The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-07-26

AND CAPTURE
OF N|PE HARBOR
The Wasp, Leyden, Annapo-
lis and Topeka
WIN THIS VICTORY
WIN THIS VICTORY
THE SPA\IARDS DESERT THEIR
FORT AND FLY.
A SMALLER FORT EASILY SlLENCED
Jorge Juan Sunk in Twenty Minutes Two Shots
from Topeka Dropping into Mayari
Fort Brought Down thefIag,
Closing Engagement.
Closing Engagement.

Key West. Fla. July 23.-01:I 30 a. m.)
Acting under orders from Rear Admiral
Sampson four American warships on
Thursday afternoon last entered the har-
bor of Nipe. on the northeast coast OF
The province of Santiago de Cuba and
after !: furious bombardment took pos
session Of the harbor as a base Of opera
tions for the Porto Rico campaign. 1t IS
understood, however, that the plans have
been changed since i'll consequence Of the
occupation of Santiago by the United
States forces and that Nlpe Will not be
used for the purpose originally intended
The vessels engaged were the Iopekt.
Annapolis, Wasp and Leyden. In the
course Of an hour they silenced three
forts. sunk the Spanish gunboat Jorge
Juan mot the Juan Jorge as before re-
ported} and scattered Spanish rlflellltil
who had taken part in the engagement.
The channel leading into the harbor
was very narrow and on Il bluff to the
light, called Galory Point, fort
md signal station. AS the American
ships entered the Spaniards were sig
mailing in Il lively fashion with 4 blue
ball and fla" apparently notifying the
Spanish ships in the harDor. which were
the Jorge Juan. two smaller gunboatS
and an armored launch. AS the Wasp
and Leydcn rounded the point. the fort
fired Il dozen shots. none Of which, how
ever. fell near them and the Topeka re-
turned the fire with her three-pounders.
Almost Immediately the Spaniards de-
serted the fort and ran. while the Topeka
, continued to send shells into them. \
body Of riflemen on the beach returned
t1,o fro l, f1yx- lJ CHI hI1t
too. were quickly dispersed by the Tope-.
ka's smaller guns. The Topeka dis
charged two tornedoes. At the same
time another small fort to the left Of the
channel fired on the American ships. but
it was sienced rs easily as the other.
In the meanwhile the Wasp and Ley
den had aken up Il position in the north
western portion Of the harbOr and opened
fire across the water 1T the Jorge Juan.
which lay to the southeast, in front of
the town Of Mayari. Her position was
4 bout Il mile and quarter from the
beach and behind her Il third fort stood
on an eminence. This fort opened fire
on the Wasp and Leyden. and as the An
napolis and Topeka came up the Spanish
gunboat joined in the fight and Il gen
eral battle followed.
The Topeka anchored in the middle of
the harbor about 1000 yards from the
Jorge Juan and the other three -Amerl-
can boats drew uD either side and
formed Il semi-circle. They then closed
in on the Spanish ship. pouring de
structve fire at her and the fort beyond.
The Topeka sent four-nch SHELLS crash
ing into the Jorge Juan at such rate
that she sank within twenty minutes.
When the firing became heavy the of
ficers and crew Of the Spaniard put off in
| II IL, tlan ,I,.N1.. nd
heavy fire and escaped into the woods.
Two shots from the Topeka's bow gun,
fired on IN elevation of 1900 yards,
dropped square into Mayari fort. the
Spanish pennants disappeared and 4
white flag was run up. This ended Il
short but one of the most vicious battles
Of the war
All the American ships sent small
boats over to the Spanish gunboat. They
found that the Jorge .juans forecastle
! had been entirely nipped away by the
TOpekaS fourinch shells and that the
fore and miZZen maStS and flag staff were
carried off. 1t is thought the Spaniards
scuttled her before abandoning the yes
sci.
Divers were sent down and quite
curious collection of relics We're found.
One was the ships motto: BE Brave and
You Will so Home to Spain.
Four or five cats, still alive, were
clinging to the wreckage and one dog
which had been chained to the deck was
drowned. That part of the rigging.
which prOtruded from the water
! swarmed with rats who attempted to re-
! new the battle with the Americans, but
were driven into the sea.
The harbOr was found to be we'll mined
and two of the mines exploded. one
IL off hn 'Nonal.'c how
and the other 200 yards from her port
! quarter. AS the ships came out they
/ saw contact mine floating on the sur
face Of the water
The engagement was hardly over when
the torpedo boat Dupont came along
with dispatches from Rear Admiral
Sampson for Commodore Remey. and the
Topeka was sent with them to Key
/! West, arriving this morning. She had