The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-03
F'ir8t Engagement
With C0ru0ra'8 Ships
The Massachusetts Turns her 3 Inch Guns the Spanish
CrstobaI Colon Striking her Full and Fair as she
Lay at Anchorage The Spanish Ships
and Land Batteries Replied Wig
orOusIJ but Their Shots
we're Without Effect.

the Massachusetts turned again to the
westward, followed by the other SHIPS
in the same order with the exception OF
the Vixen, formerly the yacht Josephine,
which was ordered to keep out of tr0ll-
BILE.
The iron-clads bore down on the har-
Dor once more. The flagship kept on un-
ill less than 1000 yards from the shore,
ana then her shells began to fall on the
waters of Santiago harbor. This time,
the shore batteries were better served.
and the Spanards replied to the war
ships fire in energetic fashion. But
nearly all the shots from the batteries
fell short.
hen came the New Orleans once
more. her long. black guns doing fearful
work and tearing up the ground all
around the batteries in a savage man
ner.
The Spaniards dropped shells close to
tho Iowa, rs she came by for the sec
ond time, sending stream of shells in
to the harbor as she did So.
On board the Associated Press dis
patch boat Dandy, June II Il. m.--Ihc
spanish ships, with the exception of the
Cristobal Colon, were behind the hills
and could not see the enemy who threw
shells around them with such rapiditv
that they knew he was somewhere ON
the other side Of the hill, and they hope
fully raised the muZZles Of their guns
and banged away. The result was what
might have been expected. Their fire
tore the bosom of caribbean sea, but it
harmed nothing else. After the Massa-
chusetts had passed the point where she
could fire into the harbOr with advant-
age, she turned to the open sea, the 9th
err vessels following her. That fight was
over as far as the Americans were con-
cerned. Spanish honor. however, de-
manded that some further destruction
Of gun powder be made, and the ships
doomed and the batteries roared long
after the American vessels were entirely
out Of range.
The affair soon became ludicrous. as
nearly all the Spanish shells fell three
miles from the ships.
One lusty man with basket Of brick
ats would be capable Of as much de-
struction as the Spaniards seemed ca
pable Of creating. Not an American yes
sci was struck and not sailor injured.
although fully three hundred shots were
fired by the Spaniards, the Americans
firing not over one fourth of that num-
her in return. 1t is likely that
the latter part Of the eew VIII
see more serious work. The dynamite
cruiser Vesuvious is coming bowman an
attempt will be made by her to explode
the triple row Of mines extending across
the harbor mouth. With these out Of the
way Commodore Sehley will sail into
the harbor for death grapple with the
fleets and batteries.
SPANS CRUSHING VICTORY.
London, June 3-The Madrid CORE.
spondent of the Standard says "The
Madrid papers are much elated over an
other repulse suffered by the American
fleet According to official advices the
forts and batteries at Santiago de Cuba
were undamaged; not a single shell
struck the Spanish cruiser Cristobal
Colon. FL Heraldo regrets that the Span
ish fleet was not sent to the philippines
instead Of to Cuba