The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-17
STILL sHELLINe AT SANTIAGO.
vESUyIUs THROWS MORE DYNA-
MITE WITH TERRIBLE EFFECT.

the Torpedo Boat DestrOyers-
Third Charge ExpIOdes With Ter
rife violence on CayO Smith.
Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.
on Board the Associated Press Dispatch
Boat Dauntless, off Santiago de Cuba,
Thursday. June 16, noon, via Kingston,
lam. June 16, 8 p. m.-Rear Admiral
sampson's fleet bombarded the batteries
ot Santiago de Cuba for the third time
at daylight this morning
For hours the ships pounded the bate
ries at the right and left of the entrance,
only sparing FL Moro, where Lieut.. Hob
son and his companions of the Merrimac,
are in prison.
The western batteries against which the
main assault was directed were badly
wrecked one was utterly destroyed In
others many guns were dismounted.
AT first the spaniards replied passion
ately and wildly. but impotently. Then
most ofsthe guns were deserted.
Not a ship was struck, not man in
iured on the American side.
1t is believed that the enemy's loss of life
was heavy.
A
en- the batteries, the dynamite cruiser
Vesuyius last night a midnight was Civ
en- another chance. Three 250-pound charges
of gun cotton were sent over the fortifica-
tions at the entrance.
The design was to drop them in the bay,
around the angle, back of the eminence on
which El Moro is situated, where it was
known that the Spanish torpedo boat des
troyers were lying.
TWO charges went true, as no reports
were heard-a popularity of the explosion
Of gun cotton in water.
Whether the destroyers were demolished
is not known, but the destructive area of
gun cotton is large, and it would not be
surprising if it is subsequently ascertained
that one or both were destroyed.
The third charge exploded with terrific
violence on Cayo Smith. From where the
feet lay, the entrance to the harbor look
ed. in the black night, like a door opening
into the livid fire of Titanic furnace.
crater big enough to hold a church was
blown out of the. side of Cayo Smith, and
was clearly seen from the ships this morn
ing.
Admiral Sampson issued the orders for
the bombarGment last night
Coffee was served to the men at $3.50 this
morning and with the first blush of dawn
they were called quietly to quarters. The
ships steamed iii hve-knot speed to a
3000-yards range. when they closed up
broadside on, until distance of three
cable lengths separated them.
They were strung out in the form of
crescent, the heavy fighting ships in the
center the flagship on the right flank and
the Massachusetts on the left flank. The
commandment
The Vixen and Scorpion took up position
on the opposite flank, close in shore, for
the purpose Of enhlading any infantry that
might fire on the ships.
When the ships got in position, 1t was
sti4 too dark for any firing.
The admiral signalled the ships not TO
fire untilathe muzzles of the enemy's guns
In the embrasures could be seen by the
gun captains.
Fifteen minutes later, at 5:25, the New
York opened with a broadside from her
main battery at the works on the east
OF The entrance to the harbor All the
ships followed in red streaks of flame.
The fleet enveloDed in smoke, pelted the
hills and kicked. up dirt and masonry. 1t
was magnificent spectacle from where
the Dauntless lay.
Though the gun captains had been eau
TONED not to waste ammunition, but to
fire with deliberation, the fire was so rapid
mat there was an almost continuous re-
port.
strong land breeze off the shore car
Iled the smoke Of the ships seaward while
u let down thick curtain in front OF
the spanish gunnerS
The Dons responded spiritedly at first
but their frenzIed, half-crazed fire could
not match the cool nerve, trained eyes
and skilled gupnery of the American
sailors.
Our fire was much more effective than in
preceding pombarGments
The admirars ordnance expert had given
explicit directions to reduce the powder
charges and 10 elevate the guns so as to
shorten the trajectory and thus to ensure
a plunging fire. AS the shells in the pre-
ceding bombardment dropped with the al
most straight trajectories of projectilcs
With full charges, 1t was almost impossi-
Bile TO plan them. They would shoot into
the air encrcling the batteries owing to
the high elevation, and fall far over the
fOrtihcatonS.
The effect of the reduced charges was
marvellous. In fifteen minutes one west
srn battery was completely wrecked The
massachusetts, tore a gaping hole in the
emplacement with a 1,0O0-pound projeetile
and the Texas dropped a shell into the
powder magazine The explosion wrought
terrible havoc.
The frame was lifted the sides were
hloWn out and a shower of debris flew in
every direction. One timber carried cut
OF the side Of the battery, went tumbling
down the hill.
The batteries east of Morro were hard
er to get at, but the New Orleans crossed
the bows OF the New York to within 500
yards Of shore and played a tattoo with
her long S-inchN rifles hitting them re-
peatedy, striking a gun squarely muzzle
on, lifting it off its trunions and sending
II IN sweeping somersaults high in the air.
several times Admiral Sampson signalled
the ships temporarily to cease firing. in
order 10 allow the smoke to clear from
the batteries. When the order came at
$50 TO cease firing every gun OF the enemy
had been silenced for ten minutes. but os
the ships drew off some of the Spanish corr
age returned and a half-dozen Shots were
fired spitefully at the Massachusetts ana
Oregon falling in their wakes.
Throughout the bombardment the dvna-
mite cruiser Nesuvius and the Porter. bv
direction Of the admiral, lay outside Of
the right flank. The steam launch Of the
flagship scurried among the ships carrying
messages.
Al the close of the action, a stream Of
mi q -.