Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-06-21
Fired About Five Thousand
Shots and Caused Great
Destruction.
WRECK WESTERN DEFENsEs
One Battery Destroyed and In
Others Many Guns We're
Dismounted.
Enemy's Loss Must Have Been
Large-AmeriCans We're
Uninjured.

OFF SANTIAGO, June IL, via Kings
ton, June l7.-Rear Admiral Samp.
sons fleet bombarded the batteries at
Santiago de Cuba for the third time at
daylight this morning. For hours the
ships pounded the batteries at the right
and left Of the entrance. only sparing
Ell Moro, where Lieutenant Hobson
and his companions Of the Merrimac
are in prison. The western batteries.
against which the main assault was d.
rected, were badly wrecked. One was
utterly destroyed. In others many
guns were dismounted.
At first the Spaniards replied pas.
sionately aud wiokedly, but impo'
tently. Soon most Of the guns were
deserted. Not a ship was struck nor q
man injured on the American side. 1t
is believed the enemy's loss Of life
was heavy.
Began Firing at Daylight.
When the ships got into position it
was still too dark for any firing. The
admiral signalsd the ships not to fire
until the muzzles Of the enemy's guns
could be seen by the gun captains.
Fifteen minutes later, at $50 o. M. the
New York opened with a broadside
from her main battery ut the works at
the east Of the entrance Of the harbor.
All the ships followed with red streams
OF flame. The gun captains. had been
cautioned not to waste ammunition,
but to fire with elaboration, yet the
fire was so rapid that there was an
almost continuous roar. The meas.
urod crash of the 13.inch guns Of the
battleships sounded above the 6.inch
guns of the second battery. like thun-
derclaps above the din of hurricane.
A strong breeze from the shore carried
the smoke from the ships seaward,
while it let down q thick curtain in
'front.' of the Spanish gunners.
Fire Was Worry Effective.
The Dons responded spiritedly ut
first, but their 1renzied, half crased
tire could not match the cool nerve,
trained eyes and skilled gunnery of tho
American sailors. Our fire was much
more effective than in preceding bonn
bardments. The admiraps ordnance
expert had given explicit directions to
reduce the powder charges and to Gle.
vate the guns, so as to shorten the
trajectory and thus to secure plung.
Tl,o n<F If tim rol,1nn1
charges was marvellous. In 10 minutes
one western battery was completely
wrecked. The Massachusetts tore q
gaping hole in the emplacement with q
1,OO0.pound projeotile and the Texas
dropped shell into the powder mag.'
zine. The explosion wrought terrible
havoc. Tho frame was lifted, the sides
were blown out and shower Of debris
flew in every direction. One timber,
carried out of the side of the battery,
went tumbling down the hill. Tho
loss of life must have been great.
New Orleans Does Good Work.
The batteries OH the east Of MORO
were harder to get at, but the New
Orleans crossed the bows of the New
York to within 500 yards of shore and
played tattoo with her long 8.inch
rifles, hitting the batteries repeatedly,
striking gun squarely muZzlo on, lift.
ing it off its trunchions and sending it
swee ping somersaults high in the air.
When the order came at $50 to cease
firing every gun of the enemy had
been sileneed for 10 minutes, but as
the ships drew off some of the Spanish
courage returned and half dozen
shots were fired spitefully at the Mas.
sachusetts and Oregon, falling in their
wakes. At the close Of the action a
stream of multi.colored flags fioated
from the New York, generally compli.
menting the ships and especially com.
1nending the work of the Texas and
New Orleans.
Sampson Highly Grstified.
The destruction done at the western
batteries must have been appalling.
Many Of the guns had been mounted
during the last two days. From this it
would be inferred that Admiral Ger
vera had given up all hope Of extricat.
ing himself from the trap in which he
is caught and had removed the guns
from some Of his ships to strengthen
the land defenses. Admiral Sampson
is highly gratifled at the results Of the
bombardment. He thinks the western
batteries practically demolished. The
only regret expressed is that Lieu.
tenant Hobson and his crews presence
in FL MORO made it sacred. Other
wise it would be a heap of ruins.
The number Of shots fred was not
known when this dispatch was sent.
The New York fred POS. Probably
5000 shots were fired, Of a total weight
OF 1900, 900 pounds.