The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-29
In CUBAN MUD.
Concluded from First Page)


position Stretching back from these bat
teries are towering hills, and it was be-
leved the guns had been mounted some
where near there. The New York led the
way into the Bay Of Matanzas. The Puri-
tan was a few hundred yards astern on the
port side, and the Cincinnati remained a
slightly greater distance astern on the star
board side. Lines drawn from ship to ship
would have made triangle. At few
minutes before 1 o'clock there was a puff
Of smoke from the east shore. and an eight
inch shell whizzed toward the New York
and fell short. Scarcely had the report
died away than another puff of smoke float
ed upon the Point Maya side and easily blew
away This shell also fell short. The range
of tho east battery was nearly seven thou
sand yards but the flagship promptly
opened fire with one of her eight-inch guns.
The engagement in a few minutes became
general, and shore and bay were covered
with the wind-blown smoke, while the hol-
lows in the hills roared with the cannon
aiding. Continuing to cut loose within her
guns, starboard and port, as we'll ashore
and aft, the New York steamed quickly and
circled around to the westward toward Point
Rubalcava, while the Puritan swung to
starboard to engage the Mayasba4teries.
The Maya battery was the more formid-
able and the fire from it was more frequent,
but the shells fell short. The New York
ignored this battery after minute and pro-
ceeded to pay all her attention to the bat
terry on Itubalcava, which was being pushed
to completion 1t was beautiful sight to
see the target practice of the New York.
big balloon of smoke would suddenly rise
from her SIDE The eye. following the direc-
ton of the shot, would see, an instant later.
a great cloud of dust and fragments of con-
crete and motar fly high in the air. Then
would come the roar of the piece, sullen and
heavy.
The New York had reduced the range
from 1000 to 1900 yards and soon was toss
ing Shells into Rubalcava at the rate Of
about three minute with wonderful pre-
csion and apparently great destructiveness.
In the meantime the Puritan was taking
care of Point Maya. 1t was long shot to
that battery, which was so we'll masked
that the only target was the infrequent
smoke from the battery. But when the
Puritan got the range. her shells burst
every time in the fertilization and great
was the explosion thereof. High up into the
air would go cloud Of dust-atoms of the
Spanish FORTHCOMING for all the world like
the explosion of q magazine Of brown pris-
matte powder.
The Puritan was doing fully as much
hacm on the east side of the bay as the
New York was doing on the west side. All
this time the Cincinnati had remained out
of action. Captain Chester signaled for
permission to engage and it was granted by
the flagship. The Cincinnati steamed up
to within 1000 yards broadside on and be-
gan to let fly with her guns. The batteries
and the New York were just giving the
signal to retire when one defiant shot was
fired from Rubalcava- 1t was the last shot
that battery was ever to fire.
One of the big guns on the Puritan an
swered 1t was the best shot OF the day
1t struck the battery just where the gun
was, tore it's way into the earthworks and
exploded, causing great destruction Capt.
r. J. MacHugh, an artillery officer of the
British army. who was spectator of the
engagement, says it was one of the best
shots he had ever seen made. Having prac-
tically demolished the Spanish batteries.
the ships stood out to sea- Not shell
struck one of them, but there had been
three narrow misses of the New York. The
Spanish fired shrapnel once, which had
burst above the ship, q shell had struck
Just fore of her and another struck Just aft
The fact that the Spaniards failed to
strike such large target as The New York
towering as she does like a house out Of
the water was taken as evidence that they
are not good marksmen. On the other hand
every shot that the New York fired after
she got the range was pitched right into
the batteries. In point of time the engage
ment lasted just eighteen minutes. 1t be-
gan at 1851 and ended at rs. All told. the
United States ships fired eighty-six shots
at the forts. The forts fired probably twen-
ty-five shots.
But far more important than the destruc-
ton Of the Matanzas batteries is the con-
ciusion about the future which may be
drawn from the bonbardrnent. This con-
clusion Ii that Havana Is absolutely at the