Part 20 (1/2)
As soon as the Spaniards discovered the approach of the _Merrimac_, in the darkness, they opened upon her with their batteries from both sh.o.r.es, and she was subjected to a fire which it would seem must riddle her like a sieve and kill every man. But under the direction of the cool-headed and daring Lieutenant the collier was swung into the right position, and, but for the shooting away of the rudder, would have been sunk directly across the channel, which would have been effectively blocked. The position of the wreck as a consequence was diagonal and left the pa.s.sage partly open.
[Ill.u.s.tration: LIEUTENANT RICHMOND PEARSON HOBSON.]
Having accomplished as nearly as possible the perilous task the brave party were obliged to remain clinging to a raft until morning, when the Spaniards discovered and made them prisoners. Admiral Cervera himself helped to take Hobson out of the water and was so filled with admiration of the extraordinary daring of himself and companions that he sent a flag of truce to Admiral Sampson with the welcome news that all the men were safe in his hands. They were confined first in Morro Castle and later in the city of Santiago. They were treated with the respect their heroism deserved and on July 6 were exchanged for a number of prisoners held by our forces.
[Ill.u.s.tration: ADMIRAL WILLIAM T. SAMPSON.]
Just one month after this exploit, that is on the morning of July 3, 1898, Admiral Cervera attempted to escape from the harbor of Santiago.
The smoke of his vessels was discerned over the hills, and the watchful s.h.i.+ps outside signalled the fact to the other members of the squadron. A few minutes later the bow of one of the Spanish steamers came into sight from behind the Estrella Battery. The _Brooklyn_, _Iowa_ and _Oregon_, some two and a half miles distant, crowded on all steam and headed for the harbor. The first Spanish cruiser to show itself was the _Infanta Maria Teresa_, followed by the _Vizcaya_, the _Almirante Oquendo_ and the _Cristobal Colon_, with the torpedo boats _Pluton_ and _Furor_ bringing up the rear. The _Infanta Maria Teresa_, leading the procession, was the flags.h.i.+p of Admiral Cervera. He sent a sh.e.l.l toward the American vessels, but, in accordance with the rule, it went wide of the mark. The _Texas_ opened with her big guns and her companions quickly joined in the thunderous chorus.
No sooner were the Spanish s.h.i.+ps clear of the harbor than they turned westward and strained every nerve to escape, firing at their pursuers, who were equally determined to overtake or destroy them. The _Brooklyn_, further away from sh.o.r.e, changed her course so as to follow a parallel direction, and, as soon as she attained a fair range, opened a tremendous and well directed fire. The _Texas_, whose course was somewhat diagonal, singled out the _Vizcaya_, and, unable to outspeed her, pounded her savagely with her sh.e.l.ls.
[Ill.u.s.tration: CAPTAIN JOHN PHILIP, OF THE ”TEXAS.”]
Every movement of the splendid battles.h.i.+p was directed by her Captain, John W. Philip. The _Texas_ was struck several times, but did not receive any material damage, while she wrought frightful havoc on the _Vizcaya_.
The _Oregon_, the finest s.h.i.+p in our navy, which had come more than 14,000 miles from the Pacific coast, was ploughing forward under forced draught, and, with a tremendous burst of speed, shot past the _Texas_ and drew up on the _Brooklyn_ in the effort to head off the leading fugitive, while the _Iowa_ was doing her utmost to maintain her killing pace and was firing her great guns with splendid precision. Suddenly the _Vizcaya_ broke into flames and headed for sh.o.r.e. Knowing that she was doomed, the _Brooklyn_ and _Oregon_ gave her a few parting shots and kept up their furious pursuit of the _Almirante Oquendo_ and the _Cristobal Colon_.
Just then the torpedo boat destroyers _Pluton_ and _Furor_ were discovered speeding also to the westward. Lieutenant Commander Richard Wainwright, who was an officer on the _Maine_ when she was destroyed, was now in command of the auxiliary cruiser _Gloucester_, and, without hesitation, he dashed after the destroyers, though for a part of the time he received the fire of Morro Castle, the _Vizcaya_ and both of the dangerous craft he was chasing. But the _Gloucester_ seemed to bear a charmed life, or, more truthfully speaking, the Spanish gunners didn't know how to shoot.
Unfortunately for Admiral Sampson, he had gone some miles away to hold a conference with General Shafter when the Spanish fleet made its attempt to escape, but he now came up with the _New York_, eagerly rus.h.i.+ng forward to bear a hand in the fight. The _Pluton_ and _Furor_ fled before her, while the _Indiana_ sh.e.l.led the first destroyer so mercilessly that she turned and headed for the mouth of the harbor, several miles distant. The vigilant _Gloucester_ joined the _Indiana_ and one of the destroyers displayed a flag of truce. She was ablaze from bow to stern and her crew ran her ash.o.r.e, where she blew up. The second was also beached and deserted by her crew. Meanwhile the _Vizcaya_ ran up the white flag and the _Texas_ stopped firing. She, like the _Infanta Maria Teresa_, was on fire and her crews could do nothing but take to the sh.o.r.e in the desperate effort to save themselves.
