Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-04-29
DETAILS OF THE ENGAGEMENT.
First That the United States Navy Has Had
for About Thirty Years.

First That the United States Navy Has Had
| for About Thirty Years.
| Flagship New York, off Havana.
April 29.-tCopyright, 1888. By the As
ISOLATED Press 1.-The engagement at
MatarEas. the first in which the United
States navy has participated for about
| thirty years, occurred quite unexpect-
edly. The New York was lying about
twenty miles east Of Havana Wednes-
day morning when Rear Admiral Samp-
sen decided to steam to Iatanzas. At
the entrance to the harbGr the monitor
Puritan and the cruiser Cincinnati met
the flagship. A stiff wind was blowing
and the waves poured over the low bow
and stern Of the monitor. AT slow speed
the flagship proceeded toward the har-
Dor, the Puritan following half a mile
astern and the Cincinnati about two
miles to the westward When about
! three miles from Punta Gorda, the ex-
IRENE point of the eastern end Of
the harbor, a long yellow streak was
seen on shore. 1t locked like newly
erected earthwork.
| Closer inspection revealed a number
of men clustered around the shore. and
later it was ascertained without doubt
that the Spanish troops were busy in
| erecting what seemed to be a sand
battery and had already gotten several
guns into position. General quarters"
was sounded. The men rushed to their
! guns When the New York was about
4,0CO yards from Punta Gorda the
bdgler sounded commence firing" Ma
val Cadet Boone, in charge OF the eight
| inch gun anidships on the port side,
had the honor of firing the first shot.
The flagship shook from stem to stern
as the first protectile flew from the
muZzle of the big gun. This was at
1856 p. IN.
| IT seemed minutes before the yellow
smoke cleared away. but in reality it
was less than five seconds. Then a lit
tie cloud Of dust was seen to rise at the
right of the earthworks. With a deaf
ening roar the eight-inch gun in the
| forward turrct let fly its iron missile. 1t
landed high. The after turret came
next with the same sized projectile. A
shout Of delight went up from the flag
snip as dense cloud rose slowly from
the very center Of the eartnworks.
showing how true had been the aim.
| Then from the entire side a fusillade
was poured on the shore, the four tur-
ret guns firing almost simultaneously
and the four-inch guns adding their
smaller hail. When the smoke blew
away Punta GorGa was dotted with
dust clouds that looked like miniature
geysers springing suddenly from the
earth. Each showed where a shot had
struck. At this stage the guns in the
Quintas da Kecreo battery were OBJ
served to be firing on the flagship. This
| is on the eastward arm of the harbor
| 1000 yards from where the flagship
was lying. 1t is provided with four
| eight-inch guns. The fagship's fire
was at once directed upon it. I'd to this
period the New York had been in the
| firing alone. Captain Harrington. on
the Puritan, and Captain Chester. on
| the Cincinnati had drawn up and were
vigorously signaling for permission to
fire. When this was reported to Rear
Admiral Sampson he said: "All right:
tell them to go ahead
So while the New York was contfnu-
! ing fire on Ouintas da Recreo the Puri-
| tan took position to the eastward and
opened on the same point. The Cincin-
natl went to the westward and pounded
| a rapid fire broadside into the earth
works on Purta Gorda Occasionally
shots from Quirtas da Recreo could be
seen coming in the direction of the New
| York. All fell very short, and at no
| time threatened the ship. Only about
ten shots are believed to have been
fired from this battery during the whole
| engagement 1t is possible that its
guns may have been disabled. as two
S-inch shells We're distinctly seen to land
| squarely in the fort.
For about five minutes Quintas ds
| Recreo got the full benefit of the mort
| broadsides of the New York and Puri-
| tan. What its ultimate fate would have
been is hard to tell had not attention
been diverted from it by a shell from,
Junta Gorda that whizzed over the
New York and fell little short of the
| Cincinnati.
Leaving Quintas da Recreo to the
tender mercies Of the Puritan. which
was still merrily banging away. Cam
tain Chadwick put his helm to star.
hoard until hte port battery once more