The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-07-19
SCh1ey, Hobson and Other
Officers View the
Wrecks.
In Concluding the Inspection of
the Harbor the Commodore
Makes Pointed Remarks.

Copyrighted, 1898, by the Associated Press.
UNDER MORRO CASTLE, HAIR
BOR OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, July
II, p. M, via Playa del 44ste, Province
of Santiago de Cuba, July II delayed
in transmission).- At exactly 8 o'clock
this morning the Spanish flag was low
cred from the staff browning the
heights upon which battered MORO
Castle stands half way up. The low
ering of this emblem of the defunct
sovereignty of Spain in this part of
the world was witnessed by a few
Spanish and American troops on shore
and by the Brooklyn, New York, Vixen
and Vesuvius, lying within a hundred
yards of the harbor entrance.
Almost Immediately after the flag
was taken down steam launches, COM
manded by Lieutenants Hobson and
Powell, entered the harbor, penetrat-
ing as far as the firing stations of the
submarine mines. These mines were
judged not to be so formidable as ex-
pected, and later in the afternoon they
were all exploded under the supervision
Of the Vixen.
1t was seen that two mines had been
exploded at the time Of the entrance
Santiago harbor, but it is not thought
that any of them had anything to do
with the sinking of that craft. Six or
seven steamers in the harbor fall cap
tive to the army and navy. The Span
ish gunboat Alvarez had already been
taken possession of by prize crew
from the New York. The other ves-
sells lie at the other end of the harbor,
at Santiago proper.
Soon after noon Commodore Schley,
with Captain Cook of the Brooklyn;
Lieutenant j. H. Sears, the flag lieu
tenant; Silcut B. Wells, the flag sec
rotary, and three invited correspond
ents of the Associated Press, went into
the harbor on steam launch, which
moved slowly in order to make close
observations of the Spanish forts and
batteries.
Every one expressed satisfaction at
the fact that MORO Castle was not de-
molished by the bombardment, Captain
Cook saying: I'VE need Ell MORO as
an object lesson, and America is rather
shy on ruins anyhow"
The old fort stands on the bluff, ter
race fashion. From the waters edge
to the cliff are numerous caves formed
by the action of the waves, and around
the base, and in the superstructure are
not a few caves made by the fleets
projectiles. 1t would appear, however,
that only one bastion was knocked to
pieces, while the queer little sentry
boxes, dating back to the sixteenth CEN
fury, escaped almost intact. MORO
Castle is the only imposing fortifica-
ton in the harbor, and it is only so
H. eix ~ iC
mounted within or on the crumbling
walls. In fact all the batteries.
masked and open, dwindled in their
terror-inspiring qualities as the tnspec-
ton grew closer.
Growing the hill on the west side
of the entrance were the famous six
inch rapid-f1re guns from the Spanish
cruiser Reina Mercedes. These were
ugly looking and dangerous, while be-
low, on big foundations on the western
shore Of the entrance, were some re-
volving guns. These were the ones
which poured such bitter fire into the
Merrimac Directly east of MORO Cas-
tie, on the crest of the plateau-like cliff,
were six big guns, one or two of which
were dismounted.
The Estrella battery and a small
neighbor further In showed no guns,
while the famous islet, Cayo Smith, was
filled with blue, white and yellow
houses situated in groves of Towering
trees, some of the buildings looking as
If they had been resorts of pleasure
seekers in happier times. Others were
humble enough in appearance for
fishermen's houses. All were deserted,
and, strange to say, not one apparently
had been touched by a hostile projec-
tile.
On the inside of the slope and hill to
the westward some hastily constructed
but very comforting classmates were
seen, into which the Spanish gunners
were wont to retire when our ships
opened fire. When the firing ceased
the gunners had a few steps only to
Gimp to the six-inch rapid-fire guns,
which almost always fired few spite
full farewell shots. In Santiago there
were four six-inch guns, one above the
other, neither protected even by sand
or earth. These commanded the har-
Dor entrance pretty well, but thew could
have been silenced by one well directed
heavy she'll
Commodore Schley has over and over
again expressed the belief that our fleet
probably could have entered the har-
Dor without the loss of a single ship.
The mines might have stopped ingress
by sinking the leading ship, but this is
the chance of war and not so grave as
many taken during the civil strife nor
as serious as would have been the sit