The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-07-07
OUR SpECIAL WAR
oV
CORRESPONDENCE.
Maj. Romeyn's- Observations of
Life at the Front.
STEAMER oLrvEirTE,i OFF CUBAN SHORE, J

| STEAMER OLTyETTE, OFF CUBAN SHORE, !
OPPOSITE ALTARAs, NINE MILES EAST
OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, June %.
Soon after daybreak this morning all the
feet, excepting three, of the naval yes
sells left to watch the mouth of the harbor,
got up steam and started toward the point
selected for landing. For miles along the
coast this and the harbor of Santiago are
the only anchorages. The high, precipit-
Gus hills-mountains they might well be
called-drop down to very deep water
and even with only a moderate breeze,
surf daSheS high all along the shore.
A line of foot hills from 100 to 500 feet in
hight stands parallel to the beach, and
the road for four or five miles, | Judge,
runs back of them, and is by them pro-
tected from fire of the vessels, except
where small streams break through to the
sea. On one Of the pinnacles, 300 or
more feet above the beach, and looking
directly down upon the pier, the Span
| iardS had a lookout station, from which
they could see every move made on the
water for miles.
AS the feet moved into position for dis
embarking troops, the vessels left to
watch the harbOr and Moro fort began a
duel. Which fired first / do not know.
Soon, on the left of our line, and between
us and the adJudged location of Santiago,
| the New York and one smaller vessel
opened the ball on by Smelling a
| battery through one of the defiles referred
| to.
| The disem barking had begun and per
haps dozen small boats had reached
the shore when from the signal station
and the mountain side near it, and from a
group of buildings near the west side Oi
the little bay, came the crack OF musketry.
1t was like exploding mine. | was sit
ting on the after deck watching the New
W. IL n.,I t,Ar yt.4.x fln h<, NJ
a heavy gun, then another, a third, drew
attention another way.
The firing lasted Is minutes, and prob
ably 20 shots of different sizes were fired.
What damage was done is not known.
The New York opened again, and walked
the echoes for IS minutes. Then the ex-
citement died down. not to be renewed
since. A cheer went up from all the fleet
when, on the upper deck OF one vessel. q
band struck up There's hot time in the
old town 10 night
For much of the way, the road to
Santiago is through valleys easily de
Tended, as the low ranges, as ] have
stated, run between ii and the sea- and
the higher ranges tend to prevent turning
OF the tanks of the defensive line, and
| an able commander could make the way
| a costly ore for an enemy to travel.
About o'clock this afternoon some
soldiers climbetbup to the signal station
| from which thGf Spaniards fired on the
landing this morning and hoisted Old
Glory. PandemOnium broke loose at
once. Cheer after cheer went up from the
decks Of ships every whistle blew it's
loudest, till the mountains echoed back
| the din, and | wondered what the Span
| iards thought iof 1T in the sOon-to-be-
be-leagued city, oil
FRIDAY, June "a.
My first visit was to one of the row of
cottages located Jon the steep side of the
hill near the huge iron pier, and which
had been used as headquarters by the
Lieutenant Colonel, of Spanish troops
when the bombardnent began.
| Our firing had besln wonderfully accu-
| rate. Three shells from a two-inch gun
had struck within d radius of 20 inches,
| and two more Within four feet Of the first.
| They had gone through the thin wooden
| front before exploding, but in the rooms
| they had played havoc and the rear walls
are a sieve. This was the wreck of the
| place where was found letters from the
y 4