The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-17
Walls Smashed to Fragments and Guns Olsnounfed
and Rendered Use|ess-Shots From vesuvIus
May Have Ruined Spanish Torpedo Boats.

hlbkotpht ~
samnson's feet bombarded the bat
teries at Santiago for the THIRD time AZ
daylight Thursday morning. For hours
the ships pounded the batteries At the
right and left of the entrance. only
snaring that where Lieutenant Hopson
and his companions OF the Merrimac
are in prison. The western batteries
against which the main assault was Ill
rectcd, were badly wrecked; one was
utterly destroyed. and in the other
many guns were dismounted-
Al arst the spaniards replied passion
ately and wildly. but impotentiy. ineh
most OF the guns were deserted.
Not a ship was struck. nor a man
injured on the American size. LIS
believed that the enemy's loss or lie
was heavy
AS a preliminary to the haminering
the yesuyius, at midnight, was given
another chance. Three 2~50-pound
OF guncotton were sent over the forth ,
Gcations at the entrance. The design
was TO drop them In the bay around
the angle, back. OF the on
which MORO is situated. where 1t Is
known the Spanish torpedo boat de-
stroyers are lying. Two charges went
true. as no reports were heard-a Pc
culiarity of the explosion OF guncotton
in water. Whether the d~estroyers
were demolished is not known, but the
destructive area of guncotton Is large,
and IL will not be surprising IL Ii is SUBJ
eeuuently ascertained that one or both
were destroyed. The third charge ex-
ploded 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
living fire Of a titanic urnace. A
crater big enough to hold a church
was blown out of the side.
Admiral Sampson issued the orders
for the bombardment. Coffee was
served to the men at $3.50, and with the
first blush of dawn the men were called
quietly to quarters. The ships steamed
at a 5-knot speed to a 5000 yards range,
when they closed up, broadside on. until
a distance OF three cables lengths sep
arated them. They We're strung out
in the form of a crescent, the heavy
fighting ships in the center, the flagship
on the right flank. and the Massachu-
sets on the leS flank. The line re-
NAMED stationary throughout the bonn
bardment. The Vixen and Scorpion
took up positions oil opposite TANKS.
close in shore. for the purpose of en-
flading any infantry that might hre
upon the ships. When the ships got
into position Il was still too dark for
any firing. The admiral signalled the
ships not to fire until the muzzles Of the
enemy's guns in the embrasures could DC
seen by me gun captains.
I-sfs.-- ~i.xn lofar q ks1h a m.
che New York opened with a ~broadsid'
from her main battery at the works a
the east OF the entrance to the harbor
All the ships followed In red streaks o.
dame. The fleet, enveloped In smoke
Melted the hills and kicked UP dirt AM
masonry. 1t was a magnificent spec
tacle from where the Dauntless lay
Though the gun captains had bee
warned not to waste ammunition, but I
Are with elaboration, the firing was $
rand that there was an almost con
tinuous report. The measured cras
Of the big 13-inch guns of the battleship
sounded above the rattle OF the gun
of the secondary batteries III thundei
claps above the din OF a hurricane.
.,rone land breeze of the shore carrie
the smoke of the ships seward wnil
a, LET down a thick curtain from n
Snanish gunners. The dons responde
.n,r,tedlv AT FIRST: but their frenzie'
half-crazed fire could not match the co
norve trained eyes and skilled gunner
Of the American sailors. Our nre wa
much more effective than In the prece'
ing bombardment.
The admirais ordnance expert ne
given explicit directions to- reduce u
powder charges and 10 elevate the CUR
90 as to shorten the trajectory. al
thus to ensure a plunging fire. AS u
shells in the preceding bombardme
dropped with the almost straight "
1ectories of projectiles with full charg'
Il was almost impossible TO plant the
They would shoot into the air. encircii
the batteries. owing to the high eley
ton. and fall far over the forts. Il
effect of the reduced charges was mi
yelous. In Is minutes one western b'
terry was completely wrecked. j
Massachusetts, tore a gaping hole In
confinement with a 1000-pound p
~tectile. and the Texas dropped n sh
into the powder magazine. The
plosion wrought terrible havoc.
frame was lifted, the sides we're bio
ont and a shower Of debris few I'm ev'
direction. one timber, carried out
the side OF the battery. went tumbi
down the hill. The loss OF lie m
have been great.
The batteries on the east OF MI
were harder to get at. but the New
leans crossed the bow Of the New y
10 within 900 yards Of shore'ardp Ia
a tattoo with her long s-inch ride. 81
ing a gun squarely muzzle-on. hii
A. OFF its ~trunnisns and sending u
weeping somersaults high In the al