The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-23

| especial Gable Dispatch to the New York Her
aid, London Times and The Houston Post.
copyrighted, ISIS. by James Gordon BEN
nettl
Port Antonio, Jamaica, June 22.--Whcn
the Mindora left, In front OF Santiago final
arrangements for tho landing OF portion
Of the troops at Sagua bay. of Baconao and
Juragua. was completed. At the confer
enee held in Skaters headquarters on the
ship Seguranca Tuesday night. Shaficr
concluded to strike quickly and get tn,
troops ashore and move on Santiago so
nothing could be In the way of Porto Rico,
The whole game unfolded beautifully The
transports, which had been riding far out
at SEA. came steaming in early Wednesday
conveyed by the Indiana. Helena, Bancroft
and auxiliary cruisers. Tho troops eagerly
crowded the decks, scanning the shore OF
Baracoa bay. whero iron mines are beyond
the huge iron dock. Fires blazed, for there
had been early fighting with the Insurgents
and the Spaniards had Tired the town he.
fore they fled
The troops on the twenty-s six ships ask
ed questions as they waited for the navy
TO clear the way. The prospect ashore was
pleasant to the eye, wooded hills browning
the mountains little hamiets. trees beau
iitully green dropping with fruit here and
there Spanish block house. where pow
eriul glasses showed Spanish infantry,
lay on the hills fifteen Mics on the other
side Of Santiago harbor.
We saw firing at sea. and knew that
MAZl Nora had hoo, ot,clscl -, ,,,,l -.
from sea. and that Spanish soldiers were
hurrying from Santiago harbor to repel
the expected landing there.
Men were moved down to cave four
miles cast Of Santiago. an easy landing
place for infantry. One OF the torpedo
boats reported that Spanish soldiers were
collected on the hillside as though they
expected an attack at that point The
challenge was accepted, and soon one OF
the auxiliary yachts was banging away at
the Spanards and sending them heller
SHELTER TO the plateau.
The ships did not menace Sigua with its
blazing houses and four warships ran into
the bay of Juragua. in front OF Daiqur
and began to piow up the hillsides with
shells and the Spanish soldiers scattered
One Of the attacking ships was the Ban
croft. her first time in ixtion. aud she
scored beautifully in shooting The shore
batteries beneath Moro opened on the
scouting torpedo boat and one of the ar
morclads, awaiting for Ceryera. the Texas
think, steamed in and slenced the bat
terry with her big gun.
The coast fronting Santiago was menaeed
at all points at one time, seemingly more
| seriously on the west than the east. and
the beleaguered city could not tell whence
the blow would come.
Shafter on the Seguranca calmly gazed
1t was a spectacle TO enjoy. Ten thousand
men on troopships eager to land viii g
down twenty-five miles Of the coast. war
ships shelled the cove and garrisonsd blum
and battery while looking after the land
ing.
Sampson had not lost thought OF Ger
vera If he had come out he would have
found an overwhelming force waiting to
pounce on him. Sampson himself came 10
see the landing and Schley on the Brook
Ign, with the Iowa, Massachusetts. Texas
and Indiana, waited for the Spanish al
miral. Far back of the armorclads just at
range to drop dynamite into the entrance
to the harbor, the Vesuvius waitel. but
Cervera came not.