The _Almirante Oquendo_ and the _Colon_ were still fleeing for life, with the _Iowa, Oregon, Brooklyn_ and _Texas_ hard after them. Suddenly the _Almirante Oquendo_ turned toward sh.o.r.e. The _Brooklyn_ and _Oregon_ kept after the _Cristobal Colon_, leaving the _Texas_ to dispose of the _Almirante Oquendo_. But the latter was in flames and the flag at her stern was pulled down. The _Texas_ was approaching when the Spanish s.h.i.+p was torn by a tremendous explosion. The Americans broke into cheers.
Captain Philip threw up his hand and called:
”Don't cheer, boys; the poor fellows are dying!”
It was chivalrous and thoughtful on the part of the American commander and will never be forgotten.
The _Cristobal Colon_ steamed along the coast with the speed of a race horse, but the _Brooklyn_, _Texas_ and _Oregon_ seemed to feel the p.r.i.c.k of the spur and ran as never before and as their captains did not believe them capable of doing. The _Brooklyn_ gradually drew ahead and the Spaniard, seeing that escape was out of the question, hauled down his flag. Thus the victory became complete.
The news was just in time to help in the universal rejoicing and celebration of the Fourth of July. The Spanish fleet on the other side of the globe had been destroyed and now the second fleet was wiped out.
In the former instance not a life was lost and in the latter only one man was killed on our side, while the loss of the enemy was severe.
Never was a more decisive victory gained by one nation over another in the whole history of the world.
All my readers are familiar with the events that immediately followed, but perhaps they would like to know something concerning the naval heroes who did so much to contribute to the grand naval victory off Santiago.
William T. Sampson was born in Palmyra, N.Y., February 9, 1840. He was the son of an ordinary day laborer and had few early educational advantages, but he was appointed to the Naval Academy and was graduated at the head of his cla.s.s. He was on the frigate _Potomac_, with the rank of master, when the war broke out, but was too young to secure a command during the war. He became a lieutenant in July, 1862, and served with that rank on the practice s.h.i.+p _John Adams_ at the Naval Academy and on the ironclad _Patapsco_. On January 15, 1865, the _Patapsco_ attempted to force an entrance into the harbor of Charleston, which was one network of mines. Sampson exposed himself fearlessly and the s.h.i.+p met with a fearful disaster by being blown up by a submarine mine. Seventy went down to death as did those on the _Maine_, while Sampson and more than a score of others, after being blown a hundred feet through the air, saved themselves by swimming until they were picked up. Sampson was commissioned as lieutenant commander in 1866, was at the Naval Academy from 1868 to 1871, cruised for two years in European waters and first commanded the _Alert_ in 1874. Appointed to the superintendency of the Naval Academy in 1888, he held the situation for four years.
With the construction of the new navy, Sampson commanded in turn two modern s.h.i.+ps, the cruiser _San Francisco_ and the battles.h.i.+p _Iowa_. He was a close student of ordnance matters, gave special attention to torpedo work and was chief of the Bureau of Naval Ordnance from 1893 to 1897. There can be no question of his fine ability nor that, had the opportunity presented, Rear Admiral Sampson, as he had become, would have proven himself among the foremost officers in our navy. It was a great personal misfortune that he happened to be absent from the front of Santiago when the Spanish fleet made its venture, but it must not be forgotten that, in antic.i.p.ation of such action, he had planned the battle that was fought by the American s.h.i.+ps.
[Ill.u.s.tration: VIEW OF CHARLESTON HARBOR, SHOWING THE SUNKEN VESSELS.]
Winfield Scott Schley was born in Frederick, Md., October 9, 1839, and was graduated from the Naval Academy at the beginning of the Civil War.
After brief service on the stores.h.i.+p _Potomac_ he was promoted to master in 1861, and served on the _Winona_, of the West Gulf blockading squadron, 1862-63. He there gained a taste of real war and performed a number of exploits which proved his coolness and daring. He received honorable mention for his services in the engagements which led to the capture of Port Hudson. He was commissioned lieutenant in July, 1862, and was executive officer of the _Wateree_ from 1864 to 1865, having been made lieutenant commander in July, 1866, after which he spent three years again at the Naval Academy, serving as instructor of modern languages.
Admiral Schley has done brilliant service outside of what is generally considered the routine duty of his profession. When he was in Eastern waters in 1864 he landed 100 men, who protected the American consulate when threatened during a native insurrection among the natives of the Chin-Chi Islands. His most famous exploit was the rescue of the Greely Arctic expedition. In 1881 Lieutenant Adolphus W. Greely commanded an expedition of twenty-five men, which established an observation station at the farthest point in the polar regions then attained. The expedition, when in a starving condition and with only seven men alive, was rescued at Cape Sabine, Grinnell Land, in 1884 by Captain Schley. He was rewarded for this service by a gold medal from Congress and promoted by President Arthur to chief of the Bureau of Equipment and made captain in 1888.
[Ill.u.s.tration: COMMODORE WINFIELD SCOTT SCHLEY.]