The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-15

ed in the shelling this morning. The
ships ran out their big guns on the
side opposite the firing, in order to
secure the desired list to port or to
starbOard.
General Shafter signaled about noon
that some of the shells fell in the bay
and some in the city. The latter do
not appear to do great damage"
Comment on this subject was chang
ed Immediately by a message Agaying:
THE last shot struck st. Nicholas
church, where powder was stored,
blowing up the same and doing great
damage"
The bombardment closed for the day
at / o'clock p. M, at General Skaters
request, as he was about to send flag
of truce into the city, in order to de-
mand it's surrender for the third and
last time.
The whole proceeding was business
like in the extreme. The ordinary avo
cations on shipboard went on, punctu
ated at intervals of five minutes by
the roar of the big guns, the scream Of
prOjectiles and the schOes from the
mountains in the rear Of MorrO castle,
plainly visible to the westward and
having the bombarding ships we'll in
range. But not a gun was fired by the
Spaniards.
The effect of the shells when they
did hit can be easily imagined when
it is known that each Of them carries
$50 pounds Of explosives and travels
$50 feet per second. When such a mis-
sile lands at a distance of four and a
half miles from the muZZle it occupies
22A seconds in it's flight.
Four shells during the bombardment
today started fires in different parts of
the city, proving the feasibility Of burn
ing the place by using the guns Of the
fleet alone.
1t was strange to see our soldiers re-
pairing a locomotive on the railroad
track running along the beach, while,
like the strokes Of a slow clock, the
guns were fired and sent shells scream
ing over the men at work.
Death must have come to many in
the city by reason of the shelling, but
it is impossible to do more now than
surmise as to the extent.
IN THE TRENCHES.
When the fire opened from the
American lines after the conclusion Of
the armistice, our men were in much
better position. Caprons and Hines
batteries were posted on the heights.
On the left of the line and in the rear
of Bates lines the HOtchkiss, Gait
ling and dynamite guns occupied a
crest on tn eright centre and on the
extreme right Bests' and Grimes bat
teries were posted in the centre Of
Lawtons division, the Sixth and Six
teenth regulars and the Seventy first
New York, which was pushed to the
westward until, with Garcias line, it
formed an arc reaching within a quar-
ter of a mile of Camera, which skirts
the bay and forts.
SPANISH SOLDIERS LEAVING
THE CITY.
The only road by which General To-
| raj could escape was thus commanded.
Small detached bodies of Spaniards
had been observed skipping out Of
town westward early in the morning,
| including one squad Of cavalry. A
move was made to cut off their retreat
and a land bombardmert began A
shot from Grimes battery was follow
| ed by one of Capron's guns on the left,
| and in the right centre the Gattling
| and Hotchkiss batteries opened fire.
| For the first ten minutes the firing was
| general, the Spniards replying spirit
| edly, but the rifle fire on both sides
| soon waned, and from o'clock to $50
| o'clock when the action ceased, the
| firing was confined almost exclusive
| ly to the artillery.
Our batteries soon got the range
and poured shells into the Spanish en-
| trenchments. The Hotchkiss battery
| swept the outer line Of the entrench-
:. ments back and forth, cutting down
the brush shelters like a Scythe. The
| Spanish were soon forced to the block
l house. A Spanish battery on the left
! of the town, engaged by Capron's bat
| terry, fired only a few shots, but the
| battery on the right fired spiritedly
| until guncotton shell from Wood S
| dynamite gun exploded directly in
| front of it, tearing up two trees and
| dismounting the gun. 1t was the last
| shot of the afternoon and was greet
! ed with cheers. Two men in General
| Kents division were killed by a shell
| and several wre wounded.
| A Spanish deserter came to our lines
| this afternoon for food. He said: The
| Spaniards are as good fighters as the
| Americans and if we had food and
| cigarettes in abundance we would
| fight forever
| General Kent recommends the fol-
lowing officers of his division for gal
lantry under fire: Majors Sharp and
Phil Reade, Captain McAlexander.
Lfeutenants Cartwright and Johnson
who was wounded, and will be recon-
mended for a commission.
OFF Jluagua, July II, p. m, via
Kingston, ia, July 13, 10 g. m.-All
the negotiations for a peaceful sur
utter failure today and the city must
fall by the sword. General Torai. the
Spanish commander, has finally and
definitely refused General Skaters s
proposal for an unconditional surren-
der, and the American army now only
awaits the word of it's general to be-
gin the final struggle.
Just when the attack will be made