The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-05-18
BOMARDMENTO OF SANJUAN
NE SPANISH FORTS REPLIED FIERCE.
LYEUT THEIR FIRING WAS WILD.

ishmeAt. Hh'ch He Did, and The1 Went
IN ssa:ch Of the Spanish Fle.t.
The forts o, San Juan de Porto Rico
were bombarded by part Of Rsar Ad.
muai Simpsons feet this morning.
The enemy's loss is believed to be
heavy. The American less is two
nen killed and seven injured. After
three hours firing, the admiral with
drew the feet, and, heading for Key
Wes!. ne said:
Il am satisf ID with ths mornings
work. I could have takea San Juan;
but I have not force to hold it. I
only wanted to administer punish.
ment. This has been done. was
looking for tae Spanish feet, and not
for San Juan"
The killed are: Sea naa Frank Wide.
mark OF the Nav York.
Gunnsr's Mate of the Amphi.
trite.
T1e ia.tar died from tha effects Of
the exsreme heat.
O.: the inj lred man, thrae were on
board the Iowa and four on the New
Yor6. Tne names OF those slightly
injured On tae 20 Va are:
Seaman Mitchell.
Private Maine M9rkle.
Apprentice Hill.
Tne injured on the Ne8 York ara:
S:anan Samuel Feltnan, seriously.
5eanan Mitchell Murphy.
Two o.her enlisted men slightly in.
jured.
All ths abova named were injured
oY the bursting Of shell on the New
York. This IS a complete list OF ths
killed and wounded. The America 4
ships were uuinjlred. The engage.
ment bsgan at :15 s. NJ, and ended
at Sis q. N. The enemy's batteries
were no. sileneed. The town in the
rear of the for.ifcations probably suf-
fered.
The ships taking part in ths action
were the iowa, Iadiana, Nav York,
Terror, Anphitrits, Montgomery,
Wan patucz and Porter. The enemy's
iring was heavy bat wild, and the
Iowa and Nav York were probably
the only ships hit. They went right
up under the big guns in colun1, de-
Ii7ering broadsides, and then return
ed. Tns line passed thrice in front Of
the forts, pouring tons OF steel On
shore.
After the frs! passage bsfora the
forts the D3troit and ths Montgomery
retired, their guns bsing too small to
DO much damage. The Porter and
Wampatuck also stayed out of range.
rne smoke hung over everything,
spelling the aim OF ths gunners and
making it i'm possible to tell Taers o1c
shots struck.
The man OF tbs Iowa were injured
by splinters thrown By an eight inch
shell which came through boat into
the supsrstructure and scattered frag-
nsnEs in all directions. The shots
course was finally ended on an iron
olate an inch thick. Merkle (MurseD
was struck in the arm and may lose
it. AL were hurt by splinters, and 8
IRE was started in the boat, but was
quickly exsiaguished.
Moro battery, on the eastward arm
Of the harbor, was the principal point
Of attack, Rsar Admiral Sampson
and Captain Evans were On the lower
bridge Of tie Iowa and had norro "
escape from splinters, which injured
Ehree msn. Tne Iowa was hit eigh!
times, bat the shells made no inpres-
sion on her armor. The weather was
fac, but the heavy sHells made &C
curase aim difficult. Tas broadsides
from thu 10 va and Indiana runbled
in the nils ashore for FIVE minusas af-
ler they were delivered. Clouds Of
dust showed where they struck.
Alb O'Clock IL thu morning all
nan1s Were called on the Iowa, a few
ioai touches IN clearing ship ware
mads, and at 5 General Quarters"
sounded. Tas men were eager for the
fight.
Tne tug Wanpa:uck went ahead
and anchored her small boat to the
vest ward showing ten fathons; bat
there WAS not a slga Of life from the
fort, which stood boldly against tbs
SKY on the eastern hills hiding the
town.
The Detroit steamed forward to the
eastward, opposite VaLlsrn. Tne Iowa
headed Straight for the shore. Sud-
denly her helm flaw over, bringing
me starboard battery to b5ar on the
forti6cations.
At SIS a. N. the IoTa's forward L.
inca guns thundsre1 out at the sleep.
ing nils and for fourteen minutes she
poured starDoard bcosdsides On the
coas.. Mean while the Indiana, the
New York and other ships repeated
the dose. from the rear. The Iowa
.urned and came back to the Wampa.
5uck's boat and again led the column,
The forts replying 6ercely and concen.
Irating on the Detroit, which was
.,ooui seven hundred yards away, all
t1.e batteries on thu Eastward arm of
the haroor. Thrice the column passed
iron the entrance Of the harbor to the
exsreme Eastward battery. Utter in
difference was shown for the enemy's
ics. Tne wounded were quickly at
,ended, the blood was washed away
aud everything proceeded like target
practice.
At7:45 a. n. Admiral Sampson sig
nalIed: Cease firing" Retire" was
sounded on the Iowa, and shs headed
from the shore. The Terror was the
lis. saip in the line, and, falling to sec
ne signal, banged away alone foTE
about half an hour, the concert o!
saJre euns roaring at her and the
water Il ying hlg1 acolad hsr from the
exploded shells. Bat she possessed q
cnasned life, and reluctantly retired
az s Is.