The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-07-06
Harbor of Guantanamo
Cleared Of Mines.
Effect of The Shells the Yes
sells Threw at Unseen Span.
1ards

Key West, June 29.-A vessel
that has just arrived here from Guam
tanamo, which she left on Sunday,
brought one of the officers of the
United States gunboat Dolphin, who
is returning home on sick leave.
The officer in question says the Dol
phin has been CO operating with the
| marines in Guantanamo harbor,
though lately matters have been quiet
| there.
! When we lef. on Sunday there
| were "a ships in the barbor, includ
ing fighting vessele, golfers, the
hospital ship Solace and the Red
Cross society steamer State of Texas
with Miss Clara Barton. 1t was the
prevalent belief then that Santiago
de Cuba would be taken before July
l, as the American troops were only
FIVE miles distant from the city and
closing An excellent water supply
had been obtained on the shore at
Guantanamo where there were 600
Cubans in addition to the force OF
American marines
The passage leading to the inner
harbor, the officer reports, was thor
oughly cleared of mines by launches
from the Dolphin and other ships
Eight mines, weighing $50 pounds
each, were taken up and sent to New
York. where they will be cleaned be-
fore they are put in use in American
waters
The Spanish troops at Caimanera
and other points on the inner harboE
are cut off from Santiago and are
starving They may be captured at
pleasure The Texas and the Marble.
head have destroyed the forts at the
inner end Of the passage and our ships
may enter the inner harbor and shell
Caimanera whenever they are ready.
The Dolphin took conspicuous
part in the bombardment of Santiago
on June 6. After the principal firing
she went toward the shore and fired
shells into train approaching the
city with soldiers. With the glasses
it could be seen that the train was
wrecked and the men were scram-
bling into the woods. The insur.
gents afterward reported that 70 men
and ii women were killed.
At Guantanamo the Dolphin pro
tected the camp of marines at night
casting her search light into the
woods occupied by the Spaniards and
shelling positions with three inch
shrapnel Througbou. the fighting
on both sides Of the bay the Dolphin
raked the Spanish shelters. Her
most notable achievement was on
June IA. when the marines made an
offensive movement and captured the
we'll.
Our troops moved upon the Span
iards with the Cubans in front and
on their tanks as scouts Whenever
the spaniards could be seen the Dol
phin threw shells among them
When they made their last stand the
marines wagged TO the Dolphin
'shell the house,
The Dolphin could see no house
except one che Lad previously hit ano
which she knew was empty. She
fired at random up the little valley
and she'll tearing through the trees
edenter house hidden among them
The SpaDiards poured out like ante
from a bill: and the Cubans and ma
rlnes picked off 6s. The shell kill
ed I.
In some cases the ships could only
Judge of the skill of their gunners BY
observing the vu!tures gathering
about spots where shots had beer
aimed. The Spanish dead were il
many cases, left unburied. Every
body, the Dolphin's officer says, ii
enthusiastic in praise of the Cubans
who are utterly without fear and are
unwilling to retire when ordered tt
stop fighting The fortitude of Cubar
| eold;oro 20 3oocr;hod oo yomorkohle