The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-22

W pautidSo uc Oupb nulpOr tue otncI
morning was in watching tho landing
Of individual shots. The flagship New
York was the best placed ship in tho
feet for seeing those that struck along
the bluffs to tho east. and a majority Of
the most effective shots came from her
W guns. The New York took her sta
tion nearer to the MORO than any other
ship, and she was also to windward Of
all the other vessels except the Dolphin.
With a very few exceptions the landing
Of every shot could be seen either from
tho bow or the stern of the ship, and the
good Workmanship displayed was
largely due to the timely hints given by
those stationed there.
The first range used was 1000 yards.
but Is tho ship drifted inshore with the
current this vas reduced rapidly to
1900. The most effective shots were at
from 2, 400 to Q, 500 yards. At this dis
lance there was opportunity for n to
step to the extremity of the ship after q
shot was fred and to catch q glimpse of
the cliffs from under the canopy Of
smoke from the guns discharge. The
course of the whiting shell was not up
parent to the unframed eye, but its
landing made o blotch ON the landscape
that was easily seen.
The targets were difficult ones. Near
ly oil the batteries Of the Spaniards
were situated . little back Of the crest
Of the ridge, and with an inch too great
elevation IF the guns the shells sped ON
to the harbor and hills beyond, where
their execution was problematical at
best, although there was the comfort Of
knowing that there were batteries and
ships in the general direction which
they took. With an insufficient eleva-
ton Of the guns the shells took effect
ON the rugged cliffs below the Spanish
batteries 1t was these shots that were
most beautiful, though the damage they
did the enemy was probably slight.
Some shells struck soft spots ON the
cliffs and, exploding, sent q great mass
of reddish earth and small stones sky
ward. the debris falling over the crest
Of the oliff or back into the sea below,
while the white smoke fdoated away
lazily above. Others struck point blank
and burst into radiating, scintillating
fragments, whose trails were thin lines
of bluish smoke that looked like the
ribs of an open fan. Occasionally one
seemed to settle in o crevioe. and after
an angry squirt Of smoke . huge bowl
der, blasted from its place, would slide
and roll downward and plunge into the
sea. One portion of the cliff seemed to
be Of harder material than the rest.
From it the shells glanced and rebound
ed in every direction, sometimes IN
straight lines and sometimes in cork
screwlike spirals that gave one q very
distinct impression of the terrible force
Of their impact. The most beautiful Of
these were those that returned directly
upon the course over which they had
come and those that shot straight up
ward and were Lost from sight as the
glowing metal, heated by that instant
Of incalculable friction, scared into the
overhanging clouds. Accompanying tho
visual phenomena was IN almost con.
.tinuous roar as the detonations of dis
charge and explosion struck the ear in
interminable reverberations from sea
and sky and mountain side.
The shells that took effect on the
edge Of the cliff were different from
those below. A quick eye could discern
the guns thrown from their incasements,
the houses torn from their foundations
and the trees u~prootod. Men could be
seen running about, too, and IL must
have been that many OF them were
mangled in the conclusions. It was
after shots like these that the gunners
ON the flagship sighed with satisfaction
and smiled the grim war smile that do
notes pleasure in destruction done. The
men ON deck clap n another on the
back and shout congratulations to the
sweating gun crews. The gun captain,
as his men swab ont the smoking piece,
rubs his bare arm across his forehead
and asks, what did that DOR a dozen
answer his question with eyes still
fixed ON tho cliff TO note the next shot.
Tho word is passed to tho coming tower
and tho bridge; from the masthead, the
quarter deck and the forecastle mesfen'
ger boys come running with reports OF
another gun disabled, and the order
goes back, "Scnd one moro shot, SAINT
elevation. a little to the left"
The other Afternoon the Dolphin fig
ured In two jokes-war jokes, that re
quire a certain disregard for danger Il
DO fully appreciated. After tho othe'
ships retired from the bolnbardment tn
Dolphin remained at her station, firms
desultorily at the beach. She was oppo
site a cut through which runs tho little
railroad that connects the iron mines t.
the east with tho dock half way al
Santiago harbor. In tho cut was n train
load of Spanish troops, and tho hrs
joke was most decidedly on them. TO
as often as the forward end Of the trail
anuoarnl at ono and ~ The out the Dol