Evening journal., 1898-05-14
The City Badly Damaged by the Fire
From Our Fleet.
TERROR'S MAGNIFICENT WORK.
Monitor Proves n Worthy Sister of the
Puritan-Tho Fight In DetaiI-Joseph
Chamberlain Makes Speech IA
voring AngIo-saxon Alliance.

miral SIMPSONS fleet yesterday morn
ing. The enemy's loss is believed to bs
heavy. The American loss Is two men
killed and seven men injured
After three hours firing the admiral
withdrew the feet and heading for
Key West, he said:
Il am satisfied with the mornings
work. I could have taken San Juan.
but have no force to hold 1t. I only
wanted to administer punishment This
has been done. came for the Spanish
fleet and not FOR San Juan"
The men killed were:
Seaman Frank Wdemark Of the New
York
Gunner's Mate -- Of the Amphltrlte.
The latter died from the effects of the
extreme heat.
or the injured men. three were on
board the Iowa and four on board the
New York.
The names OF those slightly Injured
on the Iowa are:
Seaman Mitchell
Private Marine Merkle.
Apprentice Hill
The injured on the New York are:
Seaman Samuel Feltman. seriously.
Seaman Michael Murphy
Two other enlisted men. slightly in
jured.
All the above named were injured by
the bursting Of a shell on the New York.
This Is a complete list OF tho killed
and wounded.
The American ships were uninjured.
The engagement began at 5:15 a. m.
and ended at S;15 a. m.
The ships taking part in the action
wero the Iowa, Indiana New York Ter
Wampatuck and Porter The enemy's
firing was heavy, but Wild. and the
Iowa and New York were probably the
only ships hit They went right up un-
der the guns in column. delivering
broadsldes, and then returned. The line
passed thrice In front OF the forts, pour
Ing tons Of steel on shore
It Is impossible to Judge the amount
OF damage done To the buildings and
forts. They appeared to be riddled
with shot. but the Spaniards were
plucky. The after turret of the Amphi-
trite got out Of order temporarily dur
ing the engagement. but sho banged
away with her forward guns. After tho
first passage before the forts the De-
troit and the Montgomery retired, their
guns being too small to do much dam
age Tho Porter and tho Wampatuck
also stayed out or range.
The smoke hung over everything,
spelling the aim of the gunners and
making n impossible TO tell where our
shots struck. The officers and men of
all the ships behaved with coolness and
bravery. The shots flew thick and fast
over all our ships.
The men OF the Iowa who were hurt
during the action were injured by spln-
ters thrown by an 8 inch shen which
came through a boat into the super
structure and scattered fragments I'm all
directions. The shots course was final
~ ended on an iron plate an inch thick
Merlkle (MurtelO was struck In the
arm and may lose IT, All were hunt by
Bplinters. and a fire was started In the
boat. but was quickly extlnguished.
Morro battery, on the eastward arm
of the harbor. was the principal point
Of attack. Rear Admiral Sampson and
Captain Evans were on the lower bridge
of the Iowa and had n narrow escape
ffom splinters which injured three
men. The Iowa was hit eight times. but
the shells made no impression on her
armor. The weather was fine. but the
heavy swells made accurate aim diff
cult. The broadsides from the Iowa
and Indiana rumbled in the hills ashore
for five minutes after they were deliv-
cred. Clouds OF dust showed where they
struck. but the smoke hung over every
thing. The shells screechlng overhead
and dropping around were the only
signs that the Spaniards still stuck TO
their guns.
At o'clock In the morning all hands
were called on the Iowa. A few final
touches in clearing the ship were made.
and at general quarters" sounded.
The men We're eager for the fight.
The tug Wampatuck went ahead and
anchored. her small boat to the west
ward showing ten fathoms. but there
was not sign Of life from TIE fort.
which stood boldly against the sky or
the eastern hills. hiding the town.
The Detroit steamed far to the east
ward, opposite Valtern. The Iowa head
ed straight for the shore Suddenly
her helm flew over, bringing the star
board battery 70 bear on the fortihca-
lions. At 5;l5 a. m. the Iowa's forward
u inch guns thundered out at the sleep
ing hills. and for Ia minutes she poured
starboard broadsides on the coast
Meanwhile the Indiana. the New York
and other ships repeated the dose from
the rear. The Iowa turned and came
back to the Wampatuck's boat and
again led the column, the forts replying
nerceiy ana concentrating on the De
troit, which was about 200 yards away
all the batteries on the eastward arm
of the harbor. Thrice the column pass
ed from the entrance of the harbor I,
the extreme eastward battery.
Utter Indifference was shown for IN,
enemy's fire. The wounded were quick
~ attended. the blood was washed ava,
and everything proceeded like targe
practice AT 7:45 a. m. Admiral Samp
son signaled Cease firing" Retire