Evening journal., 1898-06-17
SAMPSON AT WORK
Santiago de Cuba Again
BOmbarded by Our
Vessels,
BATTERIES DESTR0YEl
BATTERIES DESTROYED.
Not One American Ship Struck In
the Engagement.
OAIMANERA is NOT FORGOTTEN.
Texas, Marblehcad and suwnnee Destroy
the Forts on Guantanamo Bay-span-
ish Prisoners story-Two Thou
sand Are Ready TO Surrender.


sand Are Ready to Surrender.
KINGSTON. jamaica, June 17.-Rear
Admiral Simpsons fleet bombarded the
batteries at Santiago de Cuba for the
third time at daylight yesterday morn
ing. For hours the ships pounded the
batteries at the right and left of the
entrance, only sparingelll MORO, where
Lieutenant Hobson and his companions
Of the Merrimac are in prison.
The western batteries, against which
the main assault was directed were
badly wrecked. One was utterly de-
stroy0d. In the others many guns were
dlsmounted.
At first the Spaniards replied pas
sionately and wildly, but impotently.
Then most Of the guns were deserted.
Not a ship was struck or a man in
jured on the American side.
It is believed that the enemy's loss OF
life was heavy.
Preliminary to the hammerng given
the batteries yesterday morning the dy-
Mantle cruiser Nesuvlus Wednesday at
midnight was given another chance
Three 250 pound charges of gun cot
ton were sent over the fortihcations at
the entrance. The design was to drop
them in the bay around the angle back
of which El MORO is situated. where IL
is known that the Spanish torpedo boat
destroyers were lying.
Two charges went through, as no re-
ports We're heard-a pecullarity of the
explosion OF gun cotton in water.
Whether the destroyers were demolish-
ed is not known but the destructive
area of gun cotton IS large, and II Will
not be surprising II II IS subsequently
ascertained that one or both were de-
stroyed.
The third charge exploded with ter
rife violence on Cayo Smith. From
where the fleet lay the entrance to the
harbor looked In the black night like a
door opening into the livid fire Of a
titanic furnace.
crater big enough TO hold a church
was blown out of the side Of Cayo Smith
and was clearly seen from the shirs
yesterday morning.
Admiral Sampson Issued the orders
for the bombardment Wednesday night.
Coffee was served to the men at half
past yesterday morning, and with the
FIRST blush OF dawn the men were called
quietly TO quarters.
The ships steamed at a five knot
speed to a 5000 yard range, when they
closed up, hroadslde on, until a dis
tance of three cables length separated
them.
They were strung out In the form OF
a crescent, the heavy fighting ships In
the center. the flagship on the right
flank and the Massachusetts on the left
flank. The line remained stationary
throughout the bombardment. The
Vixen and Scorpion took up positions on
opposite tanks close inshore for the
purpose Of enhlading any infantry that
might fire upon the ships.
When the ships got I'm position II was
still too dark for any firing The ad-
miral signaled the ships not to fire until
the muzzles of the enemy's guns IN the
embrasures could be seen by the gun
captains
Fifteen minutes later at 20 minutes
after 3. the New York opened with a
broadside from her main battery at the
works on the east Of the entrance 70 the
harbor. All the ships followed in red
streaks Of flame. The fleet, enveloped
in smoke, pelted the hills and kicked
up dirt and masonry. II ras magnih-
cent spectacle from whel> the Daunt-
less lay.
Though the gun captains had been
cautioned not to waste ammunition and
AAt WIN tduAlphf the nilns WAS 50
rapid that there was an almost continu-
GUS report. The measured crash Of the
1S inch guns Of the battleships sounded
above the rattle OF the guns of the Sec
ondary batteries like thunder claps
above the din of a hurricane. A strone
land breeze offshore carried the smoke
of the ships seaward, while Il let down
thick curtain from the Spanish gun
ners
The Spaniards responded spiritedly al
first, but their frenzied, half crazed fire
could not match the cool nerve. trained
eyes and skilled gunnery of the Ameri-
can sailors. Our fire was much more
effective than In preceding lombard
ments.
The admiral's ordnance expert had
given explicit directions 20 reduce ths
powder charges and to elevate the gam.
so as TO shorten the trajectory and thu,
TO procure plunging fire. AS the shell.
in the preceding bombardments dropped
at almost straight trajectories Of pro.
jectiles with full charges, it was almos
Impossible to plant them. They woul,
shoot into the air, encircling the bat
teries owing to the high elevation, an,
fall over the fortihcatlons. The effec
of the reduced charges was marvellous.
In Is minutes one western battery wa.
completely wrecked. The Massachu
setts tore gaping hole in the emploce
ment with a thousand pound projectile
and the Texas dropped a shell into tn,
powder magazine. The explosion cause,
terrible havoc.
The franc was lifted. the sides wer
blown out and a shower of debris fiey
In every direction. One timber. carrie,
out Of the side Of the battery. wen
tumbling down the hill. The loss OF lif
must have been great
The batteries on the east of Morr
were harder 10 get at but the New or
leans crossed the bows OF the New Yorl
TO within 500 yards Of the shore AM
played tattoo with her long Incl