479 Destruction of the Spanish Fleet

479. Destruction of the Spanish Fleet 

As the American vessels could not enter San - tiago harbor to sink the Spanish ships at their anchors , it became necessary to send an army to Santiago . But the Spaniards did not wait for the soldiers to capture the city . On Sunday morning , July 3, the Spanish fleet sud - denly appeared steaming out of the harbor . The Massachusetts was away at the time , get - ting a supply of coal , and the New York was steaming away to take Admiral Sampson to a conference with General Shafter . But there were enough vessels left . On came the Spaniards . The American ships rushed toward them . The Spaniards turned westward and tried to escape along the coast . Soon one of them was set on fire by the American shells . She was run on shore to prevent her sinking . Then another followed her , and then a third . The torpedo - boat destroyers were sunk off the entrance to the harbor . But one ship now remained afloat . Speedily , she , too , was overtaken and surren - dered . In a few hours the whole Spanish fleet was destroyed ; hundreds of Spanish seamen were killed , wounded , or drowned , and sixteen hundred Spanish sailors captured . The Ameri - can loss was one man killed and two wounded . The American ships were practicaly ready to destroy another Spanish fleet had one been within reach . At Manila Bay and off Santiago the American fleets were superior to the enemy ＇ s fleets . But the astounding results of their ac - tions were due mainly to the splendid manner in which the American ships had been cared for and , above all , to the magnificent training and courage of the men behind the guns . Years of peace had not in any way dimmed the splendid qualities of the American sea - fighters .