The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-19
SAN JUAN SHOTS.
What an Eyewitness Saw
During the Firing on the
Forts by Our Ships.
[By Gable to The Associated Press

.
[By Cable to The Associated Press.l
KEY WEST. Fla, May 10. lS9s.-Ar 5n-
locker of the bonbardmert of the ferts
of San Juan de, Porto Rico on May Il. by
the fleet of Rear-Admiral Sampson, gave
the following details today of that en-
gagement. He said
.'The most remarkable feature about
the bombardment was the escape Of the
fleet with so few casualties The enc
my's fire was heavy and continuous, and
the elevation of their batteries gave them
tremendous advantage. How they
missed hitting the ships no one UNDER
stands. Their shots fell all around and
their guns had capacity for twice the
range. yet they only landed two projec-
| tiles with any serious effect. The San
Juan affair strengthens the opinion that
the demolition of well placed fortifca-
tions is hard task for even the strong
est battleships
.The secondary battery fire on all the
ships was not used after the line had
passed once before the forts This vas
chiefly on account of the smoke tire
smaller guns created. Drifting In front
of the turrets, it made the handlers Of the
big guns liable to lose all sight OF the
|. land. The Admiral and his Assistant
Chief of Staff, Staunton. were on the 81
perstructure on the lee OF the coming
ming tower, which will probably not be
i used unless the fire IS coming from both
sides. So FART has proved rather u
..On the forecastle, in the lee Of the
forward Pinch turret, We're Lieutenant
March. flag secretary, and Ensign Ben
Staunton, accompanied the Admiral from
the New York Bennett had the signal
boys with him. His flags, in their canvas
bags. We're made fast with line which
ran loosely around the turret barbette.
This was to prevent them from being
shot overheard.
the Spaniards up: In the meantime, great
yellow-whitish clouds were rising from
the hillside, marking where our shells
fe Then f a. few puts & e. w5e naexs ann ID tbe 5
bluff. The water spurted a few hundred
yards from the Iowa, and every one was
gad eyeryHe I g kneW Rsor the @ enely ae
| les had been in the glums.
by this time the smoke had begun TO
hang heavily and the Iowa was moist @
| glasses had to be wiped every few min
| utes. The mems faces were grimy and
their mouths We're bitter from the salt
| were fired it seemed as if the ship was
| almost drawn from the water in a strain
/ ing effort to follow the projectiles as
] they whizzed shorewards. Behind, the
| Indianas port side looked like a huge
| fort. her own smoke completely hiding
| her starboard side.
! the starting point the entire line was en-
gagged. The New York, stately, standing
| high out of the water and showing all her
! slowly ran the gauntlet of two miles, the
Terror and Amphitrite sticking up like
ammunition boxes. The Detroit and
! Montgomery were little spitfires and all
| their a arIbO3T0 sides a thick mass
of yellow smoke.
Wounded vu5ne of birds nn into os the @ sea- Scarcely
| thirty seconds elapsed bpt the shrek of
passing shell was heard. Some of
they msas lost mra veioey Most 4 them hem
were fired at a very high Trajectory. the
enemy apparently using their rifles as
| mortars. Jets of water rising in all Gi-s
rections showed how good, or generally
how bad had been the aim
became less startling and the men did
| not dodge unless some one shouted
/ Look out or Get under cover. But the
| first shriexing of big shells overhead is
/ clined to get his head nearer his feet and
4 keep it in that position until waterjet
/ tells him that the danger IS past.
| "The shot that fell on board the Iowa,
| injuring three men. Yves a ten.inch
! Armstrong shell manufactured in 1886. 1t
| was q wonder no more damage was done.
! an eight-inch she'll It struck the ship
exactly in the same place where the Iowa
| was struck coming IN at the port quarter
and exploding on the iron istaunchion of
| the superstructure. It then flew into a
1 Thousand pieces
while the enemy's FIRE was. at It's hot
without any cover, feaving the lead.
| York harbor.
| They can't hit US, George, sang out
| one of them to a man in the lee of the