The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-13
SOLVED THE PROBLEM.
The Fleet Has shown That 1t Can Destroy
Santiago.

of Aguadores. July IL, 2 p. m, via
Kingston, July IL. 10 p. m.-The United
States navy has this problem presented
to H.: What Is the best manner or
bombarding a city distant four miles
and a half and concealed from view by
a range of hills $50 feet high at it's low
est part?" The problem has been sat
i~sfactorily solved. So, IL the army
hereafter never fires a shot mere
ly guarded the roads, the ANY could
make Santiago ~untenable, If indeed IL
did not destroy IL in a few days.
Sunday and to-day the sea was
calmer than usual, so the opportunity
for good practice was afforded. In
pursuance of General Skaters request.
Commodore Schley. Rear Admiral
Sampson being absent at Guantanamo.
at 3 O'Clock on Sunday afternoon ar
ranged the Brooklyn. Indiana and
Texas within 500 yards of the shore, at
a point almost due south of the city Of
Santiago, distant a little over four
and a half miles. The ships were
about a mile apart. The army signal
men were on the beach opposite the
ships and also on the crest of a hill
overlooking both the ships and the city.
These men wig wagged the results Of
each shot. telling the gunners If the
she'll was aimed too high or too low,
or not in line.
Sundays practice was good. but 1t
was better to-day, when the firing wa
opened by the New York, which re-
turned from Guantanamo during the
night. The New York, Brooklyn and
Indiana were the ships which par;ici-
pated i'm the Smelling this morning.
Each shot was carefully calculated and
the wigwag signaled from the shore to
the ships where each shell fell and no.
tilted the gunners If they had the
proper elevation. The ships ran out
their big guns oil the side opposite their
firing, in order to obtain the desired list
to port or to ~starboard. General
Shafter signaled about noon that some
of the shells fell in the bay and some
i'm the city. The latter do not appear
to do great damage"
Comment on this subject was changed
Immediately by a message, saying
THE last shot struck st. Nicholas
church, where powder was stored,
blowing up the same and doing great
damage"
The bombardment closed for the day
at General Skaters request, as he was
about to send a flag of truce into the
city in order to demand its surrender
for the third and last time. The whole
proceeding was business like in the eX-
treme. The ordinary a%vocations on ship
board went on, punctuated at intervals
of five minutes by the roar of the bis
guns, the scream of projectiles and the
echoes i'm the mountains i'm the rear oi
MORO castle, plainly visible to the west,
ward, and having the bombarding ships
well in range. But not a gun was fired
by the Spanish.
The effect of the shells when they die
hit can easily be imagined when it IL
known that each of them carries 25'
pounds Of explosives and travels 925 fee
per second. Whenever a missile lands a
the distance of two and a half miles
from the muzzle it occupies % quarter
seconds In its flight. -Four shells durins
the bombardment to-day ignited fires il
different parts of the city, proving tn
feasibility Of burning the place by usinl
the guns OF the fleet alone. Death mus
have come to many in the city by rea
son of the shelling.