The record-union., 1898-05-14
Did Not Want to Take the Town, but
to Administer Punishment.
Two of His Men Killed and Seven Wounded
as a Result Of the Engagement
Sampson Now Awaiting Coming
Of Spanish Fleet.

May 12.-(Via ST. Thomas, Danish West
Indies, May 13.)-(On board the battle
ship Iowa)-(Copyright 1898 by the
Associated Press)-The forts of San
Juan De Porto Rico were bombarded
by part of Rear Admiral Simpsons S
fleet this morning. The enemy's loss
is believed to be heavy. The Ameri-
can loss is two men killed and seven
men injured. After three hours firing
the Admiral withdrew the fleet, and,
heading for Key West, he said:
'eI am satisfied with the morning s
work. I could have taken San Juan,
but I have no force to hold it. I only
wanted to administer punishment This
ish fleet and not for San Juan
The men killed were: Seaman Frank
Widemark of the New York and Gun
ner's Mate - of the Anphitrite. The
treme heat.
OF the injured men three were on the
Iowa and four on board the New York
The names of those slightly injured
on the Iowa are: Seaman Mitchell,
private marine Merkle, and apprentice
HILL
The injured on the New York are:
Seaman Samuel Fellman, seriously;
seaman Michael Murphy and two other
enlisted men, slightly injured. All the
above named were injured by the burst
ing of a shell on the New York.
This is a complete list Of the killed
and wounded
The engagement began at 5:15 a, m
and ended at SIS a. m. The enemy
batteries were not silenced. The town
in the rear of the Notifications prob
ably suffered.
The ships taking part in the action
were the Iowa, Indiana, New York,
Terror, Amphitrite, Detroit, Montgom-
cry. Waumpatuck nd Porter. The en-
emy's firing was heavy, but wild, and
the Iowa and New York were probably
the only ships hit. They went right
UP under the guns in column, deliver
ing broadsides. and then returned. The
line passed thrice in front of the forts,
pouring tons of steel on shore.
1t is impossible to judge the amount
of damage done to the buildings and
forts. They appeared to be riddled
with shot, but the Spaniards We're
plucky.
The after turret Of the Amphitrite got
out of order temporarily during the en-
gagement, but she banged away with
her forward guns. After the first pas
sage before the forts the Detroit an6
the Montgomery retired, their guns be-
ing too small to do much damage. The
Porter and Waumpatuck also stayed
| out of range The smoke hung oVel
everything, spelling the aim Of the gun
ners, and making it impossible to tell
where our shots struck. The officers
and men of all the ships behaved with
GOODNESS and bravery The shots flew
| thick and fast over all our ships.
| The men Of the Iowa who We're nur1
during the action were injured by
splinters thrown by an S-inch shell
which came through boat in the su-
perstructure and scattered fragments
| in all directions. The shots course
was finally ended on an iron plate ar
| inch thick. Merkle was struck in the
arm. and may lose it. All were hurt
| by splinters A fire was started in
the bow. but was quickly extinguished
| Morro battery on the eastern arm o.
the harbor, was the principal point OF
attack. Rear Admiral Sampson ano
Captain Evans were on the lower
bridge of the Iowa, and had narrow
escape from flying splinters. which in
| jured three men. The Iowa was hi
eight times. but the shells made no i'm
preston on her armor. The weather
was fine but the heavy swells made
accurate aim difficult.
The broadsides from the Iowa and
Indiana rumbled in the hills in shore
five minutes after they were delivered
Clouds of smoke showed where the
shells struck. but the smoke hung ovel
evrything. The shells screeching over.
head. and. dropping around. showed
that the Spaniards still stuck to theil
guns.
| At 8 o'clock in the morning all hands
| were called on the Iowa, a few fina
touches in clearing ship were made, and