The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-21

, Cuba, Saturday, Jun Is, noon, via
Kingston, Jamaica, Sunday, June IL,
noon.-A careful inspection OF the
Notifications along the crest Of the
hills defending Santiago harbor since
the bombardment Thursday morning
shows hat the American gunners
spread wreck and ruin everywhere.
Some of the batteries were demolished
beyond repair. The vultures, which
| circled on level wings over the hills,
as thick as swallows around a Chin
ney, for hours after the firing ceased,
furnished gruesome evidence Of the
fatality among the Spanish soldiers.
Hundreds of troops could be seen from
the ships digging in mounds of earth
piled up by the explosion Of the pro-
j~ectiles from the heavy guns for
| bodies, while their heads were famed
T by the wings of the black scavengers
of the battlefield. There were two
spots, one on the east and the other
on the west of the harbor entrance,
which were denuded Of the foliage. The
hill tops seem literally blown away.
These marked the places where the
200-pound charges of the %guncotton
thrown by the Vesuvius landed.
FLAG ON MORRO HALF-MASTED.
But the most ominous token of death
flew from MORO castle. The saffron
flag of Spain was half-masted on the
keep for several hours. The signif-
canoe Of his is not known. 1t is not
customary to half-mast flags, but pos
sibly some Spanish leader was killed
by the heavy fire Of our guns.
HAS HOBSON BEEN KILLED?
Some officers of the squadron be-
lfeVe that the flag was half-masted as
a notification to the Americans that
Lieutenant HObson and his brave men
were dead. If such is the case they
must nave been Wantonly murdered.
n Spanish might seek to lay their
death to the Commandment, but not a
shot from the American ships struck
the fortress.
Neither Admiral Sampson nor Com
modore Schley believe that Lieutenant
Hobson and his party have been killed.
we nave mt prisoners taken at
Guantanamo, including a lieutenant. be
sldeS a numbe in the United States,
for reprisals or exchange.
Their was evident generalization
among the Spanish troops during the
bombardment. Officers could be seen,
with drawn swords driving the men
to the guns, but even they could not
be forced to stay SO long as our runs
We're directed to them. The fifteen
minutes night work of the Vesuvius
had shattered their nerves.
1t is believed by some hat the Is
inch projectiles fired from the Texas,
which was reported to have exploded
the powder magazine in one of the
western batteries, did not fall in the
battery but went beyond and blew up
one of the ships in the harbor
A dramatic incident of the lombard
ment was the act of a Spanish officer,
who bravely ran along the parapet
under a heavy fire, encouraging his
men to stand by their guns. Shot and
shell rained about him, and after one
terrific explosion, he was seen no more
and the parapet had disappeared. He
could not lave escaped death.
From the foretop of the Brooklyn,
1890 yards distant, the men in the
grounds could be noticed, but a minute
later dust n flying debris would take
their places and when the moke lea
ed away only a spot of red earth could
be en-gu and gunners had been
swept away. 1t was the most deadly
and destructive bombardment of the
war. Scarcely a shot from the big
guns of the squadron went astray. The
aim of our gunner was superb and not
only were the coast forts annihilated,
but the batteries on Cayo Smith, up the
harbor, were destroyed. Had all the
ships used smokeless powder, as did
the New Orleans, there would remain
no signs of guns or Notifications to in