The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-06-02
The Fortifcations at Santiago de
Cuba Are Bombarded.
DETAILS NOT YET RECEIVED,
The Spanish Admirars Torpedo Boats
Make Dash for the American Fleet,
but Are Repulsed-Obllged to Seek
Saeaher Behind the Forts.


lions at 3 O'Clock Tuesday afternoon,
the evident intention being to reduce
| them in order to get at Admiral Ger
vera 8 squadron at anchor in Santiago
/ Gay.
About midnight Monday night Ger
| vera's two torpedo boat destroyers
slipped out of the harbor and crept
along for two miles toward Schley's
! fleet before they were discovered by
| the searchlights, which were soon full
upon the enemy after the alarm was
| given.
Finding they were discovered, the
destroyers made dash for the Texas
and Brooklyn. The port forward bat
teries OF the former were opened and
there was a lively rafting of shells
about the destroyers. This firing awoke
the entire feet. but the Brooklyn was
the only other ship that came into
action.
It was a desperate game on the part
Of Cervera, and It took men of nerve
to sail through the storm of kissing
shells that poured from the Texas. But
they couldn't stand it, and soon sought
safety in the haFbor, behind the fOrt1-
fications and out of range.
The American feet in the lombard
ment included the Brooklyn, the flag
ship OF the squadron; Massachusetts,
Texas, Iowa, Marblehead, Nashville,
Scorpion, and two torpedo boats.
The dispatch says that among the
attacking vessels was one which
seemed to be the New York, flying the
flag of Admiral Sampson.
There is great excitement in San
! tfago, the Spanish residents, notWith-
standing the repeated boasts of the
military and naval officers, fearing that
the Americans will soon be in posses
sion Of the city.
Owing to the height of the hill on
which the MORO castle is located, IT
was impossible for the Americans to
run in shore and elevate their guns
to a sufficient height to do any dam
age. Consequently the big ships with
the heavy rifles stood some distance
off shore, from where they could pour
in a more effective fire, while the
smaller vessels, nearer the shore, de-
voted themselves to attacking the
sand and mortar batteries on the shore
beneath the Moro.
Some of the shells from the big
rifles went clear over the MORO,
landing in the ESTRADA point battery,
Santa Catalina fort, and the other for
t1fcations on the same side Of the en-
trance as the Moro, but to the north
ward of it.
The firing of the ships was appar-
emily directed principally against the
MORO, the fort of La Socapa, on the
opposite side of the entrance, and
against Punta Gorda, which, though
some distance from the entrance, could
be reached by an almost straight fire
from the sea.
The forts relied bravely to the fire,
but, so far as can be learned, did not
appear to do any great damage.
The sound of the cannonading was
deafening. The bay is almost entirely
surrounded by mountains, and the re-
ports of the guns were echoed and re-
charge, making terrific din.
The dispatch intimates that some of
the Spanish warships took part in the
engagement, but this cannot be veri-
fed. 1t was stated some days ago that
two or three warships of Admiral Ger
vera's squadron were lying some dis
lance below the city, and it is possible
that they may have been engaged.
They could not be seen from the
city, and this probably accounts for
the indefniteness of the statements re-
garding the squadron's participating
in the battle.
Whether or not the Americans en-
tered the bay is not known. It is re-
ported that they did, but this is doubt
ed, as it is scarcely supposed that Com
modore Schley would attempt to run
the forts through a channel known to
be filed with both electrical and con-
tact mines. Again, had he forced the
passage Of the forts, and passed over
the mines unframed, it is certain that
he would have at once proceeded to the
city and engaged the Spanish warships
and the batteries.
During the fighting a number of
troops were hastily dispatched from
the city, and it is judged from this
that the Spanish losses in the batteries
must have been heavy, and that the
artillerymen were needed to man the
guns.
The dispatch states that the Ameri-
cans were compelled to retire after the
battle had lasted about two hours, but
this is doubted here, as it is known
that the Notifications at Santiago are
hardly strong enough to cope satisfac-
torily with such a powerful squadron
as that commanded by Commodore
Schley.
1t is certain, however, that the firing
ceased shortly after o'clock. Just
before it ceased the cannonading was
the heaviest of the day.
1t is expected that some Of the dis
patch boats accompanying the Ameri-