Morris tribune., 1898-06-08
VERYHOT FIRE
For Three Hours Ten American
Warships Poured Shells Into
Santiago Forts.
The Percentage Which Took
Effect Said to Have Been
Very Large.
spaniards Admit Some Loss But
Not as Great as Is Gener-
ally Believed. .
The Reina Mercedes Struck by
g Thirteen Inch She'll from
the Oregon.
CAPE HXTuEN, Hayu. Jum 7.4=a::o5

the greater part of yesterday from 7;lj
O. m. until nearly II o'clock. Ten Of
the American warships main tanned s
steady and carefully directed fire against
FL MORO castle, and the batteries at
Punta Gorda, Socapa and Cincoreales,
in addition TO bombarding the Spanish
feet in the harbor. The percentage OF
effective projectiles was very large.
1t appears, from the best information
obtainable at this place, the cable sta
ton connecting with Santiago de CUBA,
that immense damage was inflicted OH
the enemy. The Spanfards admit that
the bombardment from the American
6eet was most destructive, About'six.
teen hundred pFojectiles are said to
have been fred by the Americas war
ahips, and it seems that the responsive
Gre from the Spanish forts and ships
was scarcely felt at all by the Amer
leans
Esiddlsd With Solid Shot.
The Notifications near the entrance
Of the harbor are descrihsi as, being
FtRdlsd With solid shot and shattered
By the explosion Of the Immense shells
Cred BY the American battleships. The
Spanish batteries are understood to
have been virtually SlleUeed. and Ell
MosrO and che 6ogtificasions at Socapa
and Punts Gorda are reported to have
been demolished by the three hours
uninterrupted hammering Of the Amer
lean feet.
The American attack is next said to
have been specially directed against
Aguadores, q small coast town a little
to the east of the entrance to Santiago
bay. The idea of the American adj
m1raa, it appears, was to land troops
and siege guns there, after reducing
che defenses Of the place, and then
make close assault upon Santiago,
which ip view OF the present condition
Of its Notifications may be expected to
yield very soon after the beginning of
such an attack.
Net Results Extremely Disastrous
Heavy CAnnonsding was opened
Gpon Aguadoreg at about midday.
The latest Rdvices received here from
Spanish sources do not indicate the
duration Of the fire, or whether Amer.
lean troops and seige guns were ac.
%ua4ly landed at Aguadores. but from
tbo information obtainable it cannot be
doubted that the net result of Mondays
lighting wRs extremely disastrous to
the Spanish defenses. It is also under
stood here that She Cuban troops main
talUsd thEoughous the greater part of
che day an attack by land upon San
hago; and the Spanish reports say the
garrison lest heavily in killed and
wounded.
The military commander of Santiago
DC Cuba acknowledges the following
casualties among the land forces:
Colonel OTdonez, Captain Sanchez,
Lieutenant YrizaF, of the artillery,
and Perez end Garcia, both Spanish
officers. whose rank is not mentioned.
These officers were badly wounded
Tha Spsniards also admit the loss Of II
infantry soldiers, severely wounded,
and mg one scttiisr was killed.
But is ia believed the losses of the
apaniards were much more heRvy.
In ths naval force she Spaniaxds say !
shat ehe officer who was second in COM,
mand Of the partly dismantied Spanish :
oTutAeF Reiua Mercedes and five sailors
and an ensign were killed. The Span.
fsh sailors wounded, it is asserted, mum.
bar sixteen men. The loss on the /
American side, the Santiago report |
ayA is not known. /
The Spaniards acknowledge that
great deal of damage was inflicted on
ahe Spanish cruiser Reina Mercedes,
and they say Moro castle ahows great
gaping breaches la Ata walls.
later In the day il appears landing
q American troops was effected near
DaiQuiTd, some distance east of Aqua
acres. and near the railway station
conn eottng With Santiago.
An Engagement Took Place.
Later "a engagement took place be-
sween the American force and a. chl.
umn Of SpanAsh troops, which had been
s6as against ths landing party. The.
aCeOWn4s If the battle obtainablv here,
te3Hg from Spanish sources, do not set
forth tho result, and therefore it is to
Be inferred that the Americans were
victorious. and thas is the belief which
prevails here.
There Is . report current at Cape
HHytten that the AYstc1ass sTfnored
Spanish cruiser Maria Teresa was sunk
Sw AiAe Are of ths American ships.
~ u said 0aa* only Ave hundred
Amszacan troops were Landed at Dali
QutMs or pOssiAs IS Aguadores, the
SwO piAabs ing confnsed in the re-
ESCgss ~ seems to be aa-
snAsss - Of the Aaasricar
~ 20 4ee0KRse thai the Span
eapetled TO Zee from the
tiac&sae0s hay wsrs defending i.