The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-03
FIRING AT SANTIAGO A FElNT.
scHLEY WANTED TO LOCATE THE
SPANISH BATTERIES.

~
tforbor-Death GrappIe With the
enemy 10 Follow If She Succeeds.
C,.,,rigbt. 1898 by the Associated Press.
..r BOARD the Associated Press Dispatch
7,.at Dandy, Port Antonio, JAM, June 1,
m.-For an hour yesterday afternoon
,1.. Massachusetts,, Iowa, New orleans and
VIXEN of Commodore Schley's squadron,
changed shots with the Spanish fleet
,.r5.r Admiral Cervera, and with the land
batteries guarding the harbor Of Santiago
a.. cuba. behind which the Spanish fleet is
hiding.
The eneagement Is the first that has
o,clrred between the two naval forces, and
was but a prelude to serious work in the
latter part of the week.
No attempt was made by the American
commander to bring on a general engage
msut. it being his desire to locate the bat
tsrv on the hills above the harbor and to
determine the position of the Spanish
forts
shortly before 10 O'Clock Commodore
schley left the Brooklyn for the Massa-
chusette. on board of which battleship he
remained during the fighting.
AT O'Clock the signal to form column
was hoisted on the Massachusetts, and
the New Orleans, Iowa and Vixen fell in
in the order named.
The Massachusetts steamed slowly until
about five miles west of the harbor en-
trance when she turned in toward the
shore. and when about 5000 yards off turn
el east again and bore down on the har-
bor the New Orleans being close up and
the Iowa half mile behind.
The flagship gradually increased her
speed. and was soon running through the
water at the rate of ten knots an hour.
She drew closer and closer to the bate
ries. and to the anxious watchers on the
other ships it seemed that she would
never open fire.
When. however. she had passed the har-
Dor entrance by 500 yards great cloud of
white and yellow smoke burst from the
two l3-inch guns in her after turret and
two shells rose over the hill, one of them
striking the Spanish flagship Cristobal
Colon fun and fair as she lay at
her anchorage, ard the other falling close
alongside.
The two guns on the forward turret
were then fired and their Shells in ex-
rlodlng, threw up great jets of spray
close to the Colon.
All the shore batteries took up the chal-
lenge ana began a rapid fire on the Massa-
chusetts, but she was soon beyond their
range and the batteries thereupon turned
their guns on the New Orleans.
This cruiser had been directed to pay
attention to the batteries and to draw
their fire as much as possible, and she
obeyei her instructions TO the letter. Her
first shot located a large battery on the
hill above Morro. 1t flew straight into the
Tort and must have caused much damage,
as a great cloud of dust and debris rose
as the shell burst.
A couple of more shots sent part of
the walls of MORO flying into the air,
and then the New Orleans confined her
self to the batteries, her fire being rapid
ana extremely accurate. Every shot she
fired made trouble for Spain
The Iowa came next and like the Mas
sachusetts, devoted her attention to the
SHIPS lying within the harbor. Her Pinch
shells made the water fly all around that
part of the harbor in which the Cristobal
Colon lay. The latter, however, was not
seriously damaged and kept up her fire
ell out of range.
After the Iowa came the little Vixen,
which apparently had no business in a
nght where battleships were engaged. But
rne scudded along after the Iowa like a
ioN terrier following a mastiff, and when
an the proper point She let fly with her one
Cpounder and gllded away, proudly con-
sclous of having done her best.
Alter the Vixen had passed the forts the
MASSACHUSETTS, turned again to the east
ward, followed by the other ships in the
saine order, with the exception of the
vixen, formerly the yacht Josephine, which
was ordered to keep out of trouble.
The ironclads bore down on the harbor
once more The flagship kept In until less
than 1900 yards from the shore, and then
Aer shells again began TO heave up the
waters of the Santiago harbor. This time
th4 shore batteries were better served and
the Spanards replied to the warship's fire
lu energetic fashion But nearly all the
elois from the batteries fell short.
Then came the New Orleans once more,
ner Tong black guns doing fearful work
and tearing up the ground all around the
batteries in the most savage manner.
Ihe Spauiards dropped shells close to the
Iowa as she came by for the second time,
sending a stream of shells into the harbor
as she did so.
The Spanish ships, with the exception of
the Cristobal Colon, were behind the hills
shells around them with such rHp.dity that
they knew he was somewhere on the other
SIDE of the hill. and then hopefully raised
the muzzles of their guns and banged
away. The result was what might have
teen expected. Their fire tore the bosom
OF The Caribbean sea but it harmed nothing
else.
After the Massachusetts had passed the
point where she could fire into the harbor
with advantage she turned to the open sea.
the othersvessois following her. That hight
was over as far as the Americans We're
concerned.
spanish honor however, demanded that
some further destruction Of gunpowder be
made, and the ships doomed and the bat
iefes roarc1 long after the American YES
se.s were entirely out of range.
The affair soon became hdicrous, as
nearly all of the Spanish shells fell from
two TO three miles from the vessels at
which they were aimed Worse gunnery
Was never seen. one lusty man with q bas-
Lot Of brickbats would be capable of as
much destruction as the Spaniards seemed
capable of creating. Not an american ves-
sel was struck and not a sailor injured at