo-boats. They in turn sought
shelter behind the _Oquendo_, and for a minute it looked as though the
yacht were about to attack the big cruiser. Then the _Texas_ began to
pay particular attention to the _Oquendo_; and, seemingly content to
leave her in such good hands, the Gloucester again started after the
destroyers. Suddenly a great shell from the _Indiana_, hurled over the
yacht, struck one of them fairly amidships, and, with a roar heard high
above the din of firing, the unfortunate boat plunged to the bottom,
carrying with her all on board.
The _Gloucester_ now directed her energies against the remaining
destroyer, running well within range of the shore batteries to get at
her, and within ten minutes had so riddled her with a storm of small
projectiles that she lowered her colors, turned in towards the beach,
struck on a reef, and in another moment was being helplessly pounded to
pieces by the surf. At the same time small boats from the plucky yacht
that had placed her in this sad plight were busily engaged in rescuing
such of her crew as could be reached.
In the mean time both the _Teresa_ and _Oquendo_ had received so
frightful a fire from the _Indiana_, _Iowa_, and _Texas_, that within
six miles of Santiago Harbor the former, enveloped in flames, and no
longer capable of defending herself, was also headed for the beach,
where the gallant little _Gloucester_ soon afterwards came to her
assistance and rescued hundreds of her perishing crew, including brave
old Admiral Cervera.
A few minutes later the _Almirante Oquendo_, with colors lowered and
flames pouring from her open ports, also turned slowly inshore, and was
beached within half a mile of the Spanish flag-ship. It was only forty
minutes since the fight began; but in that short space four of the
Spanish squadron had been destroyed, without loss of life to the
Americans, and but slight damage to their ships. With the burning
_Teresa_ and _Oquendo_ stayed the battle-ship _Indiana_, her men
working in eager emulation with those of the _Gloucester_ to save the
lives of their recent enemies.
The next victim to succumb beneath the terrible American fire was the
superb _Vizcaya_, which, pounded to death by the _Brooklyn_, _Oregon_,
and _Texas_, was run on the beach at Aserraderos, seventeen miles west
of Santiago Bay, a few minutes after eleven o'clock. Like her
unfortunate consorts, she also was a mass of flame, and had no sooner
struck than scores of her people leaped overboard to escape being
roasted alive. Among these swimmers a body of Cuban troops poured a
cowardly fire from the beach; but Captain Evans of the _Iowa_ quickly
put a stop to that, and stood by the blazing wreck so long as there was
a Spaniard left to be rescued from flame or flood.
Of all Cervera's powerful squadron only a single ship was now left, the
swift _Cristobal Colon_, which, by keeping behind the others, had as
yet come to little harm. When the _Vizcaya_ was run ashore, the
_Colon_ was more than four miles ahead of her leading pursuer, the
_Brooklyn_. Close on the heels of the latter came the wonderful
battle-ship _Oregon_, which had unexpectedly developed such
extraordinary speed that, although starting next to the last of the
American ships, she now very nearly led the chase. Next behind her
came the _Texas_, while the superb _New York_, though still far in the
rear, was overhauling all three, and had the race been long enough
would eventually have exchanged broadsides with the _Colon_.
But she was not to be granted that satisfaction; for shortly after one
o'clock, when the chase had lasted two hours, the _Oregon_ threw a
couple of great thirteen-inch shells, at a range of five miles, so
close to the flying Spaniard that they deluged her with tons of water.
Upon this, to the surprise of every one, and without making any sort of
a fight, the finest ship of the Spanish navy lowered her flag and was
headed in for the beach. After she had thus surrendered, and before
the Americans could board, she was wrecked by her own crew, who opened
sea-valves, smashed out dead lights, threw overboard the breech-blocks
of their great guns, and in many other ways worked what destruction
they could in the time allotted. As a result of this vandalism, the
fine ship rolled over on her side soon after striking, and would have
slipped off into deep water had not the _New York_ rammed her to a
better position higher up the beach.
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