Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-06-23
Forts at Santiago Demolished.

On Board tho Associated Press Dis
patch Boat Dauntlcss, of Santiago dc
| Cuba, Saturday, juno Is, Noon, via King
ston, Jamaica, Sunday, Juno 10, Noon.-
a careful inspection of tho fortiiicatiOns
along the crest of tho hills defending
Santiago harbor since tho bombardmcnt
| Thursday morning shows that the Amc-
rican gunncrs spread wreck and ruin
everywhere. Some of tho batteries were
demolished beyond repair. Tho vIltures,
which circle on level wings over tho hills
as thick as swallows around a chimney,
for hours after tho firing ceased, fur
nishcd gruesoIno evidence Of the fatality
among tho Spanish soldiers. Hundreds
OF troops could be seen from tho ships
digging in mounds of earth piled up by
tho explosion of the pr0jcctilcs from tho
heavy guns for bodies, while thcir hcads
wcro famed by tho wings of the black
scavcngcrs Of tho battlefield. There
wore two spots, one on tho cast and the
othor OH tho west Of tho harbor entrance,
which wore dcnuded of tho foliage. Tho
| hilltops seem literally blown away.
These marked tho places whcro tho 200
pound charge of gun cotton, blown from
| the Vcsuvius, landed. But tho most
ominous token of death flow from Moro
| Castle.
Tho saffron flag of Spain was half
maStcd on the keep for several hours.
The significance of this is not known. 1T
is not customary to half-mast flags, but
possibly some Spanish leader was killed
by the heavy fire of our guns, though
some officers of the squadron believe that
| the flag was half-maStcd as n notification
to the Americans that Lieutenant Hob
son and his bravo men were dead. If
such is tho case they must have Ocon
wantonly murdered. The Spanish might
seek to lay their death to the bombard-
| hnt at n ch 1,,
ships struck the fortress.
BELIEVE uunsON Is SAFE.
Neither Admiral Sampson nor Commo-
| dorc Schlcy believe that Lieu! cnant Hob
son and his party arc safe. We have
seventeen prisoners, taken at Guam
| tanamo, including q lieutenant, besides a
number in the United States, for rcprsals
or exchange.
| NESUNIUS HAS SHATTERED NERVES.
There was evident decentralization
among tho Spanish troops during the
| bOmbardmont. Oniccrs could be seen,
with drawn swords, driving tho men to
the guns, but even thon they could not
be forced to stay so long as our guns
| were directed at them.
The fifteen minutes night work Of tho
Vesuvius had shattered thoir nerves.
1t is believed that somo Of tho 13-inch
projcctilcs fired from the Texas, which
were reported to have exploded tho pow
dor magazine in ono of the western bat
teries, did not fall in tho battery, but
went beyond and blow up one of tho
! ships in tho harbor.
| LIKE UNTO JASPER.
A dramatic incident Of tho bomhard-
mont was tho act of Spanish officer,
who bravoly ran along tho parapot under
heavy fire, encouraging his men to
raimcd about h!m, and after one terrific
explosion he was seen no more and tho
parapct had disappeared. IIo could not
havo escaped death.
FEARFUL LOSS OF LIFE INDICATED.
From tho forctop of the Brooklyn,
1900 yards distant, the mon in the
grounds, could bc noticed, but q minute
! later dust and flying debris would ialIc
their places, and whom tho smoke cleared
| away only 81 spot Of rcd earth could bo
seen-9nns and gnnn"rs had been swept
away. 1t was tho most deadly and
destructive bombardmont of tho war
thus far. Scarcely n shot from tho big
guns OF the squadron went astray. Tho
aim of Our gnnnors was superb, and not
only were tho coast forts annihlatod,
but tho batteries on CayO Smith, up tho
harbor, wero destroyed.
Had all the ships used smokolcss DOW
dor, as ana tho Now Orleans, thorC would
romain no signs Of guns or Notifications
to Indicate that thcro had ever been any
dofonccs there.
NO CASUALTIES IN TIE FLEET.
Thcro were no casualties in tho ncot,
although tho ships hold fixed position,
as if inviting tho Spanards to fro upon
them. Tho halfstrippcd ships gunners
| novor worked with moro enthusiasm.
| The words of Roar Admiral Sampson
| wore "First silence tho batteries on tho
shore and then continue firing until tho
Notifications arc reduced" This order
was strictly oboycd. 1t was tho first
time that snch instructions had been
given and tho men responded with II
will.
"wELL DOME" SAYS SAMPSON.
In thirty eight minutes tho order was
given to cease firing and tho message
went to oacl slip from tho Admiral,
"Well dono," and tho officers and mon
turned in for break fast. Every detail Of
tho engagement had been executed to
tho lottcr, from the opening of tho fire
by tho New York to tho last shot from
tho Iowa. Tho Spaniards woro evidently
surprised while strengthening their for
tiiiCatiOns.
THEY'LL LEARN SOMETHING YET.
The first shot of tho Now York landed
full ana fair on tho top of the hills to the
cast, whore tho gunn0rs worc already at