Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1898-06-09
THE FIRST BLOW
Detailed Account of the
Commandment of
Santiago.
AMERICAN SHIPS UNINJURED
dynamite Cruiser Vesuvius Will Coun-
termine the HarbOr and Then Ger
vera Will BE Forced to Fight at
once-Spanish Forts Crippled.

vera Will BE Forced to Fight at
Once-Spanish Forts Crippled.
Fort Antonio, Jamaica, June 4.-For
an hour Tuesday afternoon, the Massa-
chusetts. Iowa, New Orleans and
vixen, OF Commodore Schley's squad.
ron, exchanged shots with the Spanish
fleet, under Admiral Cervera, and with
the land batteries guarding the harbor
OF Santiago de Cuba, behind which the
fleet is hiding. The engagement is the
first which has occurred between the
two naval forces, and was but pre-
Jude to serious work in the latter part
of the week.
NO attempt was made by the Ameri-
cans to bring of general engagement,
1t being Schley's desire to locate the
batteries on the hills above the har-
Dor, and to determine the position OF
the Spanish fleet.
Shortly before 1 o'clock, Commodore
Schley left the Brooklyn for the Massa-
chusetts. on board of which battle.ship
he remained during the night. At 2
O'Clock the signal to form column was
posted on the flagship, and the New
Orleans, Iowa and Vixen fell in in the
order named.
The Massachusetts steamed slowly
until about five miles west of the har-
Dor entrance, when she turned in to-
ward the shore, and when about 5000
yards off she turned east again and
bore down on the harbor, the New Or
leans being close up and the Iowa half
a mile behind.
When she had passed the harbor en-
trance by 500 yards, a great cloud of
white and yellow smoke burst froxl the
two l3-inch guns in her after turret,
end two shells rose over the hull, one
of them striking the Spanish flagship
Cristobal Colon, as she lay at anchor,
and the other falling close alongside.
The two guns on the forward turret
were then fired and their shells ex.
ploded, throwing great geysers of spray
close to the Colon.
All the shore batteries took up the
challenge and began rapid fire on the
Massachusetts, but she was soon be-
You'd their range, and the batteries
turned their guns on the New Orleans.
This cruiser had been bid to pay at
tention to the batteries, and to draw
their fire as much as possible, and she
obeyed instructions to the letter. Her
first shot located large battery on the
hill above Moro. 1t flew straight into
the fort and seemed to have caused
much damage as great cloud OF dust
and debris rose when the shell burst.
Two more shots sent part of the walls
OF Moro flying into the air, and then
the New Orleans confined herself to
the batteries, her fire being rapid and
extremely accurate. Every shot she
fred made trouble for Spain.
The Iowa, like the Massachusetts,
devoted her attention to the ships in
the harbor. Their 13-inch shells made
the water fly about that part of the
harbor in which the Cristobal Colon
lay. The latter, however, was not
seriously damaged, and kept up her
fire until long after the American ships
steamed out OF range.
The ironclads bore down on the har.
Dor once more. The flagship kept on
until less than 1000 yards from shore,
and ter her shells again began to
heave up the water of Santiago harbor
This time, the shore batteries were
better served, and the Spanish replied
to the warships' fire in energetic fash
ion. But nearly all of the shots OF the
batteries fell short.
Then came the New Orleans once
more, her long black guns doing fearful
work and turning up the ground all
around the batteries in the most savage
manner.
The Spaniards dropped shells close
to the Iowa as she came by the second
time, sending stream OF shells into
the harbor as she did so.
The Spanish warshlps, with the ex-
ception of the Cristobal Colon, were
behind the hills, and could not see the
enemy, who threw shells around them
with such rapidity that they knew he
was somewhere on the other side of the
hill, and then hopefully raised the
muzzes OF their guns and banged away.
The result was what might have been
expected. The fire tore the bosom OF
the Caribbean sea, but it harmed moth
ing else.
After the Massachusetts passed the
point where she could fire into the har-
Dor with advantage, she returned to
the open sea, the other vessels follow
ing her. Then the fight was over, as
far as the Americans were concerned.
1t is likely that the early part of
next week will see more serious work.
The dynamite cruiser Vesuvius is
coming down, and an attempt will be
made by her to explode the triple row
of mines extending across the harbor' 8
. mouth. With these out of the way,
Commodore Schley will sail into the
harbor for death grapple with the
fleet and batteries.
New York, June "A dispatch
from Washington to the Evening
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