The San Francisco call., 1898-06-20
Havoc Wrought by tbe Recent BornburdDent
 of Santiago.
Flag at Holf-Mdst oD tbe Moro Causes Alarm as to Hob-
 sons Fate.

ON BOARD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DISPATCH BOAT DAUNT- LESS, OFF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, June Is (via Kingston Jamaica, June 19).-A careful inspection of the for tifcations along the crest of the hills defending Santiago Harbor since the bombardment Thursday morning shows the American gLnners spread wreck and ruin everywhere. Some of the bat teries were demolished beyond re- pair. The vultures which circIed over the hills as thick as swallows around a chimney for hours after the firing ceased furnished grewsome evidence of the fatality among the Spanish soldiers. Hundreds of troops could be seen from the ships digging in mounds of earth piled by the explosions of the projec- tiles from the heavy guns for bodies, while their heads were famed by the wings of the black scavengers of the battlefield.
 There were two spots, one on the east and the other on the west of the harbor entrance, which were denuded of foli- age The hill tops seemed literary blown away. These marked the places
  of guncotton blown by the Vesuvius landed.
 But the most ominous token of death flew from Morro Castle. The saffron flag of Spain was half-masted for sev- eral hours. The significance of this is not known. It is not customary to half mast flags, but possibly some Spanish leader was killed bv the heavy fire of the guns, though some officers of the squadron believe the flag was half masted as a notification to the Ameri- cans that Lieutenant Hobson and his brave men were dead. If such Is the case they must have been wantonly murdered The Spanish might seek to lay their death to the bombardment, but not a shot from the Americans struck the fortress.
 Neither Admiral Sampson nor Com modore Schley believe that Lieutenant Hobson and his party have been killed. We have seventeen prisoners taken at Guantanamo, including a lieutenant, besides a number in the United States, for reprisais or exchange.
 There was evident demoralization among the Spanish troops during the bombardment. Officers could be seen, with drawn swords, driving the men to the guns, but even then they could not be forced to stay so long as our fire
 
 night work of the Vesuvius had shat tered their nerves.
 It is believed by some that the 13- inch projectile fired from the Texas which was reported to have exploded the powder magazine In one of the western batteries, did not fall in the battery, but went beyond and blew up one of the ships in the harbor.
 A dramatic incident of the Lombard ment was the act of Spanish officer who bravely ran along the parapet un- der a heavy fire. encouraging his men to stand their ground. Shot and shell rained about him, and, after one terrific explosion, he was seen no more and the parapet had disappeared. He could not have escaped death.
 From the foretop of the Brooklyn, 2900 yards distant, the men in the grounds could be noticed, but a min- ute later dust and flying debris would take their places, and when the smoke raised only a spot of red earth could be seen-guns and gunners had been swept away. It was the most deadly and destructive bombardment of the war this far. Scarcely a shot from the big guns of the squadron went astray. The aim of our gunners was superb, and not only were the coast forts anni- Inflated. but the batteries on Cayo