The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-06-01
Battle Reported at Santiago
With the SpaniardS.
ANOTHER VICTORY FOR AMERICA.
Cervera Sent Torpedo Boats to Destroy Our Warships
But the Plan was Discovered and the Span
ards Driven BaCk-Report Not Con-
frmed-Offcials Skeptical.

full The sman boats were discovered
by the searchlights of the American
ships, which have played on the har-
bor's mouth every night, and, under a
strong fire, were compelled to turn
back. Admiral Cervera's effort to es-
cape had failed completely, and his
ships returned to their anchorage about
daybreak.
About noon yesterday the American
squadrons drew nearer the harbor in
line of battle. On the flagship Brook
lyn, with Commodore Schley was
Emilio Nunaz, a Cuban pilot, who
knew the harbor perfectly, and who
had been brought over from Jamaica
by the auxiliary cruiser Harvard.
What ships Sampson took down are
not known, but with Schley were the
Brooklyn, the first class battleships
| Massachusetts and Iowa, the second
class battleship Texas the protected
cruiser Minneapolis, the unarmored
cruiser Marblehead, the auxiliary
cruisers Harvard, Yale and st. Paul
and the gunboat Vixen. The weaker
boats did not take part in the heavy
fighting, the big battleships doing most
of the work
The squadron steamed slowly toward
MORO Castle, that occupies the pro-
monotory at the right of the entrance,
and taking up a position about two
miles off shore began a bombardment.
The big guns of the battleships started
q terrific shelling, throwing a missile
every minute with great precision. The
shells fell short at first, but the range
was soon found, and for 40 minutes
nearly every shot fired tore great holes
in Morro's stone walls. The Moro
is on high hill, but the American
| guns were elevated with seeming little
difficulty.
The Spanish guns in the castle re-
| piled vigorously. The fortifications
there are stronger than popularly sup
! posed, and their strength showed. The
Spanish gunners fought bravely, but
their aim was poor.
Admiral Cervera's fleet heard the
noise of battle ana steamed down near
] -
! Almirante Oquendo, Infanta Maria
| Teresa and Cristobal Colon began to
reply to the fire of the American COM
bined squadrons.
Half a mile past MORO, on the left
side and at bend in the channel, are
the batteries of La Zocapa, and the
Spanish guns thundered forth volley
after volley on the American ships
decks, some of the shots taking effect.
Farther in the harbor is the fort of
Punta Gorda, and the guns here also
entered into action. There are hills
between these two forts and the sea,
but with known elevation and distance,
the Spanish gunners were enabled to
reach the American ships.
The cable operator at Santiago wires
that the bomDardment of the forts
ceased at 3:45.
Soon after there was terrific cannon
aiding heard farther out, presumably at
sea. This continued for some time,
when about $50 the firing ceased COM
pletely. 1t is thought that Admiral
Cervera sailed out to sea to give battle
and that he has surrendered or his
ships destroyed.
Santiago will not answer requests
for the number of Spanish killed.
which must have been very great.
Whether or not the Americans en-
tered the bay is not known. 1t is re-
ported here that they did, but this is
doubted, as it is scarcely to be sup
posed that Commodore Schley would
attempt to run the forts through a
channel known to be filed with both
electrical and contact mines. Again,
had he forced the passage of the forts
and passed over the mines unframed,
it is certain that he would have at
once proceeded toward the city and
engaged the Spanish warships and
the batteries in that neighborhood.
Judging from the reports of the
fight that have been received here, il
is almost certain that little, if any
damage was done to the Americans