Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-06-23

oar SANTIAGO III CUEA. June Is. via
kiugs;ou, Jamaica, June Ca care
ful inspection of the Notifications
along the crest of the hills defending
Santiago harhur since the lombard.
mcnt Thursday morning shows that
the American gunncrS sprca wreck
aud ruin everywhere. Some of the
batteries were demolished beyond re-
pair. The vulturcs which circlrd on
level wings over the hills rs thick as
swallows around IA chimney for hours
after the firing ceased furnished
gruc>omr evidence of the fatality
among the Spanish soldiers. Hun.
drcds of troops could he seen
from the ships digging in mounds
of earth pi.ci up 10y the explosions of
tn Proirctile> from the heavy gun,
famed 10y the wings of the black
~cavcuscr~ of the battlefield There
were two spots, one ON the east and
the other ON the west of the harhor
foliage The hil tops seem literally
blown away. These marked the place,
where the 200 pound charges of gun
cotton blown 10y the Ncsuvius landed
liut the most ominous token of death
flew from MORO castle. The saffron
nag of Spain was half maNtcd for sew
cral hours. The significance of this
j. not known. 1t is not customary tn
half mast flags, but possibly some
Spanish leader was killed by the heavy
fire of our guns, though some officers
of the squadron believe that the flag
was half maStcd as mott iication To
the American, that Lieut.. liobson and
hi, brave mon were dead.
II such * the ease they must have
been wantonly murdered. The Span
ish might SEEK To lay their death to the
bombardment, but not a shot from the
American ships struck the fortress.
Neither Adm. Sampson nor CommO-
dorc Schlcy believe that Lieut. Hob
son and his party have been killed.
We have Il prisoners taken at Guam
tanamo, including lieutenant, for
reprisals or exchange.
There was evident decentralization
among the spanish troops during the
Eumbardmcnt. Officers could be seen
with drawn swords driving the men to
the guns, hut even then they could not
Ice forced to stay SO long as our guns
were directed at them. The fifteen
minutes night work of the Vcsuviu>
had shattered their nerves. 1t is bc,
lievcd by some that the l3-inch pro-
jcctilc fired from the Texas which was
reported to have exploded the powder
magazine in one of the western bat
tcries did not fall in the battery but
went beyond and blew up one of the
ships in the harbor.
\ dramatic incident of the BON bard
mcnt was the act of a Spanish officer
vino bravcly ran aloIg the parapet
under heavy fire encouraging his
men to stand by their guns. Shot and
| she'll rainci about him and after one
terrific explosion he was seen no more
and the parapet had disappeared. lie
could not have escaped death.
From the foretop of the Brooklyn.
1850 yards distant, the men in the
grounds could he noticed, but n min
ute later dust and flying debris would
take their places and when the smoke
cleared away only Il spot of red earth
could be seen-guns and gunners had
been swept away. 1t was the mos'
deadly and destructive boIabardment
of the war thus far. Scarcely shot
from the big guns of the squadron
went astray. The aim of our gunners
vas superb and not only were the
coast forts annihilated, but the bat
teries on Cayo Smith, up the harbor
were destroyed.
| Had all the ships used smollelcss
powder as did the New Orleans there
would remain no signs of guns or for
tifications to indicate that there haC
ever been any defenses there.
| There were no casualties in the fleet
although the ships held a fixed posi-
tion as if inviting the Spaniards to fire
at them. The half-stripped ships gun
ners never worked with more enthusi
asm. The words of RI. Adm. Sampson
were: First silence the batteries or
the shore and then. continue firing un
til the Notifications are reduced"
This order was strictly obeyed.
was the first time that such instruc
tons had been given and the men re
sponded with will. In So minute,
the order was given to cease firing anC
the message went to each ship from
the admiral. We'll DONE" and the OF
ficers and men turned in for break
fast Every detail of the engagement
had been executed to the letter, from
the opening fire by the New York t.
the last shot from the Iowa. Tn
Spaniards were evidently surprised
while strengthening their fortified
tionS.
| A Manifesto in Favor of Peace.