New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-13

line. because both she and the Texas faced up
tho barhor which runs TO the northeast. On
the other angle 10 the west. were the New-York
New-Orleans and the Yankee. These faced the
new earthwork battery opposite Moro Castle
while the Brooklyn. Marblehead and Vixen faced
the Estrella battery, Moro Castle the Catalina
battery and two earthwork batteries on the
western bank and couple OF new shore u''
teries.
LINE OF BATTLE MOVES
Tho warming opened with heavy showers and
no breeze. Not a favorable outlook. because the
de,se smoke from the big guns would hang over
The ships like q pail and interfere with the ann
NJ tho punners while the shore batteries having
smokeless powder would be able 10 fire at the
matches Of smoke with little Inconvenience. To-
ward G30 the skies lightened and good breeze
came along At 6:32 the order 10 move in to-
ward land was given, and as the column formed
q beautiful and inspiring sight was witnessed
Forming In two columns, at distance OF SIX
miles the ships moved toward the entrance OF
the harbor the Brooklyn leading one column
and the New-York the other. Slowly they
moved I'D until within four miles of the forts
Then they turned, the Brooklyn 20 the west
followed by the Marblehead, the Texas and the
Massachusetts. and the New-York led 10 the
east followed by the New-Orleans. the YANKEE
the Iowa and the oregon. When the ships had
all turned into this new formation they moved
in battle line to within three thousand yards
OF the batteries. in the positions originally de-
tailed The Vixen and the suwanee went
on the left flank 10 look out for rifemen or
rifle pits and the Dolphin and the torpedo-ooat
Porter did similar duty on the right flank
The forts remained silent but at precisely al
o'clock Pinch gun on the Iowa shattered the
silence and from end OF the lipe TO the
other there an instant response OF witherihs
fire. Through clouds of smoke the lZ-lnch shei
of the Iowa could be seen striking On the base
Of the Estrea Battery.
Some Of the batteries on the hills opened at
once. but their good aim of the last week seemed
destroyed by the shower Of shells from the fleet.
for the Spanish return shots few far from the
mark.
THE FLEETS SPLENDID GUNNERY.
The great difficulty seemed so far as the
American ships were concerned. to be the dense
clouds OF smoke. which obscured the gunners
and the range-hnders aims. But, even with
that great difficulty the shooting was splendid
The 13-inch shells from the Massachusetts and
the Oregon struck into the hills the bat
teres and threw up mountains OF earth. even
when they fell trihe short. The moral effect
battery after battery was deserted by the
scaniards
The Texas. with her two 12-inch guns and
the Iowa. with her four big guns raked the en-
tire hillside, while the Brooklyn and the New
York poured In heavy fire from their destruct-
i've S-inch and 5-inch guns
The Brooklyn headed in further with her
squadron OF fighters when the smoke became
too dense and then. obtaining a new range.
the ships poured In a deadly rain Of S-inch and
6-inch shells.
In the mean time the shells from little Span
fish fort on the water front two miles west OF
Moro Castle. opened on the Suwanee. under
the command OF Lieutenant Commander Dele
hanty. and the Vixen. in command Of Lieu
tenant Sharp. They moved In and with hot
are from their ANAL guns soon silenced the
batterys IRE.
The great earthworks on the hill near the