Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-24
fCopvright. Associated Press.l

On Board the Associated Press
Dispatch Boat Wanda, Baiquiri
Farbor, Cuba, Wednesday, June
%. 5 p. m, via Kingston, Jamaica,
Thursday, June %, $50 a. NAT
) o'clock this afternoon, six thous-
and trained American soldiers are
encamped in the hills in and
around Baiquiri and 10000 more
rest on their arms on board trans
ports off shore. ready to join those
who have debarked as soon as the
available launches and small boats
can carry them ashore.
Time and sea ard weather were
propitious for the army Of inva-
sion. The navy and the army CO.
operated splendidly, and as the big
warships closed in on the shore to
pave the way for the approach CT
the transports and then went back
again, three cheers for the navy
went up from 10000 threats on the
troop ships, and three cheers for
the army rose from ship after ship
as the troop ships moved in to take
their share in the hazardous game.
It was war, and it was magnifi-
cent.
The Cuban insurgents, too, bore
their share in the enterprise honor
ably and well. Five thousand of
them, in mountain Businesses and
dark thickets of ravines, lay all
last night on their guns watching
every road and mountain path
leading from Santiago de Cuba to
Guantanamo. A thousand of
them were within sight of Baiquiri,
making the approach CT the Span
iards under cover Of the darkness
an impossibility.
At o'clock this morning as The
Associated Press dispatch boat APP
preached Baiquiri the entire Island
OF Cuba seemed wrapped in soft
mist like that of the dog days in
northern latituG9s. Dull, leaden
clouds lay on the eastern horizon,
and the color was reflected in the
gray waters of the ocean, which
gently undulated in the lazy breeze.
Distant objects loCmed dimly but
1t was seen that many of the troop
ships that had been lying several
miles in the offing had drawn in
towards shore while three or four
warships lay menacingly near the
harbor approach. All around
transports, steam launches and
small boats were bobbing about
like corks, the first indication of
the true object Of the undertaking
ahead.
An hour later the sun was ris-
ing in the eastern Sky, touching
the mountain tops with patches of
light green and revealing the great
semi-circle Of troop ships, some
close to the coast line, others a mile
distant, with their decks crowded
with eager, expectant men, impa-
tient to begin the great movement
CT destiny, to make a new chapter
in the history Of America, the first
invasion by our army of a foreign
country in half century.
As the dispatch boat of The AS
ISOLATED Press ran closer in, near
where the New Orleans was lying
with her great Armstrong guns
trained on Baiquiri, tongues OF
lurd fame and black smoke were
seen rising from the town, the in
evitable consequence Of war and a
sure sign that the Spaniards had
gone, leaving ruin behind them.
The captain Of the New Orleans
shouted the news to the dispatch
boat. adding: You had better
keep off little You are in range.
They have a rifle Oh the hill on the
eastern side of Baiquiri."
There is a steep, rocky hill,
known as Punta Baiquiri, rising
almost perpendicularly at the place
indicated. 1t is a veritable Gbral-
tar of defense. From the staff at
it's summit, the Spanish flag was
Gefantly floating at sunset last
night; but it was gone this morn
ing and with it the small Spanish
guard which had maintained the
signal station. Between nightfall
and dawn, the Spaniards had taken
the alarm and fed from the place,
firing the town as they left. The
flames We're watched with interest
from the ships. Two sharp ex-
fire
were thought to be the report OF
guns from Spanish masked batter
les, but they proved to be the ex-
plosion of ammunition in the
burning building.
Three hours waiting made the
men on the transports impatient to
get ashore and in action, and every
move of the warships was closely
watched by the soldiers.
A little before o'clock the bonn
bardment of the batteries of lara
quay was begun by the ships Of
Rear Admiral SIMPSONS fleet. This
was evidently a feint to cover the
real point of attack. Jaragua being
about half way between BaiQuiri
and Santiago de Cuba. The bonn
bardment lasted about twenty min
utes.
The scene then quickly shifted
back again to the great semi-circle
Of the transport fleet before Bal
Quiri.
At $40 o'clock the New Orleans
opened fire with gun that sent
she'll rumbling and crashing against
the hillside. The Detroit. Wasp,
Machias and Suawanee followed
suit and soon the hillsides and the
valleys seemed to be ablaze as shot
followed shot IN swift succession
amid the Wild and. excited Cheering