The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-04

Port Antonio, Jamaica, and Kingston,
Sunday, July 3. 3:45 a. m-)-The men
of the flagship New York were a pretty
tired lot, after nine hours fighting yes
terday, when they turned out at 4
O'clock this morning. AT 5 O'Clock the
fleet went ito general quarters. The
knowledge that MORO castle was not
to be spared created much interest,
and the greatest satisfaction among
the gunners. Rear Admiral Sampson
said to the correspondent of the Assoc
ciated Press, shortly before the firing
commenced:
General Shafter sent me word last
night that the batteries at the south of
the harbor had fired on his troops.
am almost certain that General Shat
ter is mistaken, as all our information
shows that no guns bear shoreward
However. 1 thought it best to lombard
again today. It will be useful and may
have a moral effect that will assist the
army"
With the flagship New York leading
the eastern end Of the crescent of ships,
the fleet steamed inshore 1000 yards
from Moro, until in a position to en-
hlade both the eastern battrieS.
AT 5:45 the firing commenced The
sea was smooth and light breeze was
blowing. For the first ten minutes the
craftsmanship of the gunners was
splendid. One of the eastern batteries
was so badly punished that not a shot
was fired from it during the enga ge-
ment. A few shells from the eastern
battery dropped around the ships, but
hit none. A terrific fusilade from all
the batteries of the ships of the United
states navy Silenced the fire from the
shore in short order
AT $40 the firing had become slower
and more deliberate. The Indiana,
Oregon and Massachusetts were sig
nailed to go right in front of the har-
Dor to shell the Punta Gorda batteries
inside, on the eastern arm. They
steamed to within 1000 yards of the
shore. The Oregon took a, shot at
MORO castle and down came the Span
ish flag. At sight of this splendid piece
of Workmanship the crews of the diff
ferent ships cheered enthusiastically
for several minutes.
The three battleships then kept up an
incessant fire on the Punta Gorda bat
terieS, doing great havoc to the forti-
fications and the works in course of
construction. Not a shot ne from the
enemy.
The ships contented the nselves by
taking occasional shots at MORO c-Stle
Its ancient battlements were knocked
to pieces and great holes doomed up in
it's parapets.
At 7:25 Admiral Sampson hoisted the
signal, cease firing" but it was half
an hour later before the Oregon had
fired her last shot
AS the ships returned to the block
aiding stations, two futile shots were
fired at them from five-inch rapid-fire
guns on one of the western batteries.
SAMPSON SATISFIED.
A half hour after the bombardment
ceased this morning, Rear Admiral
Sampson said to a. correspondent of
the Associated Press that he was well
satisfied with the results, and regarded
the attack as the most destructive vet
made by the American navy on San
tiago. He also believed, he said, that
the moral effect would be sure to be
good. and would tend TO dishearten the
Spanish troops, and to encourage our
own.
While the admiral was talking with
the correspondent an orderly reported
to Captain Chadwick, who was present
in the admiral'S cabin, that the Span
ish had raised a very small flag on the
western tower of MORO castle, to re-
place the colors sent to earth by the
Oregon.
Captain Chadwick laughed, saying:
"Oh, we'll, we will just have to knock
As soon as the bombardment closed,
Admiral Sampson sent an officer on
shore to communicate with the land
forces, and expressed eagerness to
learn what was being done on shore
Neither he nor Captain Chadwick said
so in plain terms, but it was evident
that both believed that Santiago would
be ours by sunset today.
Before the Cynthia had gained an
offing of ten miles from FL Moro, at the
entrance to Santiago harbor, huge col
umns of gunpowder smoke could be
seen slowly climbing skyward against
the background of the mountain at
whose base Santiago lies. AT II o'clock
this morning the smoke covered the en-
tire valley in which the city is, and
had grown into the semblance of a huge
silver gray pail, edged with black, and
overhanging the greatest struggle of
the present war.
Up to the hour mentioned the fleet
was still visible, and no signs of a re-
newed bombardment are to be seen.
From the fleet nothing whatever could
be seen of the fighting around San
tiago, which is not more visible from
the sea than is Philadelphia from the
Atlantic, and it is doubtful whether
even the sound of cannonading could
make its way to the shore line, since
the breeze was not from the land
To the correspondent, Admiral Samp-
son reiterated his belief that Hobson
and his comrades are safe in the town
Of Santiago. Both Admiral Sampson
and Captain Chadwick looked well,
though both evidently enjoyed a mod
est bottle of apollinaris after the roar
of the S-inch guns was cover for the
time.