The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-05-21

the island for the third time. The firing
from the ships was undated, but many
of the Spanish guns were silenced and
while the shower of shells seemed as thick
as ever, the thinner cloud of smoke, the
leaping flames from burning houses close
to the shore, but behind the Notifications
made the Americans know their work
was not as vain as the frenzied firing of
the Spaniards
Burned the Town.
In the old part OF the town of San Juan
adjoining the Notifications whole blocks
were blazing. The swelling sea made it
difficult for the Americans to confine
their fire to the batteries. Many of the
shells flew over and burst among the an
cient buildings from which the population
had fled at dawn. SO fierce was the
| American fire that had the intention been
to lombard the residence portion of San
Juan the damage could hardly have been
greater.
The lighthouses were demolished soon
after the firing began. Later on the
houses in Ballaj square in st. Christie
pher street, in San Jose street and in San
Sebastian street we're in flames. The ST.
Catharine institute, an ancient palace, the
orphan asylum, the old churches, were
burned or almost demolished.
The American officers through their
glasses, could see the Spaniards at work
in many places where the Notifications
had been broken down. The Spaniards
seemed drunk with fury. They loaded and
fired like madmen, without aiming, with
out any appearance of discipline or di-
rection At times their crazed condition
led them to many absurd acts, such as
waving swords, shaking fists and dis
charging pistols at the American line,
which was barely within reach of their
guns of longest range.
"Cease Firing"
Toward o'clock the heat became alb
solutely unbearable ON the American
ships. 1t became evident that the Span
ish forts could not be silenced short of
another hours work. Men on the Amer
lean ships were dropping on all sides, not
from Spanish shots, but from the accur-
ate and terrific bombardment under the
tropical sun.
After consultation Admiral Sampson
signalled cease firing" and turned away
westward. The other ships followed, all
except the monitor Terror. She did not
or would not see the signal of the ad-
miral. She remained in her position in
range of all the unsilenced guns of the
Spaniards. For half an hour she kept
roaring away at the forts and embank-
ments with an,almost incessant fire from
her l0-inch guns.
The Spaniards concentrated their fire
on her. But her audacity seemed to in
furiate them beyond even attempts at
craftsmanship. Many of the shells
struck the sea a mile and half from her.
Only a few came anywhere in her neigh
borhood. Still fewer struck her low-lying
deck and these glanced away as harm
lessly as a pea-shooter's slug from the
shell of a turtle. The Terror's guns are
noisy but their rOars were drowned in
the tempetstuous booming of the Spanish
batteries Before she steamed reluctantly
away she had the satisfaction of noting
that she had made many deep wound in
the Spanish line and silenced several guns
that might have made trouble later on.
Few Minutes for Refreshments.
The fleet steamed to the westward
about 20 miles and then stopped to re-
move the CRIME of battle and to rest and
refresh the weary but happy sailors.
The Spanards evidently got the idea
that the departure was a retreat and that
the Americans had been driven off. Sc
they sent out dispatches about a great
Spanish victory just as they did at Ma
Mia, when Dewey steamed away to rest
and get breakfast.
While the fleet was at anchor 20 mile,
from San Juan German steamer, tn,
, Bolivia, came by. She was on her way
: to st. Thomas Admiral Sampson de
cided that it would be best to find on
7 more about her and sent the Montgomery
, in pursuit. She was presently overhaules
and while she steamed along Lieutenan
Field went aboard, examined her paper
| and looked over the passengers to max,
sure that she was not going to call a
San Juan on her way.
As the Montgomery started back, anC
had gone nearly TO San Juan, she spice
. the Spanish cruiser Isabella III, an ole
warship, crawling out Of San Juan har
Dor and crawling along in-shore, evident
ly going to see what had become of thu
American fleet and whether it was reall,
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