The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-21

dOAliAo II a t4OElllcEIy FL
Sob will catch her, though the Prairie
was yesterday evening in the course
the Purisima Conception was taking
this morning.
BOMBARDING THE FORTS.
On Board the Associated Press Dis
patch Boat Dauntless, off Santiago de
Cuba, Thursday June 18th, noon, Via
Kingston, ia, Thursday June 18th 9 D.
r Admira SIMPSONS fleet bonn
barded the batteries at Santiago de
Cuba for the third time at day light
this morning. For hours the ships
pounded the batteries al the right and
left Of the entrance, only sparing Ell
MORO, where Lieutenant Hobson and
his companions of the Merrimac are in
prison.
The western batteries, against which
the main assault was directed. were
badly wrecked. One was utterly de-
strOyed. In others nan guns were
diSmOunted.
At first the Spaniards replied pas
sionately and wildly, but impotently.
Then most Of the guns were deserted.
Not a ship was struck, nor a man in
jured on the American side. 1t is be-
lieved that the enemy's loss of life was
heavy.
MORE SHOTS BY THE VESUVIUS.
AS a preliminary to the hammering
given the batteries the dynamite cruiser
Vesuvius last night at midnight was
given another chance. Three 250 pound
charges Of g%uncOtton were sent yer
the Notifications at the entrance. The
design was to drop them in the bay,
arOun the angle, where it was known
that the Spanish torpedo boa destroy
ers were lying. Two charges went true
as no reports were heard-a popularity
nc tho - e o0ff ~ xrofa-
Whether the d~estrOyers were demOl-
iShed is not known, but the destructive
area of guncotton is large and it would
not be surprising if it is subsequently
ascertained hat one or both were de-
strOyed. The third charge exploded
with terrific violence on CayO Smith.
From where the fleet lay the entrance
to the harbor looked in the black night,
like a door opening into the livid fire
of a Titanic furnace A crater large
enough to hold a church was blown out
Of the CayO Smith and was clearly seen
from the ships this morning. Admiral
Sampson issued the orders for the
bOmbardment last night. Coffee was
served to the men at $3.50 o'clock this
morning with the first blush of
dawn they were called quietly to quar-
terS.
THE MOST SUCCESSFUL bonn
BARDMENT.
The ships steamed in i've knot speed
to a 5000 yards range, when they clos
ed up, brOadside on, until a distance
of three cable lengths separated them.
They were strung out in the form OF a
cresent,@the heavy fighting ships in
the centerSthe flagship on the right
flank and the Massachusetts on the left
flank. The Vixen and Scorpion took up
x~o-;A;o~- ~, 0rrOGitn fnnkS ntnC0 in
shore, for the purpose of enfilading any
infantry that might fire upon the ships.
When the ships got in positions it
was still too dark for any firing. The
admiral signaled the ships not to fire
until the muzzles of the enemy's guns
in the embrazures could be seen by
the gun captains.
At 5:25 o'clock a. NJ, the New York
opened with a ~broadside from h main
battery, at the works On the east Of the
entrance to the harbor. All the ships
followed in red streakS of flames. The
fleet enveloped in smoke, pelted the
hills, and kicked up dirt and masonry
1t was a magnificent spectacle, from
where the Dauntless lay.
Though the gun captains had been
cautioned not to waste ammunition,
but to fire with deliberatiOn, the fire
was so rapid that there was an almost
continuous report. A strong land
breeze off the shore carried the smoke
Of the ships seward, while it let down
a thick curtain in front of the Spanish
gunners.
The Dons responded spiritedly at
first, but their frenzied, half crazed fire
could not match the cool nerve, trained
eyes and skilled gunnery of the Amer
lean sailors. Our fire was much more
effective than in preceding lombard
ments. The admirars ordnance expert
had given explicit directions to reduce
the powder charges n to elevate the
guns. so as to shorten the trajectory
and thus to secure a plunging fire. AS
the shells in the preceding lombard
ment dropped with the almost straight
trajectories of. projectiles with full
charges, it was almost impossible to
plant them. They would shoot into the
air. encircling the batteries. owing to
the high elevation, and fall far e the
Notifications. The effect of the re-
duced charges was marvellous.
In fifteen minutes one western bat
terry was completely wrecked. The
Massachusetts, tore a Gaping hole in
the emplacement with a 1000 pound
projectile and the Texas dropped a
shell into the powder magazine. The
explosion wrought terrific havoc. The
frame was lifted, the sides were blown
out and a shower of debris flew in ev-
cry ulTSCl1OI. oU0 tiIuDcT Carried out
of the side of the battery, went tumb-
ling down the hill. The loss Of life
must have been great.
The batteries on the east of MORO
were harder to get at but the New Or
leans crossed the bows of the New
York to within 500 yards of shore and
played a tattoo with her long 8-inch
rifles, hitting them repeatedly, striking
a gun squarely muzle-on. lifting 1t off
its trunions and sending it in seeping
somersau1ts high in the air.
Several times Admiral Sampson sig
nailed the ships temporarily to cease
firing, in order to allow the smoke to
clear from the batteries. When the
order came at $50 to cease firing every
gun of the enemy had been silenced
for ten minutes, but as the ships drew