The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-21
Insurgents Under General Filipino
Proclaim Provisional Govern
ment in Old CaVite.
APTURETHE GOVERNOR
And Three Hundred Men at Bulucan-Frequent
Fires at rlanila and Maate-Charleston
Expected Today.

bonbardrent Thursday morning shows
the American gunners spread wreck and
ruin everywhere. Some OF the batteries
were demolished beyond repair.
The vultures which circled on over the
! hills as chick as swallows around a CHM
ney for hours after he firing ceasel, fur
nished gruesome evidence Of the fatality
among the Spanish soldiers.
| Hundreds Of troops could be seen from
the ships digging IN mounds OF earth piled
up by the explosion OF the projectiles
from the heavy guns for bodies, while
their heads were famed by the winds
/ OF the black scavengers OF the battlefield
There were two spots. one on the east
and the other on the west OF the harbor
entrance. which were denuded Of the fol-
/ tage. The hill tops seem literally blown
away. These marked the places where
/ by the Vesuvius landed.
| But the most om!nous token OF death
! few from Moro castle. The saffron flag Of
! Spain was half-masted for several hours
/ The significance OF this is not known. 1t
! is customary to half-mast flags, but posi-
| bly, some Spanish leader was killed by che
heavy fire Of our guns. though some off,
GERS of the squadron believe that the flag
was haR-masted as a notification 90 the
Americans that Lieutenant Hobson and
his brave men were dead. If such is the
case they must have been wantonly muir
dered. The Spanish might seek to lay
| their death to the bombardment. but not
a shot from the Americans struck the for
tress.
Neither Admiral Sampson nor Commo-
dore Schley believe that Lieutenant Hob
son and his party have been killed. We
have seventeen prisoners taken at Guam
tanamo, including a lieutenant besides a
number in the United States. for reprsaIs
or exchange.
There was evident Generalization among
the Spanish troops during the lombard
ment. officers could be seen, with drawn
sword, driving the men 10 the guns but
even they could not be forced to stay long
If our guns were directed toward them.
The fifteen minutes night work of the
Vesuvius had shattered their nerves.
1t is believed by some that the thirteen
inch projectile fired from the Texas which
was reported to have exploded the pow
der magazine in one Of the western bat
teries did not - into the battery. but
Went beyond and blew up one of the ships
in the harbor
dramatic incident Of the bombardment
was the act of a Spanish officer who
bravely ran along the parapet under a
heavy fire encouraging his men to stand
by their guns. Shot and shell rained
about him and after one terrific explosion
s14A yx-ac
disappeared. He could not have escaped
death.
From the foretop of the Brooklyn. $500
yards distant, the men in the grounds
could be noticed but minute later. dust
and flying debris would take their places
and when the smoke raised away. only
a spot Of red earth could be seen-guns /
and gunners had been swept away. It
was the most deadly and destructive bonn /
bardment Of the war thus far Scarcely /
a shot from the big guns Of the squadron /
went astray. The aim of our gunners /
was superb, and not only were the coast /
forts annihilated, but the batteries on
Cayo Smith, up the harbor, was destroyed /
Had all the ships used smokeless powder. /
as did the New Orleans. there would re- |
main no signs of guns and Notifications /
to indicate that there had ever been any
Notifications there.
There were no casualties on our fleet, /
though our ships held a fixed position |
The half-stripped ship gunners never |
worked with more enthusiasm. The words |
of Rear Admiral Sampson we're: First !
silence the batteries on the shore. and then |
continue firing until the Notifications are /
This order was strictly obeyed 1
1t was the first time that such instruc-
tons had been given. and the men re-
sponded with a viii IN thirty-eight
minutes the order was given to cease fir
ing, and the message went from each ship /
from the admiral: "WeII done" and the
officers and men turned in for breakfast.
Every detail of the engagement mad Lean
executed 20 The letter. from the opening Of
FIRE by the New York to the last shot
from the Iowa. The Spauiards were evil
deaIy surprised while strengthening their
The frs, shot from the New York landed
fun and fair on tae top CT the hits to the
eas-, whore the gun7ers were already AZ
work erecting new pieces. The earth
seemed 10 rise iR a c,0G5. and when me
-welve--aoh shells from the Iowa and The
-weive-incn beauties OF the Oregon landed
squarely and fairly. a great cheer went
lp form the SHIPS.
The western squadron got into IIae and
began firing before the eastern ore did.
md tae effect 81 tte shots could te plainly
seen. TIE Spanish guaGerz az tne batteries
.ould D. noted ana 2 quick IRE was re-
urued. but only for a -st tlHe did they |