The record-union., 1898-06-13

OFF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, June 6.
Via Kingston, jamaica June 1)-
Copyright, 1898, by the Associated
Press) delayed in transmission.)-
The Spanish water batteries guarding
Santiago de Cuba were badly wrecked
to-day by the American fleet in a bonn
bardment lasting from shortly after Z
O'Clock until some time about ii o'clock
this morning. The orders of the attack
were issued on Saturday night. All
the men We're warned to retire early,
and preparations were made for break
fast at o:30 a. m. That the fire from
the Spanish forts would be severe was
generally conceded, but snatches of
song and the strumming of guitars and
mandolins from the ships gave any
thing but an impression of deadly war
fare
Early on the morrow the officers
gathered on the quarter-decks and dis
cussed the possible effect of the shots.
1t was agreed that the earthworks
would be hard to destroy, and that a
great deal of ammunition would be
wasted, especially as the forts were
situated on high ground. To the con-
trary, the fact that the ships We're not
to move, and We're to stand in at 1900
yards, made them a good target; and
it was judged that the drop of shells
from the forts would be disastrous in
case of hits.
The distance fought at made the sec
ondary batteries of rapid-fire guns use
less, and they Were silenced. The line
of battle planned was the same as in
the movement of Saturday afternoon.
The big battleships Texas, Massachu-
setts, Oregon and Iowa moved in a
straight line from the south. The
Brooklyn, Marblehead and Vixen
moved in a line on a slight angle. the
Vixen close in shore, and the Brooklyn
next to the Texas, III the most danger
Gus place on the line because both
she and the Texas faced up the har-
Dor, which rounds northeast; on the
other angle. to the westward, the New
York, the New Orleans and the Yam
kee. These faced the new earthwork
battery opposite MORO Castle, while
the Brooklyn, Marbehead and Vixen
faced the Estrella battery Morro Cas-
tie. the Catalina battery and two earth
work batteries on the western bank
and a couple of new shore batteries.
The morning opened with heavy
showers and no breeze. Not a favor
able outlook. because the dense smoke
from the big guns would hang over the
ship like pail and disarrange the aim
of the gunners. while the shore batter
les. having smokeless powder, would be
able to fire at the patches of smoke,
with little inconvenience. Toward 6:3O
o'clock the skies lightened. and good
breeze came along. At 6:32 the order
to move in to land was given and as
the columns formed a beautiful and in
spring sight was witnessed
Forming in two columns. at dis
tance OF six miles, the ships moved
toward the entrance of the harbor, the
Brooklyn leading one column and the
New York the other. Slowly they
moved up until within four miles Of
the forts. Then they turned the Brook
lyn to the west, followed by the Mar
blehead, Texas and Massachusetts.
and the New York led to the east, fol-
lowed by the New Orleans, Yankee,
Iowa and Oregon.
When the ships had all turned into
this new formation they moved in bat
tie line to within 5000 yards of the bat
teries in the positions originally de-
tailed. The Vixen and the Suwanee
went in on the left flank to look out
for rifles rihe-pits. and the Dolphin
and the torpedo-boat Porter did SIM
liar duty on the right flank.
The forts remained silent. but at
precisely I:41 a 12-inch gun on the