The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-01
Story of the Bombardment on Nav
II Is Graphically Told
on New Lines.
Risked Her Skin Where Shells Flew Thickest and
Came Off Unpunctured- Great Value of the Az
fair Regarded as T1ere Practice


publishes the following account of th'
bombardment Of San Juan. dated ION tn,
Detroit at Sea-"
The Detroit is vessel Of 2.oSe tons dis
placement, and rs classed as an "unp-o-
tected cruiser" Her hull Is Of steel, sc
thin that at Short range a rife bulle
would penetrate it. She has twin screws
and has made a speed Of 10 knots, though
The Detroit will be remembered as The
ship that fired the famous sho: In the
harbor of Rio Janeiro several years age
in defence of our merchant vessels. Hav.
ing been selected as one of the vessels tc
take part in the operations against Porto
Rico, she, with her twin sister, the Mont.
gomery, and the larger ships of the fight.
! ing squadron, the battleships Iowa and
Indiana. the monitors Terror and Amphi-
! trite, and the armored cruiser New York
! set out from the blockade off Havana al
about noon on the 4th instant, and pro-
! ceeded to the eastward, arriving off San
Juan before dawn on the morning OF
! Thursday, May r. According to the pre-
arranged plan OF attack. the fighting
! squadron, led by the Detroit a thousand
yards ahead, steamed in at early daylight
(4:45 a. n) towards the coast of Porto
Rico to the west fthe entrance of the
harbor Of San Juan. The order was as fol-
lows: Detroit. Iowa, Inliana, New York,
Amphitrfte, Terror, Montgomery.
At 4:5O we went to general quarters on
| board the Detroit, and the last arrange
ments were made for battle. The men
flew to their stations, and ammunition
was provided for the guns, which were
ready TO be fired before the last notes Of
the bugle call had sounded. A few NOM
ents later the Detroit steamed across the
entrance to the har0or, right under all
their batteries, and arriving at the east
ern side, took up the dangerous position
assigned her, close under the guns Of
MORO Castle, not more than 700 yards
from the shore. The Iowa, 1000 yards be
hind. followed the Detroit, and so on in
the order mentioned. At this moment the
signal came fro mt8ne flag ship to hoist
the colors, and two flags were sent up on
each sip of the fleet. They were large.
new flags, and could be easily recognized
fro mthe shore. Only in battle are two ma
tional ensigns displayed, and many a one
on the ships had never seen such sight
before.
When the Iowa to which vessel the COM
mander-in-chief had transferred his flag
at 5 o'clock the evening before, came OPP
posite the batteries. at 5:15, she fired the
first shot of the battle. At $40 the De-
troit opened fire on MORO, and five min
utes later it was returned, though rather
feebly at first. as we had evidently caught
the enemy asleep. Then the shells began
to whistle and screech over and around us
in a most threatening manner. Our entire
Battery. consisting of six inch rapid fire
guns. three Founders and one l FOUNDER
on each side. was engaged and at one
time We seemed to have silenced the forts
on shore that we were firing on. But they
broke out again, and their fire became hot
ter as time went on.
We were so close to the shore that we
could see the men running 10 and fro on
the parapets and 1t seemed as if we could
have talked to them were it not for the
niose of the guns During the So min
utes that the Detroit FAY at this short
range she kept up a fierce fire, and the re-
turn fire from the forts was at times very
strong. though poorly directed; and
though the big eight inch shell came very
close, no damage was done except that
one. bursting along side, sent fragment
against a battle port and bent il badly,
the conclusion knocking down three men
stationed at the six FOUNDER on the port
side of the poop.
The Iowa and the ships following her
having passed the forts, firing as long as
their guns would bear on the batteries, /
turned as they arrived opposite US, but /
well outside OF where we were, and, MAX [
ing a circle, came around again in the /
same order During all the time that the (
fleet was fling by the first time. the De- /
troit lay inside of them and was for an !
hour at much shorter range than any
other ship reached at any time. 1t seems ,
that Of all the large shells, /
eight or ten inch, that fell around US dur
ing that memorable hour, not one should 1
have hit. One would have been sufficient, 4
had It struck in the proper place, to have /.
demolished the little unpro- ;
tected cruiser, and strigink anywhere
must at least have killed large number
Of our men
When all OF the big ships had passed
around in the chain as her position was at
the western side OF the ontrance). We fell
n line after the Terror and steamed out
as the head Of the line was just about com
Eg around for the second time. As we
started away with djcnified slowness (al-
most too dignifed, Il seemed 10 some). the
.orts. no doubt aggravated by the daring
II SO small a vessel in Drawing for so long
heir storm Of shells, and in such close
proximity, gave a warm farewell. II
seemed at this time as If their entire fire
vas concentrated upon US. and 1t Il most
emarkable thar not one shell struck the
Detroit. Perhaps, despalring Of doing any
damage to the armored ships. the Span
ards made up their minds at least 70 be
-evenged upon the Detroi; for her as
'urance in lying so long right under their
loses. and while defylng their powerful
batteries. knocking big pieces of Moro
castle.
Il was o'clock when We less our po- !
ition near the shore, and as We came
around in line behind ;he other ships. and
.rrivel al the western side Of the har-
'oT. ready to pass b ythe forts ii our turn
L go, a signal Vas made from the fag- /
hip. use only oig guns three minutes ,
ater 4 signal was made 70 the AIou,Eo1n-
~ and Detroit. do not follow US" This
'ut US cut OF i, and welay OF the en-
rance. stu in the line OF are, watching {
viah intense interes; the bombardnsui BY