The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-05-21
THE IOWA LEADS THE FIGHT.
Bearing the Signal to the Fleet,
"Remembcr the Maine"

New York, May IA correspondent
of the World sends the following dis
patch from st. Thomas, descriptive of
the bombardment of San Juan:
Admiral SIMPSONS fleet lay within
sight of San Juan de Puerto Rico all OF
Wednesday night. AT 3 o'clock on Thurs
day morning all hands on all the ships
were called. For an hour and a half
each ship was the scene of an orderly
confusion as the 1000 sailors stripped
their ships, their guns and themselves.
BY 4:30 everything was in readiness to
begin the second engagement of the war.
At 5:l5 came the call "To quarters, !"
and instantly every man was at his post
and ready and eager to strike blow in
atonement of the Maine. The object of
attack lay in plain view, straight ahead
to the south.
The Notifications and batteries of San
Juan de Puerto Rico are on the coral
reef guarding the entrance to the harbor.
1t was a glorious morning, the sky UNI
clouded, the air cool and brisk. A long
heavy swell rolled toward the shore and
broke against the reef whose Notifications
seemed to be asleep.
To mark the limits of the line of battle,
the Detroit and the tug Waumpautuck
steamed shoreward, the Detroit to the
eastward until she was opposite the Val
tern, the Waumpautuck to the westward
until she was able to anchor her small
boats in 10 fathoms of water just out
of range of the great fort of San Juan
Moro, which rises on high hill at the
east of the harbor.
The Center of Attack.
Morro of course, was to be the center
of attack. In it were the seven 6-inch
guns which Spain sent over as soon as
the war became certain and which had
been hastily mounted and manned with
the best gunners in the colonial army.
Soon after the Detroit and Waumpautuck
were in place, Admiral Simpsons column
of floating fortresses and batteries began
to move upon the quiet and seeming
sleeping fortress
In the van was the Iowa, the flagship.
with the battle cry of the navy streaming
in brilliant colored flags from her mast
Remember the Maine" Next came the
huge Indiana, of such enormous bulk that
she rode almost steady even upon that
heavy sea. Then followed the New York,
as formidable as a battleship; then the
lowlying monitors Amphitrite and Ter
ror They bore straight for the shore in
single file
A start From Shore.
Long before the flagship was in range
there came flash, cloud of smoke, a
roar and a shell from the walls of Moro,
The shell fell far short. The roar died
away and for 10 minutes the scene was
as peaceful as before.
Suddenly the Iowa turned sharply to
the east. She came around peacefully
until her starboard battery was pointing
full at Moro. One of her great l3-inch
guns burst into flame and shell sailed
high toward Moro. 1t fell short but the
response came-a roar from all the bat
teries and forts along the shore. A ire
mendous burst of sound and smoke and
flame, a shower of shells that wasted
themselves in the sea. So wild was the
volley that even had the Iowa been in
range none of the shots would have hit
her.
The Iowa was now nearer and the en-
tire line of warships was in position t.
attack the Spanish shore line. Each shiT
was now nearer and the entire line wa.
in position to attack the Spanish shor,
line. Each ship was now firing and eacl
shore gun was answering. But WINE al,
Spanish aim was wild, the American gun
ners fired with the calmness and precis
ion of experience in target practice
The fleet was soon enveloped in smok
as was also the shore. Only outline
could be made out, but it was apparen
that while the Spanish shells issued from
the smoke of the shore to fall into tn
sea, the American shells rushed from tn
fleets envelope of smoke to bury them
selves in the smoke on shore And nov
and then as the wind drifted the thicl
gray curtain aside it could be seen tina
the American ships were uniniured an
that on shore the line that was unbrokel
' was all in ashes.
Fleet Draws Nearer.
Nbo,, 4l,o To.,., ..,,.. -