Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-05-14
THE SPANISH SHOT
POORLY AT SAN JUAN
New York and Iowa Hit-Two American
Dead and "a Number werc
Injured.

On BOARD THE DISPATCH Boat DAUNT-
LESS, ST. THOMAS, Danish West Indies,
May lathe remarkable feature of the
bombardment Of the forts of San Juan
de Porto Rico by portion of the fleet
under command of Rear Admiral Samp-
son, an account of which was given i'll
these dispatches yesterday, was the bad
craftsmanship of the Spanish gunners.
Hardly shot from the forts struck the
ships, while the forts were hit repeat
eddy. Most of the Spanish projectiles
fell very wide, and at the close of the
engagement the Notifications had
very dilapidated appearance, but the
guns were as active as ever.
The United States monitor Terror
had magnificent half hours duel with
the forts. The batteries bravely threw
shot and shell about her until she
seemed to occupy the center of great
geyser basis. The Spanish gunners
were crazed by excitement and some
times dropped shells a mile away from
the Terror.
The latter fired shot after shot on the
forts and when the monitor retired she
did so slowly, contemptuously, still
firing at the Spanish forts. The Span
lards continued to fire ON her until she
was miles out of range.
After the engagement the Dauntless
steamed among the fleet whose crews
were cleaning the decks and polishing
the guns The American sailors seemed
to be not at all excited and were going
about their work as if nothing extraor-
binary had happened.
The only marks ON the Iowa were q
dent on her exhaust pipe and slight
injury to the railing of her bridge.
The New York had several small holes
in one of her ventilators.
Each vessel in action carried two
large American flags.
Only one vessel is known to be in the
harbor of San Juan de Porto Rico, and
that craft is small French steamer,
which hurried away affrighted after the
warships had departed.
The enemy's loss is believed to be
heavy. The American loss is two men
killed and seven men injured.
After three hours firing the admiral
withdrew the fleet and, heading for
Key West, he said:
81 am satified with the mornings
work. could have taken San Juan:
but I have no force to hold it. | only
wanted to administer punishment. This
has been done. / came for the Spanish
feet and not for San Juan
The men killed were:
Seamen Frank Widemark of the New
York.
Gunner's mate of the Amplitude.
The latter died from effects of the
extreme heat.
OF the injured men, three were ON
board the lowe and four on board the
New York.
The names of the slightly injured on
the Iowa are:
Seaman Mitchell.
: ETiyate Marine Merkle.
Apprentice Hill.
The injured on the New York are:
Seaman Samuel Feltman, seriously.
Seaman Michael Murphy.
;. Two other enlisted men, slightly in
jnred.
All the above named were injured by
the bursting of shell on the New
York.
The American ships were uninjured.
The engagement began at OLD a. m.
and ended at SID a. IN.
The enemys batteries were not 81
fenced. The town i'll the rear of the
Notifications probably suffered.
The ships taking part in the action
were the Iowa, Indiana, New York,
Terror, Amphitrite, Detroit, Montgom-
cry, Wampatuck and Porter. The enc
mys fire was heavy but wild, and the
Iowa and New York were probably the
only ships hit.
The men of the Iowa who were hurt
during the action were Injured by
splinters thrown by an 8-inch shell
which came through a boat into the
superstructure and scattered fragments
IN all directions. The shots course was
fnallv ended on an iron plate one inch