Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-07-23

N EW OKk, d ulY l0.-A ulSpdICn W
the Herald, from Santiago via Port
Antonio, says: Great excitement was
caused at Santiago today Thursday by
story hroughtin by Cubans that 4, ,00C
Cuban Insurgents composing Garcia's
army, were routed in fierce engage
ment with 5000 Spanish troops, bound
for Santiago to surrender. In the
battle which took place, at point sew.
eral miles north Of this city, forty one
Cubans were killed. The Cubans say
that many more were wounded. The
Spanish loss was much smaller. No
thing happening in this vicinity re-
Gently has taken the American officers
and troops so completely by surprise
as this battle. The Cubans are demand
ing vengeance and cannot understand
why the Americans do not annihilate
their Spanish prisoners of war.
GARCIA NEVER sAwJT.
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, July 3d. Itnow
turns out that the letter alleged to
have been addressed by General Garcia
to General Shafter complaining of the
treatment accorded to the Cubans and
advising General Shafter of Garcia s
resignation, was prepared by newspas
per correspondent named Arms, who
has been acting on the staff of General
Castillo. 1t is not clear that Garcia
ever saw the letter.
LITTLE BOATS DO WELL.
KEY WEST, Fla, July %. = The
United states gunboats, Topeka, An
napolis, Wasp and Leyden sjlenced the
Spanish Notifications in Nipe Bay, on
the northern coast of the Province of
Santiago de Cuba, on Thursday, and
sank the Spanish gunboat Juan Gorge,
which lay in the harbor. Her crew
escaped in the small boats, under a
heavy fire from the Leyden. The four
ships mentioned pounded the forts for
an hour, when the Spanish flag was
hauled down. The Americans did not
lose a man. The Spanish loss must
have been heavy.
MOSQUITO FLEET.
KEY WEST, July 23.-The Wasp and
the Leyden, being the smallest of the
uuartette. led the way, followed by the
ANNAPOLIS, while the Topeka, which
y
in the rear. The channel leading into
the barbor was very narrow. on the
bluff to the right, called Gallery Point,
was fort and signal station. AS the
American ships entered, the Spaniards
were signaling in lively fashion, .appa-
renty notifying the Spanish ships in
the harbor which were the Gorge Juan,
not Juan Gorge, two smaller gun boats
hof
toned. AS the Wasp and Leyden
rounded the point, the fort fired a
dozen shots, lone of which, however
fell near them, The Topeka returned
the fire with three FOUNDERS. Almost
Immediately the Spaniards
DESERTED THE FORT AND RAN,
while the Topeka continued to SEND
shells into them. fhe rilemen on the
beach returned the fire with few wilc
shots, but they, too, were quickly dis
persed by the Topekas smaller guns
The Topeka also discharged two tor
pedoes The small fort to the left o.
the channel fired on the American
ships, but was silenced as quickly az
was the other. Meanwhile, the WASP
and Leyden had taken up their position
in the northwestern portion of thu
harhor, opened fire across the water a
the Gorge Juan. which lay to the south
east, in front of the town of Mayari
Her position was about mile and
quarter from the beach. Behind he
the third fort stood on an eminence
This fort opened on the Wasp and Ley
den. AS the Annapolis and Topek
came up, the Spanish gunboat joined il
the fight, and general fight followed
The Topeka anchored in the middle 0
the harbor, about 1900 yard
from the Gorge Juan, while tn
other three American boats dre'
upon either side and formed semi
circle. The Americans closed in Of
the Spanish ships, pouring in dt
strnctive fire. and on the fort benin
them. The Topeka seat 4inch shell
crashing into the Gorge Juan at such
rate that she sank within twenty mir
utes. When the firing became heay
THE oFEIoEas AND CREW
of the Spaniard put off in small boat
made the shore under heavy fire al
escaped into the woods. Two sho
from the Topeka's bow gun, fred on a
eIevotion Of 1900 yards, droppe
souarely into the Mayari fort. TT
Spanish pennants disappeared and Il
white flag was run up. This ended
short bnt one of the most vicious ba
tles of the war. The harbor was fouI
to be well mined, and two mines we
exploded, one about 100 yards off Il
Topeka's bows, the other 200 yards fro
her port quarter. The Gorge Juan "
a three masted, one funnel ship of
tons and LOO horse power. She "