The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-02
II s s S. Indiana.
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. July ]

3 Guantanamo Bay. Cuba, July ~.
Mr.. Dear Park: | am afraid you Will
III, mo n very poor correspondent, but
the truth of the matter is our snip IS 50
terribly hot that we hate to remain be-
low decks long enough To write letters.
When we are at sea, and mat Is ABOUT
all the time. everything has to be closed,
and it is really undesirable. While here,
and a sort Of quiet reigning, | will com
mence this letter. The surrender of San
tiaco has given us breathing spell ana
n chance to give our machinery a slight
overhauling, preparatory TO gong on tue
Porto Rico campaign.
The newspaper accounts are all in IA
vor of the army, as is always the case
in all countries. but You can rest as
sured that Santiago would never have
fallen had not the ships shelled the city.
In one forenoon we threw IL S-inch
shells into that town and only seven fail-
cd TO hit it. And it was hidden by the
cliffs and was Az sea miles away. The
surrender began that afternoon.
II was the admiral ! would not ask
for any soldiers for San Juan until after
the city surrendered. and then 1 would
wire the department TO send enough TO
police the place. They would then be
safe from Spanish bullets and would only
have the fever to fear. This fleet can
make any city surrender that is within
6lb miles of it. that being the effective
range of our big guns. and, although the
large guns in the forts can shoot much
further than that yet ship is small
mark to hit at such long range.
| must try to tell you something of
orr doin"s since the war began. We
have been very busy, you may be sure.
for this is purely naval war. We began
by blockading Havana--dreary. tiresome
work. Then we went hunting for Ger
yera's fleet rs far as San Juan. Porto
Rico. and while there we entertained the
Spanish. gunners by Smelling their forts
for three hours and more. That was my
first experience under fire. We regarded
ii in the nature of target practice ana
when we were not on the firing line we
would collect on deck and watch the bat
tle-a rather dangerous proceeding. as
we found out by the whiZZing of the
shells over our heads. After that we re-
turned to Key West and again made an
other cruise i'm search of Cervcra. rms
time we learned that he had made San
tiago de Cuba. We then went to Key
West and waited for our noble army to
get ready to move. Finally we moved
Will the transports. on June 18th, and
got them safely to their destination. We
then went to Santiago on June 22d. and
engaged in the bombardment Of the
forts there. as diversion. while the
arm was landing Mt Daiquiri. fifteen
miles east On the 2nd of July we be-
gan general bombardment of the forts
about the entrance to Santiago bay. and
did them some harm. although the Span
iards had become cunning. AS soon as
we began firing they would leave their
guns and get behind the hills and when
we would quit they would run to their
guns and fire few parting shots.
On the 3rd. while we were preparing
to have quiet Sunday of it. we observed
smoke over the bluffs at the entrance
and i'm n second we heard a gun fired by
the Oregon. and sure enough there was
one of the ships coming out. In less
time than ! can write it our men were
mt their guns and we were steamng right
for the leading ship. firing as hard as we
could We fred about 80 shots Il min
ute e fired at each ship as they came
out and then devoted our attention to
the Oquendo, the last one. Then we
turned orr smaller guns on the DESTROY
ers as they were seen coming out. The
New York World Of the 9TH gives Il fair
account of the fight This ship. the Iowa
and the Oregon bore the heaviest of the
fight. The Gloucester did fine work with
the deStrOyers. but she was no match
for them, and had not this ship and the
Iowa turned their guns on them the
Gloucester would have been licked.
The Brooklyn kept so far off shore she
hardly had any hand in the fight. The
Oregon caught and chased the Colon TO
surrender.
Admiral Sampson deserves all the cred
ii for the fight. as it was his orders that
put the ships in their positions. and he
gave such orders that victory was sure
from the start. Had the Brooklyn. New
York and Texas all been away. the result
would have been the same.
| am writing in haste. as the mail Or
derby is waiting to take this letter.
Sincerely yours.