The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-29

starboard side. Lines drawn from ship
to ship would have made an almost
perfect triangle.
At a few minutes before ! o'clock
there was a puff Of smoke from the
east shore and an s-inch shell whixsed
toward the New York n fell short.
Scarcely a the smoke died away
than another pun OF smoke fioated up
on the Point Maya side N easily blew
away. This shell also fell short. the
range of the east battery was nearly
1000 yards. but h flagship promptly
opened fire with one of her s-inch guns.
The engagement In a few minutes be-
came general and shore and bay were
covered with the wind-blown smoke.
while the hollow between the hills
roared with the cannonading. Contin-
uing to cut loose with her guns, star
board and port. as well as fore m
aft. the New York steamed quickly In
and circled around to the westward
toward Point Rubalieva, while the
Puritan swung to starboard to engage
the Maya batteries. The Maya bat
terry was the most formida BILE and the
fire from IL was more frequent, but the
shells fell short. The New York ig-
nored this battery after q n n
proceeded to pay all her attention to
the battery on Point Rubalieva. which
was being pushed to completion. 1t
was a beautiful sight to see the large
practice of the New York. A big bal
Don of smoke would suddenly rise
from her side. The eye, following the
direction of the shot. % see an
instant later a great cloud OF lust and
fragments of concrete and mortar fly
high in the air. Then would come the
roar OF the piece. sullen n heavy.
The New York had o o reduced the
range from 1000 to 5000 yards, and
soon was tossing shells into Rubalieva
at a rate of about three a minut with
wonderful precision and apparently
great destructiyeness.
In the meantime the Puritan was
taking care of Point Maya. IL was "A
long shot to hat battery. II was SO
well masked that the only target was
the infrequent smoke from the battery.
But when the Puritan got the range
her shells burst every time within the
Notifications. and great was the ex-
plosion thereof. High up into the air
would go a cloud of dust-atoms of the
Spanish FORTHCOMING for all the world
like the explosion of a magazine of
brown prismatic powder. The Puritan
doing fully as much harm on the
east side OF the bay as the New York
doing on the west side.
All this time the Cincinnati had re-
manned out of action. Captain Chester
signaled for permission TO Engage and
II was granted by the flagship. The
steamed up to within 1000
yards broadside on and began to let
fly with her guns. The batteries and
the New York were just giving the
signal to retire when one defiant shot
was fired from Kubalieva. 1t was the
last shot that battery was ever to fire.
One OF the Dig guns on the Puritan an
swered back. Ii was the best shot of
the day. Ii struck the battery Just
where the u was. tore its way into
the earthworks and exploded. doing
great damage. Captain II. MacHugh.
an artillery officer of the British army,
who was a spectator of the engage
ment, said IL was one of the best shots
he had ever seen a d Having prac-
tically demolished the Spanish batter
les the ships stood out to sea. Not a
had struck one of them. but there
IA been three narrow misses of the
New York. The Spaniards fired shrap-
nell once. which had burst above the
ship. a shell had struck just fore OF
her and another struck just aft. The
fact hat the Spaniards failed to strike
such a large target at the New York.
towering as she does like a house out
of the water. was taken as evidence
that they are not very good marksmen.
on the other hand every shot that the
New York fired after she got the range.
was pitched right inlo the batteries.
In point of time the engagement last
ed just IN minutes. It began at 1887
and ended at lis. The Puri-
tar and Cincinnati were left the guard
Matanzas and the New York returned
To her old position. All told the United
States ships fired Sc shots at the forts.
The forts fired probably % shots.
But far more important hat the de-
struction of the MatanZas batteries IL
the conclusion about the future which
may be drawn from the bombardment.
The conclusion is that Havana Is alb
~solutely at the mercy of the United
states fleet whenever we choos to
fire.
Washington. April 2s.-Although the
navy department IA no official report
of the bombardment OF Matanzas. in
tense interest is manifested in the pub
lished accounts of the affair. The
board believes the only pur-
pose Of Sampson was to learn the loca-
ton and strength Of the enemy's bat
terry. 1t Is the general belief at the
department. however. that Matanzas is
to be soon reduced and made the base
of operations against Havan and re-
lieving the reconcentrados.
The reported seizure by the Spanish
military authorities of Matanzas OF
stores contributed by Americans for the
relief of sufferers Is regarded as a
clear indication that even II the Red
Cross steamer Texas In permitted to
land supplies at Matanzas. the food
Will never reach the rec~oncentrados. but
will go TO support Spanish soldiers. Ii
Is believed that the president contem-
plates an early seizure of Matanzas.
and that SIMPSONS fleet will soon ge-
gin a heavier n livelier lombard
ment than the n reported to-day.
Madrid L. S<epticaI.