The Portland daily press., 1898-04-29
MATANzAs BATTERIES sILENcED.
Story of the B0mba rdment of Wednes-
day Afternoon.


| able to Come Near the Mark.
| The New York Herald correspondent
sends the following account of the bonn
bardment of Matanzas to his paper.
When Admiral Sampson, on the flagship
New York, left the squadron's cruising
ground today to pay visit to Matanzas
and Cardenas, he had made up his mind
that something had to be done at once
with the very aggressive Spanish artil-
lerymen who were. manning the batteries
out that way. They had twice fired on
the torpedo boat Boote and were very
busy erecting Notifications and placing
big guns in position.
At Matanzas the New York found the
monitor Puritan and cruiser Cincinnati,
which have been blockading the port.
Admiral Sampson decided to make q
reconnaissance in force for the tn rec
fold purpose of locating the batteries,
discovering the kind of guns they had
mounted and, if possible, of stopping the
work of fortifying.
Matanzas lies at the head of a bay.
about four miles from the sea. This bay,
at It's mouth, is three miles wide. On
the west side of the bay is Point Rubal
Cava, and on the east side Point Maya
These points have a very slight elevation
about the sea, but the contguration OF
the harbor is such as to give the batter
les on them commanding position.
Stretching back from these batteries
are towering hills, and it Is believed guns
have been mounted somewhere there,
concealed in the shrubbery.
| The New York led the way into the
Bay Of Matanzas The Puritan was q
few hundred yards astern, on the port
hind, a Slightly greater distance astern
on the starboard side. Lines drawn
from ship to ship would have made an
almost perfect triangle.
just astern of the Cincinnati wal
our dispatch boat, Sorumers N. Smith
under command of William Bazzell and
Capt Frank Dun, the only newspaper
boat in the gulf within 20 miles Of The
engagement.
From the deck of our boat lot a hui
man being could be seen on any of the
ships. The crews were all at quarter;
ready for the fun to begin. Nor could
any living object be described on shore.
The bay shores of Matanzas were still 81
death for a few minutes that seemed like
hours.
Then, at few minutes of O'Clock
there was puff of smoke from the east
shore, and an 8-inch shell whizzed to.
ward the New York and fell short. Scarce
ly had this report died away when anoth
er puff of smoke foated upon the Point
Maya side. and lazily blew away. Then
another report and another shell whizzed
out, and also fell short.
Tie range to the east battery wal
nearly 1000 yards, but command was
giveb, and III obedience to it the flagship
promptly opened fire with one Of hel
6-ineh guns. and in few minutes the
fire seemed bursting out ali
about. The engagement was now genera
and shore and bay were covered with
wind-blown smoke. whilo the hollow be.
tween the hills roared and echoed with
the cannonading.
| Continuing to cutl loose-.with her guns
on the starboard and port, as we'll as
fore sad aft, the New York steamed
Iquicksy in, and oircled around to the
westward toward Point Ruba Cava
while the Puritan swung to starboard to
engage the Maya battery.
The Maya battery was the most formid
able, snd the fires from it was more fire.
quenh but the shells fell short. The
New York ignored this battery after q
tentien to the battery of Rubal Cava,
which the Spanish had for days beer
pushing to completion.
It w3s a wonderfully beautiful sight tt
see ths superb accuracy of the guns Of the
New. York. A big balloon Of smok,
would suddenly rise from her side. Tn,
eye following the direction of the shot
of duse and fragments Of concrete ant
mortsr fly high into the air, then 1atel
would come the roar of the gun, suller
and buavy.
Tbs New York had soon reduced til,
range from 1000 to 5000 yards, and by thi
time was tossing shells into Rubal C.ys
at tie rate Of about three minute, witt
wonderful decision, and apparentl,
grest destructiveness.
In the meantime the Puritan was tax
ing care of Point Maya. 1t WAS a Ions
shoe to the battery. 1t was 90 vel
masked that the only target was th,
ipflequent shots from the battery. Blu
shells burst every time Within the fortif
cations, and great was the explosion
thereof.
High up in the air would go cloud o
Spanish fort in atoms. looking for tn,
world like the explosion of o magazine O
brown prismatic powder.
Viewed from the deck of the Sommerl
N. Smith, the Puritan was doing fully a
much harm on the east side of the bay a
the New York WAS doing on the Yves
side.
All this time the Cincinnati had re
manned out Of action. One can readi1,
imagine the distress and impatience O
Capt. Chester and his enthusiastic crew
at not being allowed to take hand il
this, the first engagement of the war witt
the Spanish.
Personally, Capt. Chester signalled fo
permission to engage, and 1t was fgrantet
by the flagship. The Cincinnati in les
time than 1t takes. to write 1t steamed ul
to within 1000 Yards of the fortitcations
broadside on, and began to let fly with he
guns.
The New York was giving the signal tx
retire when one defiant shot was free
from Rubal Cava. 1t was the last sho
that battery was ever to fire.
One OF the big guns on the Puritan re
piled. 1t was the best shot OF the day
and struck the battery just where the gur
was, tore its way into the earthworks ant
exploded, doing terrible damage. Capt
+. ). MacHugh, an artillery officer Of the
British army. who WAS spectator Of thu
engagement from our.boat, said 1t was ONT
OF the best shots he had ever seen made.
Having demolished the Spanish batter
les, the ships then Immediately stood ou
to sea. Not a she'll had struck ono o.