The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-04
mn THE D)MbARDMENT
LOOKED TO A SPECTATOR.
e,auhio Account of the Attack OF
San Juan Portihcations.
A~ea Heavy and Continuous Fire,
wnsim Easy Range of the Rat
.~~tr.. u L. Remarkable That
49, Vessels of the Fleet Escaped
Gsinjsr~e. While at the same
rfIe No Easy THsk Yet Remafns.

4. oniaoker % the bombar1men. Of the
..rsssea-lsrs Of san Juan de Puerto Rico
u.y q ty fae feet % Rear Admiral
ss,-,xan gave she following details Of
- .uxageneut He aid.
sz.s .vsoxf remarkable feature ahou. the
s,eesss rdnlent Ms toe escape % the fleet
80 40 sew casualties. The eneny's FIRE
wsx heavy and continuous. and the eleva-
ssse u ,aeir batteries gave them ire
.-sr.ts;ss advantage. How they missed
ss,,;ux the Eslips no ore kn0wz Their
.sass fell all around and their guns had
.,rs,4i.. for twice the range. Yet they
a-sg landed tao projectlIes with any seri-
60 srsct The San Juan affair strength
80 re opinion that 10 attack welI-pIaced
ter.saeafioae Il a hard task for even the
xsysssest bsstlesaipS-
TIE steoHdary batteries OF the ships
~.-. no. used after the line had passed
s.foy. me farts This was chiefly on ac-
ssas. Of smoke Drifting in front of the
,Fr-ets n made the handlers of the big
IN. liable 70 lose al sight % land
TIE admiral and his assistant chief II
s.sg s,auntou were On the superstruet
- nn the lee side OF the coming tower
ya.y did not 60 inside the coming tower.
sAsch wiI probably not be used In action
.s.ssz ;ae fire Is coming from both sides.
s. far II mas proved a rather useless insti-
ssslan.
r. tts soreeastls. IN the lee of the for
xsra Is-lnch turret we're Lieut.. March,
sss secretary. and Ensign Bennett. flag
asp,saan: both If whom. with Staunfon.
seeampanied the admiral from the New
yerk Bennett has signal huoys with him
las s,saal flags in canvas bags, were
made fssi hy line which ran around the
,srrtt belt; This VAS To prevent them
fEem being shot overheard,
n took about fo,r broadsides TO wake
tss spaniaras up. In the meantime,
ryez, yellowlsh white clouds were rising
from ths hillside. marking where our
.bsis had faileE. Their a few pufYs OF
shi,s and little lines OF flame. came from
aesss in the blum The water spurted
tfg hundred yards from the Iowa and
everybody was glad. because they knew
sass the enemy was returning the fire.
Ssfgte that the Jackies had been GUM
By this time the smoke begun to hang
AsayiIy and the Iowa was moist and COW
sesa wRh saltpeier. Marine glasses had
u be wiped every few minutes. The mems
ssess acre grlmy and their mouths were
A.ier from sai;peter. " ben TIE big guns
b the iurret were fired. II seemed as IL
ths ship was almost drawn from the
sstsr in q straining effort TO follow the
fsajeetlles as they whizzed shorewards.
Behind, the Indiana's port side looked
Ake huge fort her own smoke hiding
Der slarh0ard side
When the Ioaa was turned to go back
10 :ae starting point. the entire line was
s&sged. The New York. stately. running
kfh out Of the water aad showing ali
~ xrseefuiness. but making an easy tar
re- slowly raa the gauntlet OF two miles.
Thiie the enemy fire was at Its hot
set two jackses stood al the Iowa's bows.
ssshoui any cover heavlng the lead. They
ssrked just as calmly as Il In New York
aarhoy.
'Taey cant hll as. George" sang out
ems Of the men 90 another in tn. lee Of the
tssfst. Just then a shell whlzzed by.
Rie line 10 thar thing" laughed the
Ran In the chains. pointing derisively 20
ne water that spurted up nifty yards
shesd Of aim
The feature most discussed was the
wonderful pluck OF the Terror and her
escape from being ht Shells simply
asnrc about her as she lay within so
yards of tae forts and h,azed away with
hsf 6-lach rapid-iIFe batteries.
Several slis1t accidents oscurred on the
ships. bat on the whole fhey were not as
namefoBs as generally happen during
asaTy target practice The strain on the
ssa was rather severe. The heat Of the
saa vas intense before O'Clock The work
done ey the engineer officers and their
tntas wGo, for tarec hours, We're under
TIE hattie gratlngs in the intense heat.
cannot hs too highly praised The firing
o. The mentors seemed hardly up 10 the
marx Of the other ships a very heavy
swell Causing them trouble. and prevent
ihg any dsgTee % accuracy 81 aim.