The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-06-03

(OOpyrlSuU 1880 W UH6 AesooA0oou IoSs.y
On Board the Associated Press Dis
patch Boat Dandy, Port Antonio. JAM,
June 1, p. m.-For an hour yesterday
afternoon the Iowa, Massachusetts,, New
Orleans andVixen of Commodore Schley's
squadron exchanged shots with the Span
ish fleet under Admiral Cervera and with
the land batteries guarding the harbor of
Santiago de Cuba behind which The
Spanish feet Is hiding.
The engagement was she first which
has occurred between the two naval forces
and was but prelude to serious work in
the latter part of the week.
No attempt was made by the American
commander, who for the afternoon shifted
his pennant to the Massachusetts to bring
on general engagement, it being merely
his desire to locats the batteries on the
hills above the harbor and to determine
the location of the Spanish forts
Shortly before ten O'Clock Commodore
Schley left the Brooklyn for the Massa-
chusetts.
At one O'Clock the signal to form
column was hoisted on the Massachusetts
and the New Orleans, Iowa, Vixen fell in
| in the order named.
The Massachusetts steamed slowly until
about five miles west of the harbor en-.
trance, when she turned in towards tha
shore and. whom about 5000 yards off ahs
turned east again and bore down e. the
harbor, the New Orleans being cIess up
- ho1 yot1 10 hob
flagship gradually increased her speed and
she was soon running through the water
at the rate Of ten knots an hour. She
drew closer and closer to the batteries.
When she had passed the harbor en-
trance by five hundred yards great
cloud of white and yellow smoke burst
from her two 13.inch guns IN her after
turret. and two shells rose over the hill,
one Of them striking the Spanish flagship
Cristobal Colon full aud fair as she lay at
her anchorage and the other falling close
alongside.
were then fired. All the shore batteries
took up the challenge and began a rapid
fire on the Massachusetts,, but she was
soon beyond their range and the batteries
thereupon turned their guns Oh the New
Orleans. This cruiser had been directed
to pay attention to the batteries. She had
been ordered to draw their fire as much as
possible and she obeyed her instructions
to the letter. Her first shot located q
large battery on the hill above Moro. 1t
flew straight into the fort and must have
caused much damage, as great cloud of
dust and debris rose as the shell burst. A
couple of more shots sent part of the walls
of MORO flying into the air and then the
New Orleans confined herself to the bat.
teriea. her fire being rapid and extremely
accurate. Every shot she fired made
trouble for Spain. g9
The Iowa came next and like the
Massachusetts devoted her attention to
the ships lying within the harbor Her
12-inch shells made the water fly around
that part of the harbor in which the
Cristobal Colon lay. The latter, however,
was not seriously damaged and kept up
her fire until long after all the American
ships had steamed out of range.
Af5ey the Iowa came the little Vixen
which apparently had no business in the
fight where battleships were engaged.
But she scudded along after the Iowa.
like fox terrier following a mastiff, and
when at the proper point she let fly with
her one six pounder and glided away.
proudly conscious of having done her
best.
After the Vixen had passed the ports,
the Massachusetts turned again to the
westward followed by the other ships in
the same order, with the exception of the
Vixen which was ordered to keep out of
trouble.
The ironclads then bore down on the
harbor once more The flagship kept in
until less than 1000 yards from the shore
and then her shells again began to heaye
up the waters Of Santiago harbor. This
time the shore batteries We're better
served, and the Spaniards replied to the
warship's fire in energetic fashion, but