Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1898-05-20
THE IOWA LEADS THE FIGHT.
Bearing the signal 4" ne
..Rcmember the Maine.

New York. May IA correspondent
of the World send, the following ms
patch from St Thomas, descriptive oi
the bombardment of san Juan;
Admiral Simpsons fleet lay WITHIN
sight Of san Juan de Puerto lir" all ol
"Wednesday night. At 3 ocoe on Thurs
day morning all hand, on tine Nh'ps
were called. For an hour and nan
each ship was the scene OF an ofdeti!
confusion as the 2UOO oalldr- stripped
their ships, their guns and themselves
By 4 80 everything was IN readiness 10
begin the second engagement Of the war
At sis came the call I'D quarters,
and instantly every man was at ms post
and ready and eager to strike bio" Ill
atonement of the Maine. The object ol
attack lay in plain view, straight ahead
to the south.
The Notifications and batteries OF san
Juan de Puerto Rico are on the coral
reef guarding the entrance to the hafbof'
1t was Il glorious morning. ne SKY uh-
clouded. the air cool and brisk. y long
heavy swell rolled toward the shore ana
broke against the reef whose ordinations
seemed to be asleep.
To mark the limits of the lire OF battle,
the Detroit and the tug Nanmpautuek
steamed shorcward, the Detroit to the
eastward until she was opposite the Val
tern. the Waumpautuck to the westward
until She was able to anchor her small
boats in 10 fathoms of water Just out
of range Of the great fort o. San Juan
Moro, which rises on II high hill at the
east OF the harbor.
The Center of Attack.
MORO. of course, was to be the center
of attack. In it were the seven 6-inch
guns which Spain sent over as soon as
the war became certain and which had
been hastily mounted and manned with
the best g,lnners in the colonial army.
Soon after the Detroit and Waumpautuck
were in place, Admiral Sampson column
of floating fortresses and batteries began
to move upon the quiet and seeming
sleeping fortress
In the van was the Iowa. the flagship,
with the battle cry of the navy streaming
in brilliant colored flags from her mast
Remember the Maine Next came the
huge Indiana, of such enormous bulk that
she rode almost steady even upon that
heavy sea. Then followed the New. York.
as formidable as Il battleship; then the
low-lying monitors Amphitrite and Ter
ror. They bore straight for the shore in
single file
4 start From shore.
Long before the flagship was in range
there came flash, cloud of smoke, a
roar and shell from the walls of MORO,
The shell fell far short. The roar died
away and for Is minutes the scene was
as peaceful as before.
Suddenly the Iowa turned sharply to
the east. She came around peacefully
until her starboard battery was pointing
full at MORO. One of her great l3-inch
guns burst into flame and a she'll sailed
high toward Moro. 1t fell short but the
response came--a roar from all the bat
teries and forts along the shore A tire.
mendous burst of sound and smoke and
flame, shower of shells that wasted
themselves in the sea- So wild was the
volley that even had the Iowa been in
range none of the shots would have hit
her.
The Iowa was now nearer and the en-.
tire line OF warships was in position to
attack the Spanish shore line. Each shin
was now nearer and the entire line was
IN position to attack the Spanish shore
line. Each ship was now firing and each
shore gun was answering. But wn,,e ,.,e
Spanish aim was wild, the American gun,
ners fired with the calmness and precis.
ION OF experience in target practice.
The fleet was soon enveloped in smoke
as was also the Shore Only outlines
could be made out, but it was apparent
that while the Spanish shells is sued from,
the smoke of the shore to fall into the
sea, the American shells rushed from the
fieets envelope of smoke to bury them.
y" ''e s'hohe on shole. And now
and then as the wind drifted the thick
gray curtain aside it could be seen that
the American ships were uninjured and
that on shore the line that was upbrok an
was all in ashes.
Fleet Draws Nearer.
When the Iowa came up to lie Waum
pautuck stake boat she turned and ,ed
the column back again across the line q,
fire. The fleet was now nearer and III,
Spanish shells fell around the ships. Some
struck against the armor of the hattie.
ship-big 6inch shells-but thew bounded
off leaving hardly dent behind
One Spanish she'll struck boz on the
Iowa passing through it and entered the
superstrueture, scattering splinters in ev.
cry direction. Three men were ip;u,o5
Admiral Sampson and Captain Evans
were on the lower bridge and narrowly
escaped the flying fragments. In all the
Iowa was hit nine times. Lat or a sbsl,
burst on the New York, killing one man
inluring another severely and several
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