Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-04-29
FORTS KNOCKED 70 PIECES.
IA teries Destroyed by the Accurate
Fire Of Our Vessels.

Parting Shot Wiped Out An En-
tire shore Battery, Doubtless
Killing or Wounding Many Of the
Cannoneers-The New York Eff
feetually Cleaned Out the Side of
the Harbor She Took Charge Of.
The Cruiser Cincinnati Also Took
part in the Bombardment
New York, April 2S.-The dispatch
via KEY West, from the correspondent
l, the Herald. who was a witness of
,bp COMMANDMENT of Matanzas by the
American ships, under date of yester-
6av says: Admiral Sampson this
afternoon bombarded, silenced and
nrettv we'll destroyed the Spanish bat
teles in position and in course of con-
sfuction at the entrance of the harbor
of Alatanzas. He did it with his flag
shin New York, monitor Puritan and
cruiser Cincinnati.
Not one of the American ships was
struck. the Spanish gunnery being
wild. There is as yet no means of
knowing the number of dead and
wounded on the Spanish side
While the New York, Puritan and
Cincinnati We're accommodating in force
for the purpose of locating and de-
stroying the formidable defenses being
constructed the flagship was fired on
by the batteries on Point Rubalcaya
and Point Maya. guarding the en-
trance 10 the harbor. The New York
replied firing her forward S-inch gun
on the port side. She steamed boldly
in between the batteries and soon
blazed away with both broadsides at
them. The Puritan steamed in behind
the New York and engaged the forti-
fcation on Point Maya, while the New
York went to starboard close up to the
land and poured her shells into Rubal-
caya The Cincinnati, which had re-
manned well astern under orders, sig
nailed for permission to engage and re-
ceiyed it and soon was firing her guns
at the fort on the west side of the
bay
The batteries fired explosive shells
and most of them fell wide of the
mark. One burst just beyond the
stern of the New York and a scrapnel
shot exploded above her.
1t took the three ships Just eighteen
minutes to silence the batteries. The
last shot that was fired by the Spanish
came from Point Rubalcaya. The Pur-
itan replied with one of her 12-inch
guns The shell struck the battery
with wonderful accuracy and blew up
portion of it. After waiting in vain
for the Spanish to renew the engage
ment the ships withdraw, leaving both
batteries in ruins.
When Rear Admiral Sampson on the
flagship New York left the cruising
ground to pay visit to Matanzas and
Cardenas, he made up his mind that
something had to be done with the
very aggressive Spanish artillerymen
who were manning the batteries out
that way. They had twice fired on the
torpedo boat Foote and were very busy
erecting Notifications and placing guns
In position.
At Matanzas the New York found
the monitor Puritan and the Cincinnati
that have been blockading the port.
Admiral Sampson decided to make a
reconnaissance in force for the threefold
purpose Of locating the batteries, dis
covering the kind of guns they mount
ed and. if possible. stopping the work
of fortifying
Matanzas lies at the head of a bay
about four miles from the sea. This
bay at its mouth is three miles wide.
On the west side of the bay is Point
Rubalcaya and on the east side Point
Maya,
These points have a very slight ele-
Walton above the sea. but the config-
natiOn Of the harbor is such as TO give
the batteries on them a commanding
position Stretching back from these
batteries are towering hills and it was
believed the guns had been mounted
where the shrubbery grew.
The New York went far into the
shore. The Puritan was a few hundred
Yards astern on the port side and the
cincinnati remained behind a slightly
greater distance astern on the star
board side. Lines drawn from ship to
snip would have made an almost per-
feet triangle
few minutes before 1 o'clock there
was puff of smoke from the east shore
ana an S-inch she'll whizZed toward
me New York and fell short. Scarcely
mad the report died away than another
pun OF smoke foated upon the Point
MAYA side. The shell also fell short.
he range Of the east battery was near
~ seven thousand yards, but the flag
snip promptly opened fire with one of
Her elght-inch guns The engagement
III a few minutes became general and
shore and bay were covered with the
Wnd-blown smoke, while the hollow
between the hills roared with the can
non
continuing TO cut loose with her guns
Siarboard and port as we'll as fore and
aiJ the New York steamed quickly in
ana clrcled around to the westward to-
ward Point Rubalcaya, while the Puri-
van swung to starboard to engage the
Maya batteries The Maya battery
was the more formidable and the fire
rom 1t was more frequent, but the
Saells fell short The New York ig-
Eored this battery after minutes and
proceeded to pay all her attention to
,le battery on Rubalcaya, which was
oelng pushed to completion.