The Irish standard., 1898-05-21
SHIELDED SAN JUAN.
Sampson Attacks the Batteries De-
Tending the City.
Rctircs without Attempting Capture
of the Town Two of Our
Mon Killed and Seven
Wounded.

Washington. May 14.-At 1870 Fri
day morning the navy department re-
ceived the following dispatch from Ad-
mirai Sampson. 1t was dated at St.
Thomas, May 12, and was as follows:
IA portion of the squadron under my
command reached San Juan this morning
at daybreak. No armed vessels were
found In the port. AS soon as it was suf-
ficiently light commenced attack upon tho
batteries defending the city. This attack
lasted about three hours and resulted In
much damage to the batteries and incidcu-
tally to a portion Of the city adjacent to
the batteries. The batteries replied TO our
fire. but without material effect. One man
was killed on board the New York and
seven slightly wounded In the squadron
No serious damage to any ships resulted.
''(SigncD SAMPSON"
Admiral SIMPSONS statement that
he attacked with only portion of his
fleet is taken to indicate that he did not
find it cxpedicnt to take the entire
squadron into the harbor, though it is
not believed he hns separated his fleet.
The navy department officials were at
IL loss TO know how his dispatch reached
ST. Thomas until the press dispatch am
nonnccd the presence of the Vale at ST.
Thomas.
The isom'sa r.lncnt from the Flagship.
On board the Flagship Iowa. Off San
Juan dc Puerto Rico. May IL (via St. Thom-
as. Danish West Indies. May 1D.-The forts
of San Juan de Puerto Rico were bonn
hardcd by Part of Rear Admiral Samp-
sons fleet Friday morning. The cnemy's
loss Is believed to be heavy. The Amrri-
can loss is two men killed and seven men
injured. After three hours firing the ud-
V,it1, Il .
Key West he said: II am satisfied with
the mornings work. l could have taken
San Juan. hut have no force to hold it.
only wanted to administer punishment.
This has been done. l came for the Spanish
fleet. and not for San Juan"
Killed and Wounded.
The men killed were: Seaman Frank
Wdemark. Of tho New York ard Gum
nrr's Mate -. of the Amphitritc. The lat
ter died from effects OF the extreme heat
OF the injured men three were on board
the Iowa and four on board the New York
The namcs of those slightly injured on tho
Iowa are: Seaman Mitchell. Private Ma
rinc Mcrklr. Apprentice lin. The injured
on the New York arc: Seaman Samuel
Feltman. seriously: Seaman Michael Muir
ply. two other enlisted men. slightly In
jured. All the abovc-namcd were injured
by the bursting of a shell on the New York.
This Is II complete list of the killed and
wounded. The American ships were un-
injured.
Story of the battle.
Tho cnGarcmrnt began at ,15 a. III. and
ended at S:5 u. IN. The cncmy's batteries
were not silenccd. Tho town In the rear
OF the Notifications probably suffered. The
ships taking part in tho action were the
Iowa. Indiana. New York. Terror Am
phi,rit". Detroit. Montgomery. Wamrn-
tuck and Porter. The cnemy',s firing was
heavy but wild. and tn" Iowa and New
~ ,l,n1l IN
They went right up under the guns In col-
umn. delivering broadsdrs. and then re-
turned. The line passed thrice In front Of
the :orts. pouring tons of steel on shore.
M"rr" battery the Target.
Moro battery. on tho eastward arm OF
the harbor WAS the principal point of at
tack Rear Admiral Sampson and Capt.
Evans were on the lower bridge Of the Iowa
and had narrow escape from flying splin-
tcra. which injured three men. The Iowa
was hit eight times. hut the shells made no
impression on her arnor The weather was
inc. but tho heavy swells mad" accurate
ann difficult The broadsdeS from the
Iowa and Indiana rumhled in tho hills
ashore for iiv" minutes after they were de-
liv,rcd. Clouds of dust showed where tho
shells struck. but the smoke hung over
everything. The shells s,'rccchinE over
head and dropping around showed that
the SpaniarlS $till stuck to their guns.
A three O'Clock in the morning all hands
were called on the Iowa. Il few final touches
In clearing ship were made and ut ilv"
general quarters" sounded. Tho men were
eager for the fight Th" tug Wnmpatuck
went ahead and anchored. her small boat
to the westward showing ten fathoms. but
there was not a sign OF If" from the fort.
which stood boldly against TIL" sky on the
eastern aills hiding the town. The Detroit
steamed far TO the eastward opposite Val
tern. The Iowa headed straight for tho
L.. /. a.
ing hcr starhonrd battery to bear on the
fortiilcations. AT 5:1h II. nj. the Iowa's for
ward 12-inch guns Numbered out at tho
sleeping hills, and for II minutes Sha
poured starbonrd brondsidcss on the coast.
Meanwhile the Indiana. the New York aud
other ships repeated the dose from tho
rear. Tho Iowa turned and came back to
tho Wnmpat uckS boat ana again led tho
column, th" forts lying tlerccly. conccn-
trating on the Detroit. which was about
700 yards away. nil the hnttcrios on the Gust
ward arm Of the harbor. Thrice the column
passed from the cntrnncc of the harlror to
the extreme eastward battery.
ships Retire.
AT 7:d5 A. M. Admiral Sampson signalcd
"Ceaac firing" "Rctrc" was sounded on
the Iowa. and she headed from the shore.
The Terror was he last ship In the line,
and. failing TO see the signal, banged away
alone for about half an hour, the concert
flying high around her from the exploded
shells But she possessed II chnrncd life
and reluctantly retired ut H:l1.
Inflicted Much Damage.
AS at Matanzas. the unsatisfactory con
1ition, the smoke ana the distance pre-
vented any important conclusions being
drawn. The town Of San Juan must have
suffered. although protected by the hills.
NJ the high shota must have reached It,.
No traces Of the hombartiment were dis
ccrniblc on the forts except Gmnll fires.
which were apparently cxtinguishcd before
the fleet left.
1t Is impossible 10 Judge Of tho. amount of
damage done TO the buildings and forts.
They appeared to he rlddled with shot but
tho Slanlards were plucly. After the first
passage before the forts tho Detroit and
the Montgomery retired. their guns being
too small To do much damage. Tho Porter
and Wampntnck also stayed out OF range.
The smoke hung over everything. spelling
tho aim OF the ElInE,r9 ana making 1t i'm
possible to tell where our shots struck Tho
officers and men OF all the ships behaved
with GOODNESS ana bravery The shots flew
thick and fast over all Onr ships