The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-22
NEW WAR TALE.


batteries would be exposed to a flank fire,
or to the fire of our big ships at short
range. where the secondary batteries would
have full effect. Even under these circum-
stances the ships must have such heavy
fire that the men in the batteries would be
overwhelmed by it's volume. Before the
Puritan ana Amphitrite arrived / was not
entirely sanguine of the success OF such an
attack. Since their arrival yesterday
have little doubt of it's success.
Although the monitors are weak i'll sec
ondary fire, / expected to put cruiser, with
heavy secondary fire, in the interval be-
tWeen each two of them In this way 1 do
not think the SpaniardS would be able to
fire. They would be driven away from their
guns and kept away, while the fire of the
that they would be- unserviceabie. Although
the defenses west of the entrance are
stronger than those east, the first has the
advantage for us that all the projectiles
which miss the batteries will fall in the city
and furnish an additional inducement for the
surrender of the city.
CLOSE BLOCKADE SUGGESTED.
"In the memorandum which l furnished to
the commanding officers of ships l provided
that if our ships were not numerous enough
or the Spaniards proved better than | ex-
pected, we were at once to haul off and sub
stitute for the direct attack close blockade
of the port, which was to be extended east
and west to adjoining ports as quickly as
possible. Having silenced the western bat
the city, which 1 would do only after warm
ing given twenty-four hours in advance.
Il see the force of your reasoning that
we would have no troops to occupy the city
If it did surrender, yet Mr.. Secretary, 1t
will be very unfortunate, besides a great
loss of time, If we must delay until the
rainy season is over. Probably a close
blockade would terminate the trouble before
October. shall do my utmost to carry out
your wishes as set forth in your letter At
the same time / hope you will consider the
the matter freely with Captains Evans. Tay-
Tor anG Chadwick, and all unite with me
that the direct attack is sufficiently promis
ing to warrant its trial.
There is most lively report from Captain
Sigsbee of the engagement between the ST.
Paul, under his command and the Spanish
ed in the flight of the latter in a sinking
condition into the harbor where she was
run aground to prevent her from sinking.
Captain Folger of the New Orleans. testifies
to the damage done by the shot of the st.
Paul, repeating the testimony of an English
resident of San Juan, who examined the
Terror
An unpublished report, up to this time. is
one by Admiral Schley, dated June l. CIV
ing an account of the bombardment by his
fleet of the Notifications of Santiago the day
before Sampson arrived on the scene. The
admiral says in part None of our vessels
were struck, although the shots fell over
and around them. / have learned from in
surgent sources that the Reina Mercedes
was struck by shell and eight men were
killed, also that number of shots struck
the MORO. The reconnaissance developed the
fact that the Spanish vessels are in the har-
Dor and that the fortif1catons are well pro-
vided with long-range guns of large caliber.' -
An interesting feature of the report is dia-
grams showing the day and night formation
of the American fleet at all times and the
various orders of battle, all arranged in add
vance, against the Outcoming of the Spanish
fleet. There is also included the legs of the
Spanish war ships and the reports to Madrid
of Spanish commander upon the action
resulting in the destruction Of their ships.