The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-29
CABLE FROM SANTIAGO CUT.
ST. LOUIS DOES THE WORK UNDER
FIRE From THE FORTS.

The Cruisers Crew Unable TO Crap
pie the Second CnbIe-FOrts DId
Not Appear to lie Armed with Mod
ern Guns-The ST. Louis Returns
the Fire-Driven Away From
Guantanamo by Spanish Gunbonts
Before Cable There Could lie Cut.
New York, May 2S-The auxiliary cruis-
er st. Louis arrived here from West In
dian waters this morning. She has been
ordered to the Cramps ship yard at Phila-
delphia, where it is intended to place upon
her six hve-inch quick firing rifles and
thus make her equal to the St, Paul. The
ST. Louis carried only four-pounders.
The incident of the attempt to sever the
cable communication between Cuba and
the outside world, one of the latest in
which the st, Louis was engaged during
her stay in West Indian waters, is told as
follows by one of those on board the cruis-
er:
Orders were given by Admiral Sampson
TO Capt Goodrich on May Is, to take the
fleet tender in tow and proceed TO Santiago
de Cuba, and cut the cables at that
point The graphing implements We're Sc
cured from the tug Wampatuck on May
16, and al II p. m, the expedition In the
small boats left the cruiser for the en-
trance to Santiago de Cuba. 1t was then
perfectly dark and hazy, and the Santiago
light was burning brightly. Moon rise was
not until 3:45 a. m.
AT a. m, May II the expedition re-
turned with part of the cable but II had
failed to find the second one, which Is
close under the fort and was protected
by two patrol boats. Then a start was
made to cut the cable on the other side
of the island.
At a. M the st. Louis fired its nrst
gun at the forts protecting the entrance
to Santiago harbor and, after a little time
the fire was returned by one gun, which
must have been a 2-pounder.
AT a. m. the st. Louis was about two
miles distant from the forts, which seemed
to be unprotected by modern guns, After
three hours graphing in over 800 fathoms,
the cable had not been found.
At 1215 p. m. the guns at MORO cas-
tie opened fire, followed by the shore bat
terry on the southerly point, Gnd
also from the west battery.
The garrison Spanards could be eeen
running in all directions.
Most of the shots from the forts fell
short OF the ship. Shells from the NOR
tar battery went over the cruiser and
exploded in the water quite close to the
ST. Louis. The mortar battery ceased at
1855, after a fusllade of forty-one min
utes.
After the firing. the cable was grappled,
hauled on board an cut.
The st. Louis crew behaved in a very
cool manner under fire. and Capt Good
rich and Capt. w. G. Randle, the latter of
the American line, at the close Of the en-
gagement, ,complimented all hands for their
bravery.
Capt Randle says there Is a mistake in
a day of the bombardment Of Santiago de
Cuba as given in the copy of the cruisers
log. He says that after the graphing on
May l6, when the st. Louis had to slip
away on account of the presence Of two
Spanish gunboats, the cruiser and the
Wampatuck remained out Of sight Of San
tiago all the next day. The bombardment
took place as described, Capt. Randle
AYERS on May 1S-Morro castle was prac-
tically undermined, but the new forts on
the shores kept up a savage fire. The
cruisers 6-pounders not being able TO
reach the mortar battery, after the cable
had been cut the St. Louis and her consort
retired
During the bombardment the St. Louis
fired 172 shots, and the Wampatuck fired
seventy-s,x rounds
That night, Capt Randle says, the
cruiser and the Wampatuck lay twenty
miles to the southwark of Santiago, and
on the morning of May 10 proceeded TO
Guantanamo, where they grappled for
cable at the mouth of the harbor. The
cruiser was not able to make a cutting
before Spanish gunboats, armed with g.
inch rifles, opened fire on It. company
of soldiers on a hill also blazed away with
their small arms. The gunboats finally
forced the st. Louis and Wampatuck out
to sea. The cutting OF the cable was
abandoned.
Mole ST. Nicholas was visited on May 20,
and from there dispatches were sent to
Washington. The Wampatuck was or
dered to proceed TO Key West from that
place.
The st. Louis proceeded along the north
coast Of Hayti where IL met the ST. Paul.
They parted in about an hour and then
the ST. Louis went to Cape Cabarojo 10
sever the cable running I'm from Porto
Rico and San Domingo, but the bottom
was so foul at that place that the sub
marine line could not be located.
Last Sunday the st. Louis cruised along
two miles OF the batteries at Ponce. Cape
Malaspgue was visited on May g. and a
st. Thomas next day the cruiser got or
ders TO proceed to New York 20 take on
her heavier guns and then go to Cramps
ship yard at Philadelphia to be armor-
plated. The big guns were put on the
cruiser and tomorrow about a. M, she
will start for Philadelphia.
Capt. Randle says that the bombardment
caused considerable damage to the Spanish
forts there and the St Louis passed tho
wrecked fornhcations next day. Capt.
Randle says that neither Commodore
Schley nor the Spanish fleet were sighted
or heard OF during the trip of the 81. Louis
In West Indian waters. The cruisers sue
ceeded in cutting three cables in all, one
being on the south side of Porto Rico, an
other at Santiago de Cuba and the third
at Guantanamo.
AGUINALDO REPORTED A TRAITOR.