Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-05-18
BOMBARDED SAN JUAN.
American Fleet Indicts Great
Damage,
RIDDLED PORTO RICO.
One of SIMPSONS Men Ki11ed-No At
tempt was Made TO Seize
the Town.


ish West Indies, May 13.-The forts of
San Juan de Puerto Rico have been bonn
barded by a portion of the fleet under
command of Rear Admiral Sampson.
The remarkable feature of the bonn
bardment was the bad craftsmanship of
the Spanish gunners. Hardly a shot
from the Notifications struck the ships,
while the forts were hit repeatedly. Most
of the Spanish projectiles fell very wide,
and at the close of the engagement the
Notifications had very delapidated APP
pearance. but the ships guns were as ac-
tive as ever.
The United States monitor Terror had
q magnificent half-hOurS duel with the
forts. The batteries bravely threw shot
and shell about her until she seemed to
occupy the center Of a great geyser basin.
The Spanish gunners were crazed with
excitement, and sometimes dropped their
shells mile away from the Terror. The
latter fired one shot to the forts three,
and when the monitor retired she did so
slowly, cOntemptuOuSly, still firing at the
Spanish forts. The Spaniards continued
to fire on her until she was miles out of
range.
After the engagement the Dauntless
steamed among the fleet, whose crews
were cleaning the decks and polishing the
guns. The American sailors seemed to
be not at all excited and were going about
their work as if nothing extraordinary
had happened. The only marks on the
Iowa were a dent on her exhaust pipe
and slight injury to the railing of her
bridge. The New York had several small
holes in one Of her ventilators.
Each vessel in action carried two large
American flags. Only one vessel is
known to be in the harbor of San Juan
de Puerto Rico, and that craft is a small
French steamer which hurried away af-
frighted after the warships had departed.
Washington D. c., May 13.-The navy
department was all excitement this morn
ing on the receipt of the news that Ad-
miral SIMPSONS squadron had begun the
Commandment of San Juan de Puerto Ri
co, and fuel was added to the flames when
the news came later that the Spanish fly
ing squadron had been sighted off Martin
ique, giving promise of heavy fighting to
come. The fact that the admiral gave
notice Of his intention to lombard San
Juan was not suddenly-conceived prof.
ect, but part of a weIl-matured plan.
Nv neither or not the orders to the admiral
included a bombardment is not disclosed
at the navy department.
[deed there is nothing in SIMPSONS
report to indicate that he really did bonn,
bard the place. He merely attacked the
forts at the entrance of the harbor, and if
any shells struck within the town ITSELF
they were stray shots. 1t is surmiSed
that Admiral SIMPSONS object in making
the attack in this fashion without land
ing force of troops in reserve to occupy
the town if it were captured, was to de-
stroy the Notifications and make the har-
Dor useless to the Spanish flying squad
ron as & place Of refuge. The reports so
far received show that he did not COM
plete that undertaking yesterday and the
question now is whether he will resume
his work today, or will be diverted from
it by the report of the presence of the
Spanish flying squadron in the neighbOr-
hood of Martinique.
The statement given out at the navy
department that 1.-The Spanish squadron is
now hull down to the westward of Mar
Unique could not be supplemented by ad-
ditiOnal information as to the time the
dispatch was sent, but it is supposed that
the squadron was seen yesterday.
Sampson already knows of its move
ments, for the United States scout Har-
ward, which put into Martinique yeSter-
day, is said to have found there one of
the torpedo-destroyer composing the
Spanish fleet and certainly would report
possible to do SO. There is suspicion,
however, that the United States has not
been treated with perfect fairness in the
matter of the use of the cable from Mar
Unique and that messages of the ut
most Importance, such, for instance, as
those reporting the movements of Spanish
ships, have been delayed an uncOnsciona-
bic length of time, to the great embar-
raSSment of our forces. The subject is
one that will be investigated in the flu
ture, as we'll as other facts connected with
the treatment of the Spanish ships in
West Indian ports which are nominally
operating strictly under the neutrality
laws.
1t is said that the Spanish squadron has
been lying in wait for the Oregon, which
with the Marietta and Nichteroy sailed
on the 18th from Bahia to join Sampson,
and the reported activity of the Spanish
torpedo-boat destroyers in running in and
out Of Martinique seems to show that
they are being used as scouts to give the
rest of the squadron notice of the ap-
preach of the American battleshD If SC
the mission will be fruitless, for, having
discovered the whereabouts of the Span
ish force, Admiral Sampson will carry
out his orders TO destroy their ships if
he can reach them.
The fact that the Spaniards were head
ed yesterday towards the westward on
the surface would indicate that they were
bound for the south coast Of Cuba. but
warships in these circumstances try to
mlslead observers ashore.
The information that the Spanish squad
ron has been sighted off Martinique
caused a decided sensation throughout
naval circles, as this brings close to AID
miral Simpsons squadron the formidable
collection of SPANS strongest and most
modern vessels. 1t is the fleet which was
reported to be lying at Cadiz. Evidently
the latter report was inspired by Spanish
strategy.
Martinique is a French island lying SOC
miles east of Porto Rico and 700 miles
west of the West Indies and is the natu
raj point at which the Spanish feet com
ing from Cape Verde would first make s
landing.
1t must now pass the French island O.
Guadalupe to the west, the Danish island
of ST. Thomas, a little farther east, the1
its course is open to Porto Rico unless
Admiral Simpsons feet engages them be
fore that move is made. AS they stant
now, the two fleets are about 500 milet
apart, which by hard sailing of both fleet
would cover one day, or by the sailing o
one fleet would bring them together il
two days.
The Spanish squadron is made up o
seven frst-class ships, of which four a
armored cruisers and three destroyers
This is as near the exact strength as cal
be stated, for the reports from Cap
Verde and from Cadiz have caused muc
doubt as to the exact strength Of tn
Spanish squadron. But allowing for tn
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