Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-06-09
SANTIAGO FORTS IN RUINS
They Yield 10 the Terrible BOmbardment
of the American Ships.
FIFTEEN HUNDRED SHOTS FIRED
The Heavy Projectiles Wrought
Fearful Havoc.
INSURGENTS ALSO ATTACK THE CITY

INSURGENTS Alou Al lAUk iHt VII
Cana Haytien. Hnyti, June -9.05
a. IN. The fighting before and in the
vicinity of Santiago de Cuba continued
the greater part of yesterday, from Z. 10
a, m. until nearly II O'Clock. Ten OF
the American warships maintained
steady and carefully directed fire |
against El Moro Castle and the hat
teries at Punta Gor1a, Socapa and Gin
cereal, and in addition bombarded the
Spanish fleet in the hRrbor. The per
centage of effective projectiles was very
large.
Ii appears from the best information
obtainabls at this place. ths cable
station connecting with Santiago de
Cuba, that immense damage was in-
iiicted on the ensmy. The SpaniardH
admit that the bombardment from ths
American fleet was most destructive.
About !, 600 projectilss are said to have
been fired by the American warshipH,
and it seems that the responsive fire
from the Spanish forts and ships was
scarcely felt at all by the Americans.
SPANISH BATTERIEs sILENcED.
The Notifications near the entrance
Of the harbor are described as being
riddled with solid shot and shattered
by the explosion of the immense shells
| fired by tine American battleshlps.
| The Spanish batteries are ndeistood
to have been virtually Rilencad and I'll
Moro and the fortifiqations at Socapa
and Punta Gorda are reported to have
besn demolished by the three hours
uninterrupted nnmmeriug OF the Aneri-
lean fleet.
The American attack is next said to
have hesn specially directed against
Aguadores, small coast town a little
to the east Of the entrance OF Santiago
Bay. The idea of tho American ad-
miral, it appears, was to land troops
and seige guns there, after reducing the
tiefences of the place. and thence make
close assault upon Santiago which, in
view OF the present condition Of its for
tifications, may be expected to yield
very soon after the beginning OF such
an attack. Heavy oAnnonading was
opened upon hguadoreH, at about noon
yesterday.
The latest advicss received here from
Spaniah sources do not indicate the
duration of tha fire, or whether Amari-
can troops and siege guns were actually
landed at Aguadores, but from the in
formation obtninable, it cannot he
doubted that the atsresnlt OF Mon
days fighting WAS extremely disastrous
to the Spanish defences.
LAND ATTACK BY INSURGENTS.
1t ia also understood hero that the
Cuban troops maintained throughout
J the greater part of yesterday an attack
! by land on santiago, and the Spanish
reports say the garrison lost heavily 10
} killed and wounded.
The military commander of Santiagc
de Cuba acknowledges the following
casualties among the land forces:
Col. Ordonez, Cnpt. Sanchez, Lisut.
Yrizar of the artillery, and Perez and
Garcia, both Spanish officers, whost
rank is not mentioned.
: REPORTS OF KILLED AND WOUNDED.
b Those officers were killed. Tn,
8 SpaniardH Hlso admit the loss OF 2.
. infantry soldiers severely wounded ant
say one soldier was killed. But it il
: believed the lossss Of the Spaniard
a were much more heavy.
q In the naval force, the Spaniards sa,
that the officer who was second IN com
a mand of the partly dismantled Spanisl
8 cruiser Reina Mercedes and five sailor
D and an ensign we're killed. The Spanisl
sailors wounded, it is asserted, numbe
il Ii men,
;. The loss on the American side, th
Is Santiago reports say, is not known.
il Tho SpHniards acknowledge that
:. great daal OF damage WIS inflicted d
d the Spanish cruiser Reina Mercede
d and they say Moro Castle shows great
% gaping breaches in it's walls.
THE FIRST LAND FIGHT.
Later in the day, 1t appears, land
ing of American troops WAS effeute
J. near Daiquiri, some distance east c
=, Aguadores and near the railroad sta
d tion connecting with Santiago. Later
= an engagement took place between th
,; American force and u column {
8; Spanish troops. which had been ser
= against the landing party. The az
, counta of the battle obtainanle her,
y being from Spanish sources, do not 81
Z forth the result and therefore it ia
:, he inferred that the Americans wei
victorious aud that is the belief whic
" prevails here.
- SPANISH CRUISER REPORTED SUNK.
a There is a report current al Car
n. Haytisn that the first class armore
n. Spauish cruiser Maria Teresa WIS sun
X yesterday by the fire OF the America
I'D ships
y = Ii ia said that only 500 America
troops wers landed at Daiquiri, or po
sibly at Aguadores, the two plac
being seemingly confused in the repor
te receivecl here. 1t saems to be admittt
O. that the fire Of the American soldie
tie was so effective that this Spaniarda We
o. compelled TO flee from the fortificatiol
be they we're defending.
i'd
d, New York. Juns IA special fro
IT. Cape Haytien, describing the bor
ire bardment of Santiago de Cuba, ,
p- Monday, says that the forts about Il
mt harbor are now mass of ruins.
The MORO is shapelesH pile
ruined masonry and dismsntled gun
and the Estrelln battery is utter
iY- ruined.
mp This result, the dispatch says, W
on the work of 10 American ironclad
of which passed back and forth from Pc
he Cabrera on the west, to Fort Aeuador
to on the east of the harhor entrance, di
he charging their hoary guns as th
steamed along, go that scarcely ya
of the coast escaped the deadly ca
nonading.
ed At Fort Aeuadores the fort recent
he constructed By Col. Ordonez, t
zen famous artillery expert, was blown
nd dust. and Col. OrduneZ himself "
is badly wounded by the flying splinte
,rk and debriH.
ng Capt. Sanchez and Lieut.. Yiiat
| nc