The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1898-05-20
BoMBARDMENT
OF San Juan. Capital of Puerto
Rico.

On Board the BattIeship IOwa, of
San Juan de Puerto Rico, Nay u.
.-CVIa 81. Thomas, Danish West
Indies, May l3.-The forts Of san
Juan de Porto Rico were BON bard
ed by part OF Rear Admiral Samp-
sons fleet this morning. The enc
my's loss IL believed 10 be heavy.
American loss two men dead and 7
men wounded.
The engagement began at 5:l5
.. m. and ended at s:lj y. m.
The enemy's batteries we're not
-ilsnced. The town In the rear Of
the fortiflcatiOns most probably
suffered.
The ships taking part in the ac-
tlon were the Iowa, Indiana, New
, York, Terror, Amphitrite, Detroit,
Montgomery, wampaiuek aud the
Porter. The enemy's firing was
heavy but wild, and the Iowa and
the New York were the only ships
hit. They went directly up under
the guns in column, delivering fire.
quent brOadsides, and then return
ed. The line passed thrice in front
OF the forts, pouring tons OF steel
on shOre.
Il is impossible 10 judge OF the
the amount 81 damsge done TO the
buildings and forts. They appear
ed 10 be riddled with shot but the
Spauiards were plucky. After the
first passage before the fort the De-
troIt aud the Montgomery retired,
their guns being too small 10 do
much damage. Smoke hung over
everything, spelling the aim Of the
gunners and making it impossible
to tell where our shots struck Of
ficers and men II I'll the ships be-
haved with coOlness and bravery.
Shots few thick and fast over all
our ships.
The men Of the Iowa who were
hurt during the action were injur-
ed by splinters thrown BY an eight
inch shell which came through a
boat into the suPersiructars and
scattered fragmenisin every diree.
tion. The shots course was final
u ended ON an iron plate IN inch
thick. All Nrie hurt by splinter'
and a fire was stari,d in the boai
but IL Was quickly eXiinguished.
MORO battery on the eastern arm
Of the harbOr, vas the principal
Point Of attack. Rear Admit Samp-
son and Capt. Evans were ON ih'
= lower bridge OF the Iowa aud had
. narrow escape from flying sPlinter'
. which injured three men. The Io
wa vas hit eight times, but th'
sh,lIs made no impression on he
: armOr.
:. The weather was fine, but tn,
= heavy swells made accurate ain
:, dificuit. The brOad-ides from tn
lows and Indiana rumbled in ih
!. hills ashore for i've minutes afte
they weredeliyered. Clouds OF dus
a showed where the shells struc
m but the smoke hung over every
= thing. The shells sereeching Ovel
- head and dropping around shove
!. that the Spaniaris still stuck 4
n THAR guns.
At3 o'clock in the morning a
r hands were called on the Iowa,
n few final touches in clearing Il
~ ship were made and at ) ''geners
" 0uarters- sounded, the men cage
or for the fight.
. The t1g WamPatuek went ahea
= and anchored her small boat to q
IN westward, showing ten fathOms. .b'
"A there was not = sign Of life frOl
!, the fort which stood boldly again
the sky on the eastern hills hidir
the tOwn.
The Detroit steamed far 10 q
eastward. opposite the Walter
Al The Iowa headed straight for q
nd the shore. Suddenly her helm de
'Se over, bringing the stsrtOand baii
< N to bear on the fcEtiaeations- :
J. 5:l6 =. m. the IOwa's forward ]
y. inch guns thundered out at d
'le sleeping hills. and for fourteen mi
'ih utss she poured siarbOard brOa
by sides on the coast. Meanwhile q
- Indiana, New York, aud other Shi
he repeated the dose from the rc'
'Or The Iowa turned aud came hack
'er the wampatuek's bOats and aga
&c led the column, the forts rePlyi
as a.pcely, concentrating ON the |
Try lr,lt, which was about 100 yaI
~ away, all the bA,,s'ics On the e.
The ward arm Oi the hArb.,r. Thr
but the column passed from the
hen trance u tlhe har6Or To the extre
sht eastward battery,