a few minutes after eleven o'clock
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 .