The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-07-03
WITH THE FLEET.
Admiral Simpsons Vessels Do
Good Service.


Admiral SIMPSONS Vessels Do
Good Service.
| Copyrighted, 1898, by Associated Press ]
OFF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, July /
via Kingston, Jamaica, July 2, a.
m.-BefOre o'clock this morning the
crew of the flagship We're astir, eating
| hurried breakfast and at $50 gen
| eral quarters was sounded and the
| flagship headed in towards Aguadores
about three miles east of MORO Cas-
| tile. The other ships retained their
blockading stations. Along the sur.
| from the shore the smoke of an APP
preaching train from Altares was seen
1t was composed of open cars full OF
General Duffields troops. At the cut
| ting, mile east of Aguadores, the
| train stopped and the Cuban scouts
| proceeded along the railroad tracks
The troops got out of the cars and soon
| formed in a long thin line standing
out wildly against the yellow rocks
| that rose perpendicularly above, SQUAD
| ing them off from the main body of the
army which in the east side of the hill
was seen from the north. From the
! quarter flagship there was signal By
| a vigorous wigwagging letter, and in a
| few minutes later from lump of green
| at the waters edge came an answer
| from the army This was the first CO.
| operation for offensive purposes be-
| tween the army and navy The land
| ing OF the army at Baiquiri and AL
tares was purely a naval affair. With
the flag in his hand, the soldier ashore
| looked Like butterfly
Are you waiting for us to heSin?''
was the signal made by Rear Admiral
| Sampson to the army.
General Duffield is ahead with the
| scouts" came the answer from the
| shore to the flagship.
BY this time it was O'Clock, and the
Admiral ran the flagship's bow within
three-quarters of a mile Of the beach.
The Suwanee was In company with
the flagship, still closer in shore, and
| the Gloucester was to the westward
| near Morro Castle. From the south
| ward the Newark came on and took
position to the westward Her decks
were black with 1,6OO or more troops
as she went alongside the flagship, and
was told to disegnbark the troops at
| Altares.
| Then Admiral Sampson signaled to
General Duffield: When do you want
| us to commence firing?"
In a little while a white flag on
shore sent back the answer: when the
| rest of the command arrives. Then ]
will signal YOU"
| 1t was long and tedious wait for the
! of troops came putting along from
Altares. BY $50 the last soldiers
had left the open railroad tracks. dis
appearing in the thick brush that COW
cred the eastern side of Aguadores in
let. The water in the sponge tubes
| under the breeches of the big guns was
growing hot in the burning SUM-
Ashore there was no sign of the en-
envy. They We're believed to be on the
western bluff Between the bluffs runs
a rocky gully leading into Santiago
City. On the extremity of the west
ern arm was an old castle fort with
the Spanish flags flying and on a par
the gully, stretch of red earth could
be seen. These were the rifle pits.
At 1915 the signal flag on shore wig
wagged to Admiral Sampson to COM
mence firing, and a minute later the
rifle pits and at the old fort. The
Suwanee and Gloucester joined in the
echoes, which rumbled around and fill
ed the gully. All the stored-up thunder
of the clouds seemed to have broken
loose, and smoke soon rose over the
hills, and the gully was shut out from
view. Then the firing became more de-
liberate. OF our troops ashore in the
brush nothing could be seen, but the
ping" ping" of the small arms
could be heard as they f1oated out to
sea during the lull of the big guns as
they peppered the rifle pits, and clouds
Of red earth rose around them.
An eight-inch shell from the Newark
dropped in the massive old fort. and
clouds Of white dust and huge stones
filled the air. When the small shells
struck the embellishments, almost
hidden by green creepers. frag-
ments Of masonry came tumbling
down. A shot from the Suwanee
hit the eastern parapet, and it
crumbled away like air. Amid the
smoke and debris the fiagstaf was seen
to fall from it.
1.-THE flag has been taken down!"
shouted the ships crew. but when the
smoke cleared away the emblem of
Spain was seen to be still flying and
blazing brilliantly in the sun, though
the Flagstaff was bending toward the
earth. Apparently the Flagstaff had
been caught firmly in the wreckage of
the fort A few more shots leveled the
embattlement, and the old castle was a
| pitiful sight.
| When the firing ceased Lieutenant
Delehanty of the Suwanee was anxious
to finish his work, so he signaled to the
New York, asking permission to knock
down the Spanish flag. YES" replied
Admiral Sampson, 'ff you can do it in
three shots"
| The Suwanee then lay about LOCO
yards from the old fort. She took her
time. Lieutenant Blue carefully aimed
the four-inch gun, and the crews Of ali
the ships watched the incident amid
intense excitement. When the smoke
Of the first shot cleared away only two
streamers Of the flag were left. The
lahau had coma through tbs cantAr Of