The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-06-03

PORT AU PRINCE, June 2.--9:?o p.
n.-No fresh news has been received
from Santiago de Cuba this afternoon.
The report OF an attack upon the city by
The insurgents Is not confirmed, and
spears to be without foundation.
Copyright, 1855. by the Associated Press.)
On Board the Associated Press Dis
patch Boat Dandy, PoRT ANTONIO.
Jamaica, June IL o. m.--For an hour
yesterday afternoon the Massachusetts,
Iowa, New Orleans and Vixen. of Com
rndore schley's squadron, exchanged
shots with the Spanish fleet under Ad-
rlral Cervera and with the land batter
.es guarding the harbor OF Santiago de
Cuba. behind which the Spanish feet is
hiding.
The engagement was the first which
sas occurred between the two naval
i,ces and was but prelude to serious
work in the latter part OF the week.
No attempt was made by the Ameri-
can commander to bring on a general
engagement. 1t being his desire TO locate
the batteries on the hills above the har-
tor and to determine the position Of the
Spanish forts. Shortly before 10 o'clock
Commodore Schley left the Brooklyn for
the Massachusetts,, on board OF which
tatileship he remained during the fight
i2g.
All o'clock the signal to form column
was hosted on the Massachusetts, and
tie New Orleans, Iowa and Vixen fell
In In the order named.
The Massachusetts steamed slowly
until about five miles west of the har-
toTen;rance when she turned In toward
the shore and when about 5000 yards
of. turned east again and bore down on
the harbor. the New Orleans being close
up and the Iowa half a mile behind.
Tie flagship gradually increased her
speed and was soon running through the
water at the rate OF ten knots an hour.
She drew closer and closer to the bat
teries and 10 the anxious watchers on
the other ships It seemed that she would
never open fire. .s.s 81
Fired this First Shot.
When. however. she ha dpassed the
harbor entrance by 500 yards. great
cloud Of white and yellow smoke burst
from the two 13-inch guns in her after
turrst ard two shells rose over the hill,
one OF them striking the Spanish flag
ship Cris;obal Colon full and fair. as she
lay at anchorage and the other falling
cltSe alongside.
The ;wo guns on the forward turret
we're then fired and their shells in e1-
plod!ng threw up great Jets Of spray
close 10 the Colon.
All the shore batteries took up the
challenge and began q rapid fire on the
Massachusetts,. But she was soon be-
yHnd their range and the batteries
thereupon turned their guns on the New
Orleans. This cruiser had been directed
10 pay attention to the batteries and to
draw their fire as much as possible. and
She obeyed instructions to the letter.
Her first shot located large battery on
the hill above the Morro. 1t flew straight
into the fort and must have caused
much damage, Us q great cloud OF dust
and debris rose as the she'll burst A
couple more shots sent part OF the walls
OF MORO flying into the mir and then
the New Orleans confined herself to the
1~NfN'iSs' ltl Az DeiHS ihPih C@>-
remely accurate. Every ehot she fired
made trouble for Spain.
The Iowa Opens Up.
The Iowa came next ana like the
Massachusetts,. devoted her attention to
the ships lying within tho i,arbor. Her
Twelve inch shells made the water fly
all around that part OF the harbor In
which the Cristobal Colon lay. The lat
ter' however, was not seriously dam
aged and kept up her fire until long af-
Ter the Americaneghips steamed out Of
range. -
After the Iowa came the little Vixen,
which apparently had no business tn a
nsh where battleships were engaged.
But she scudded along after the Iowa,
IKE fox terrier following a mastiff and
when at the proper point she let fly with
one OF her slx-puunders and glldcd away
best.
After the Vixen had passed the forts,
thc Massachusetts, turned again to the
westward, followed by the other ships
IN the same order, with the exception OF
me Vixen, formerly the Yacht Jose
Prime, which was ordered to keep out OF
trouble. .ssal.. = tls5.,
The ironclads bore down on the harbor
once more. The flagship kept In until
!ess than 1000 yards from the Bhore and
Aen her shells again began to heaye up