The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-06-03


an Attempt to Explode the Triple Mines
. Extending Across the Harbor's Mouth.
If the Attempt Is Successful Schley Will
Sail Into the Harbor For a Death Crap
ple With the Fleet and Batteries.
Port Antonio, Jamaica, June g.
Further details of the battle of Santi-
Rgo have reached here by newspaper
dispatch boat. as follows: For an
hour Tuesday afternoon the Massa-
chusetts, Iowa. New Orleans and Vix-
en-, of Commodore Schley's squadron,
exchanged shots with the Spanish
fleet under Admiral Cervera and with
the land batteries guarding the harbor
of Santiago de Cuba. behind which
the Spanish feet is hiding.
The engagement was the first which
has occurred between the naval forces,
and was but prelude to serious work
in the latter part of the week. No at
tempt was made blythe American conf
mander to bring on general engage
nent, it being merely his desire to
accate the batteries on the hills above
the harbor and to determine the po-
sitfOn of the Spanish forts.
Shortly before 10 o'clock Commodore
SchIey left the Brooklyn for the
Massachusetts,, on board of which bat
tleship he remained during the fight
ing At 1 o'clock the signal TO form
column was hoisted on sthe Massa-
Chusetts, and the New Orleans, Iowa
and Vixen fell in in the order named.
The Massachusetts steamed slowly
until about five miles west of the
harbor entrance when she turned in
toward the shore. and when about
5000 yards off she turned east again
and bore down on the harbor, the New
Orleans being close up and the Iowa
hpif mile behind. The flagship grad
usiIy increased her speed, and was
soon running through the water at
the rate of ten knots an hour.
When she had passed the harbor
entrance by 500 yards great cloud
of smoke burst from the two 10 inch
guns in her after turret, and two shells
rose over the hill, one of them striking
the Spanish flagship Cristobal Colon
full and fair as she lay at her anchor
age and the other falling close along
side. The two guns in the forward
aurret were then fired and their shells
~. ASYplRdp so thgyulUn. great lets nf
All the shore batteries began rapid
nre on the Massachusetts, but she was
soon beyond their range, and the bat
teries thereupon turned their guns on
the New Orleans. This cruiser had
been directed to pay attention to tho
Batteries and to draw their fire as
much as possible, and she obeyed her
instructions to the letter. Her first
shot located large battery on the
hill above the Moro. 1t flew straight
into the fort and must have caused
much damage, as great cloud of
dUst and debris rose as the shell burst.
"A couple more shots sent part of the
walls of MORO flying into the air, and
then the New Orleans confined her.
self to the batteries her fire being
rapid and extremely accurate. Every
shot she fired made trouble for Spain.
The Iowa came next, and like the
Massachusetts,, devoted her attention
to the ships lying within the harbor.
Her 12 inch shells made the water fly
all around 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.
After the Iowa came the little Vixen,
which apparently had no business in
fight where battleships were engaged.
But she scudded along after the Iowa,
and when at the proper point she let
fly with her one six FOUNDER and glided
away, proudly conscious of having
done her best.
After the Vixen had passed the forts
the Massachusetts turned again to the
westward, followed by the other ships
in the same order, with the exception
OF the Vixen, formerly the yacht Jo-
Sephine, which was ordered to keep
ont of trouble.
The ironclads bore down on the har-
bor once more. The flagship kept in
until less than 1900 yards from the
shore and then her shells again began
to heave up the waters of Santiago
harbor. This time the shore batteries
were better served, and the Spaniards
replied to the warships' fire in ener-
setic fashion. But nearly all the shots
from the batteries fell short.
! Then came the New Orleans once
more, her long, black guns doing fear
full work and tearing up the ground
all around the batteries in the most
savage manner.
The Spaniards dropped shells close
to the Iowa, as she came by for the
second time, sending a stream of
shells into the harbor as she did so.
! The Spanish ships, with the excep-
tlon of the Cristobal Colon, were be-
hind the hills and could not see the
enemy, who threw shells around them
with such rapidty that they knew he
was somewhere on the other side Of