Evening star., 1898-04-29
Graphic Supplemental Story Of the
Matanzas Bombardment.
bow TEE SHIPS WERE ENGAGED
Perfect Discipline Maintained and
an Accurate Fire Secured.
INCIDENTS OF THE BATTLE

The Associated Press correspondent on
the flagship New York, in giving additional
details of the bombardment Of Matanzas
on Wednesday, wires the following:
This engagement, the first in which the
United States navy has participated for
about thirty ,ears, occurred quite unex-
pectedly. The New York was lying abou.
twenty miles east of Havana at 1890
O'Clock Wednesday morning. when Rear
Admiral Sampson decided to steam to
the monitor Puritan and the cruiser Gin
cinnati met the flagship. A stiff wind was
blowing and the waves poured over the
low bow and stern of the monitor. At slow
speed the flagship proceeded toward the
harbor, the Puritan following half mile
astern and the Cincinnati about two miles
to the westward.
Rear Admiral Sampson and Captain
Chadwick stood on the high bridge care
fully surveying the forts which had had
the tenerIty to fire upon the United States
miles from Punta Gorda, the extreme point
of the eastern arm of the harbor. long
yellow streak was seen on shore 1t looked
like newly erected earthworks. Closer
inspection revealed a number of men clus-
tered around the shore. Still the New
Y ork steamed slowly ahead until it was
ascertained without any doubt that the
Spanish troops were busy in erecting what
seemed to be a sand battery anu had al
ready gotten several guns into position.
"GcnernI Quarters" Sounded.
Rear Admiral Sampson decided that this
as detrimental to a pacific blockade.
General quarters was sounded. The men
r, shed to their guns. When the New York
vas about 4Oe0 yards from Punta Gorda
Enr holv
mence firing the buglcr blew Naval Ca
det Boone. in charge of the eight-inch
gun amiuships on the port side, had the
honor of firing the first shot. The flagship
shook frain stem to stern as the first pro-
jectile aimed by the United States at the
shore cf Cuba flew from the muZzle of the
big gun This was at 1856 pm.
Fifty pairs of glasses were leveled from
the flagship at the shore. 1t seemed min
utes before the yellow smoke cleared away,
but in reality IL was less than five seconds.
Then a little cloud of dust was seen to
rise at the right of the earthworks. For
the first attempt at 1000 yards 1t was by
no means a bad shot. Without the aid Of
glasses the objective point could be clearly
defined.
Then with a deafening roar the S-inch
gun in the forward turret let fly it's iron
missile. 1t landed high. The after turret
came next with the same-siZed projectile
a shout of delight went up from the flag
ship as a dense cloud rose slowly from the
very center of the earthworks, showing
how true had been the aim.
Entire Port Battery Fires.
Then from the entire port side a fearful
fusilade was poured on the shore, the four
turret guns firing almost simultaneously,
and the 4-inch guns adding their smaller
hail When the smoke blew away Punta
Gorda was dotted with dust clouds that
looked like miniature geysers springing sud
denly from the earth. Each showed where
a shot had struck.
At this stage the guns in the Quintas da
Recreo battery were observed to be firing
on the flagship. This fort Is on the east
ward arm of the harbor, 1000 yards from
where the flagship was lying. 1t is pro-
vided with four S-inch guns. The flagship s
fire was at once directed upon 1t. Up to
this period the New York had been in the
firing alone. Captain Harrington, on the
Puritan, and Captain Chester, on the Gin
cinnati, had drawn up and were vigorously
signaling for permission to fire. When this
was reported to Rear Admiral Sampson, he
said:
''All right, tell them to go ahead"
Puritan and Cincinnati Open Fire.
So while the New York was commencing
fire on Quintas Da Recreo the Puritan took
a position to the eastward and opened on
the same point. The Cincinnati went to
the westward and pounded a rapid fire
broadside into the earthworks on Punta
GOrda. OcCa sionally shots from Quntas
Da Recreo could be seen coming in the di-
Iection of the New York. All fell very
short, and at no time threatened the ship.
Only about ten shots are believed to have
been fired frcm this battery during the
whole engagement. However. there may
have been more. 1t is possible that it's
guns may have been disabled. as two
eight-inch shells were distinctly seen to
land squaIely in the fort. Its distance
from the ship was SO great and the smoke,
which the wind took in its direction, SO
thick that 1t was hard to Judge the effect
of the fire and stIll harder to get good aim.
For about five minutes Quintas Da Rec-eo
got the full benefit of the port troadsides
of the New York and Puritan. What its
ultimate fate would have been is hard to
tell had not attention been diverted from
1T by a shell from Punta Gorda that
tie snort of the Cincinnati.
Chadwick Turns to Punta Gordn.
Leaving Quintas Da Recreo to the tender
nercies of the Puritan, which was still
merrily banging away, Captain Chadwick
swung the New York to starboard until
the port battery once more bore on the
Punta Gorda earthworks. Another shell
came from shore. whizzing along over the
flagship. TOO high, but better shot than
i thought they could make" said an officer
Then the Cincinnati and the New York
poured shot into the yellow earthworks
and the surrounding land until the smoke
bid everything from view.
Only one more shot from Punta Gorda
was noticed. It fell short of the New York
by about 200 yards. 1t was believed to
come not from the earthworks but from a
field battery on the brow of slight hill