Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1898-06-02
PARTICULARS or THE FIoHr.
Graphic Account OF the Santiago uarbor
Entrance Bombardment.

Graphic Account OF the Santiago uarboi
Entrance Bombsrdment.
Copyright Associated Press.
on Board Associated Press Dispatch
Boat Dandy, Port, Antonio Jamaica, June
| IL a. m.-FOr an hour yesterday after
noon the Massachusetts, Iowa, New Or
leans and Vixen, of Commodore Schley'e
| squadron, exchanged shots with th1
| Spanish fleet under Admiral Ceryera anC
with the land batteries guarding the har
Dor Of Santiago De Cuba, behind which the
lleet IL hiding. The engagement was the
| first which occurred between the two ma
val forces and was but n prelude 10 the
serious work OF the latter part OF the
week. No attempt was made by the
American commander 10 bring oil a gen.
erai engagement, Il being his desire tO
locate the batteries on the hills above the
harbor and determine the position Of the
spanish fleets. Shortly before 10 o'clock
Commodore Schley left the Brooklyn iOI
the Massachusetts, on board OF which bat
tleship he remained during the fight. Al
| o'clock the signal 10 form column waf
hOisted on the Massachusetts, and the New
Orleans, Iowa and Vixen fell In the order
named. The Massachusetts, steamed
| slowly until about five mites west OF the
harbOr entrance, when she turned In 70
ward the shore. and when about 5000
yards of she turned east Rgain aud bOre
down on the harbOr, the New Orleans
being close up and the Iowa half mile
behind. The flagship gradually increased
her speed and was soon running
through She water at the rate OF ten
knots an hour. She drew closer and
closer TO the batteries and 10 anxious
watchers on the other ships Il seemed she
would never open 1re. When, however,
she passed the harbOr entrance by 800
yards, a great cloud OF white and yellow
smoke burst from two l3inch guns
In her after turret and two shells rose
over hull one OF them striking the
Spanish flagship CristObal Colon
as she lay at anchor. and others
falling close alongside. Two guns on
the forward turret we're then fired and
their shells exploding threw up great
jets OF spray close to the Colon. All
shore batteries took up the challenge
and began rapid fire on the Massaehu
setts, but she was soon beyond their
range, and the batteries thereup0n turned
their guns on the New Orleans. This
cruiser had been directed 10 pay atten.
tiOn to the batteries and draw their FIRE
NJ much as possible, and Obeyed instruc.
ti0ns. Her first shot located large bat.
terry on the hill above MORO. 1t flew
straight into the fort and must have
caused much damage, as q great cloud of
dust aud debris rose rs the she'll burst. A
couple OF more shots sent part OF the
walls OF Moro flying ia the air.
Then the New Orleans confined her
self TO the batteries, the fire
being rapid and extremely accurate.
The Iowa came next and like the Mas.
sachusetts, deyOting attention TO the ships
lying within the harbor. Her twelve
inch shells made the water fly all around
that part OF the harbOr In which the
CrlstObal Colon lay. The latter, however.
was not seriously damaged and kept up
the fire until long after the American
ships had steamed out OF range. After
the Iowa came the little Vixen, which
let fly with her one-pOunder and glided
away. After the Vixen passed the forts
the Massachusetts turned again west
ward, followed by the other ships In the
same order,