Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1898-06-10

Port Antonio, Jamaica, June Ar,
an hour Tuesday afternoon, the Mass.
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 harbO,
Of Santiago de Cuba, behind which thu
fleet is hiding. The engagement is the
first which has occurred between the
two naval forces, and was but a nra.
Jude to serious work in the latter mart
of the week.
No attempt was made by the Ameri.
cans to bring off a general engagement.
it being Schley's desire to locate the
batteries on the hills above the bar.
bor, and to determine the position Of
the Spanish fleet.
Shortly before 1 o'clock, Commodore
Schley left the Brooklyn for the Masss.
chusetts, on board OF which battle.sbip
he remained during the night. At q
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 slowlT
until about five miles west of the har-I
Dor entrance, when she turned in to.l
ward the shore, and when about 5,OOO|
yards off she turned east again and|
bore down on the harbor, the New Or.|
Jeans being close up and the Iowa hald
a mile behind.
When she had passed the harbor en-.
trance by 500 yards, a great cloud of
white and yellow smoke burst from the
two 1S-inch guns in her after turret,
and 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 turnt
were then fired, and their shells e1.
ploded, throwing great geysers of spray
close to the Colon.
All the shore batteries took up the
challenge and began a rapid fire on the /
Massachusetts, but she was soon be. I
yond 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
fist shot located a large battery on tile
hill above Moro. 1t flew straight into
the fort and seemed to have caused
much damage, as a 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
fired 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 C more. The flagship kept 90
until less than 1000 yards from shore,
and Ean 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
lon. But nearly all of the shots OF the
batteries fell short.
Then came the New Orleans once
more, her long black guns doing fearful
woik 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 a stream of shells into
the harbor as she did so.
The Spanish warships, with the eI'
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 be
somewhere on the other side Of the
MILL and then hopefully raised the
muzzles OF their guns and banged away
II result was what might have been
expected. The fire tore the bosom OIL
me Caribbean sea, but it harmed moth
ing else.
After the Massachusetts, passed the
point where she could fire into the bar
with advantage, she returned 70
open sea, the other vessels follow
Ing her, Then the fight was over, IS
lar as the Americans were concerned,
II is likely that the early part o.
next week will see more serious work
Inc dynamite cruiser vesuvius Is
coming down, and an attempt will De
made by her to explode the triple row