The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-13
FLEET HAS THE RANGE.
Could Destroy Santiago without the
Aid of the Army.


OFF AGUADORES, July II (via
Kingston, July 12).-The United States
navy has the following problem pre-
sented to it:
What is the best manner Of effec-
lively bombarding a city distant four
and half miles, and concealed from
view by range Of hills 250 feet high
at it's lowest part?"
The problem has been satisfactorily
solved. So, If the army hereafter never
fired shot and merely guarded the
roads the navy could make Santiago
untenable, If, indeed, 1t did not totally
destroy 1t In a few days.
Sunday and today the sea was calmer
than usual, so the opportunity for good
practice was afforded. In pursuance
CT Gen. Skaters request, Commodore
Schley. Rear Admiral Sampson being
absent at Guantanamo, at 3 o'clock on
Sunday afternoon, ranged the Brook
lyn, Indiana and Texas within 500 yards
CT the shore, at a>point almost due
south of the city. Of Santiago, distant
little over four and half miles. The
ships were about a mile apart. The
army signal men were on the beach op
poSite the ships and also on the crest Of
a hill overlooking both the ships and
the city. These men wigwagged the re-
suits Of each shot, telling the gunners
If the shell was aimed too high or too
low, or not in line
Sundays practice was good, but it
was better today, when the firing was
opened by the New York, which return
ed from Guantanamo bay during the
night. The New York, Brooklyn and
Indiana were the ships which partici-
pated in the shelling this morning.
Each shot was carefully calculated and
the wigwag signaled from the shore
to the ships where each shot fell and
notified the gunners If they had the
proper elevation.
The ships ran out their big guns on
the side opposite the firing, in order to
secure the desired list to port or to
starboard.
Gen. Shafter signaled about noon
that some Of the shells fell in the bay
and some In the city. The latter do
not appear to do great damage"
Comment on the ship was changed
Immediately by a message saying:
THE last shot struck st. Nicholas
church, where powder was stored,
blowing up the same and doing great
damage"
The bombardment closed for the day
at p. M, at Gen. Skaters request, as
he was about to send a flag of truce
into the city, in order to demand its
surrender for the third and last time.
The whole proceeding was business-like
in the extreme. The ordinary avoca-
tions on shipboard went on, punctuat-
ed at intervals Of five minutes by the
roar Of the big guns, the scream of pro-
jecttles, and the echoes from the noun
tains in the rear Of Morro castle, plain
ly visible to the westward and having
the bombarding ships we'll in range.
But not a gun was fired by the Span
iards.
The effect Of the shells when they
did hit can easily be imagined, when
it is known that each of them carries
ESQ pounds Of explosives, and travels
$50 feet per second. When such a mis-
sile travels the distance of four and
half miles from the muzZle to the city,
II occupies twenty-five and one-fourth
seconds in it's flight.
-Four shells during the bombardment
today ignited fires in different parts Of
the city, proving the feasibility Of
burning the place by using the guns Of
the fleet alone.
1t was strange to see our soldiers re-
pairing a locomotive on the railroad
track running along the beach, while
like the strokes of q slow clock the
guns were fired, and sent shells sc. cam
iEg over the men at work.
Death must have come to many in
the city by reason of the shelling, but
1t is impossible to do more now than
surmise as to the extent Of the mortal