Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-07-02
MORRO ABANDONED
BY The SPANIARDS
So Afraid of the Vesuvius' Guns
That They Ran Away From
the Fort.
The ACT SURPRISES SAMPSON
Expected to Have His Hardest
Work Against the Citadel
on the Hill.
IT MAKES ENTRANCE EASY
No Doubt Now That a Part of u
Fleet at Least will Assist
Shufter in Captur-
Ing the City.
IT MAKES ENTRANCE EASY

Santiago, via Point Antonio, June %.
Moro castle, the most m
defense about Santiago harbor, mas
been abandoned by the Spaniards.
BY this fight the enemy has left the
entrance to the harbor at Admiral
SIMPSONS mercy.
1t will now he the simplest task for
Admiral Sampson, with such vessels IN
his feet as be deems necessary Tor the
work, 10 enter the harbor, attack Ad-
miral Ceryera's fleet and assist Cen
eral Shafter in the capture or destruc-
ton Of the city of Santiago.
News that the Spaniards had ADAM
doned Moro was received with great
surprise on board the American war
ships. Admiral Sampson has been
ready for a week TO smash their last
remaining ~fortifcation at the entrance
to the harbor.
1t was his intention TO make the at
tack last Saturday after he had verb
fed the information from shore that
Lieutenant Hobson and his fellow he.
roes Of the Mcrrimac's crew no longer
were confined in the ancient and pic
tu%rcsque structure.
Moro long has possessed some OF
the heaviest guns and most modern
equipment to be encountered at any
uoint on the Cuban coast. II is thought
by Admiral Sampson TO be probably
the most difficult to silence of any Of
Santiago's d~efenses.
II stands in a commanding position
on a great bluff at the eastern side of
the harbor. and the American gunners
anticipated some trouble i'm getting a
good range at first.
Now that the Spaniards have desert
ed the castle the American fleet is like
" to have little shooting to do until it
gets within range Of Cervera's ships.
There has been much rivalry between
the runners Of the American war
ships. each being anxious to get a
chance at MORO when Admiral Samp-
son decided to reduce the fertilization.
In the three bombardments that
have taken place all of the American
gunners were explicitly ordered not to
hit the castle. They smashed Spanish
guns to the right and left, and am Oc-
casional shell, despite the admiraIs
instructions, went scurrying in the di-
Tection of Moro. 1t was struck sever
al times during the bombardment on
Monday, June 6, when our gunners did
destructive work for tlree hours all
about the entrance to the harbor.
When he ordered n second bompard.
ment of Santiago's defenses, a few
days later, Admiral Sampson was even
more explicit in his instructions about
MORO. So positively did he warn his
men not to hit MORO that not a par.
ticIe of a shell scratched the castle.
Officers in the American feet have
been intensely indignant over the
course of the Spaniards in imprisoning
Lieutenant Hobson and his men il
MORO. They suspected that it was
done solely for the purpose of deter
ring the Americans from %assaulting
the castle. They are convinced now
that such was the case.
BY abandoning MORO at this iunc
turc, the American officers believe the
Spaniards have shown that they die
not intend to resist our fleet when the
final advance into the harbor began
They apparently were completely un,
ECrvcd by the terrible destruction done
by the dynamite guns of the NeSuvius
about the Notifications across the har
Dor from Moro and used Hobson anC
his men as a shield as long as they
could with safety to themselves.
1t has been known to Admiral Samp
o for nearly a week that the Spanish
gunners have not dared TO sleep il
MORO at night. They have been aban
doning their guns at sunset, returning
to the Notifications early in the morn
ing.
Neither Admiral Sampson nor any
of his officers expected the Spaniard.
to desert MORO entirely. 1t looks
they think, as if the enemy intended tc
mass all of its guns and men in Santi
ago as one last desperate stand against
the American and Cuban forces.