The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-01


thirty four, five. or 6 inch, and innumer-
able gums Of smaller caIibre, fully a hun
dred guns in all. This of course does not
represent the entire battery fthe feet
but only the guns composing one broad
side.
Many shots were fired In the midst OF
the fertilization on shore and clouds OF
earth and masonry could be seen every
now and then when the smoke was not
too thick. One 13-inch shell from the In
diana was seen to drop directly in the
mSddle OF one fort and explode, filling the
air with debris. Although the damage
could not be estimated from where we
were, 1t seems certain that a great deal
of destruction was accomplished and that
many of the enemy must have been killed
and wounded. After we withdrew from
the fight we were by no means out of
danger for many of the shots intended
for the bombarding ships passed over
them and fell uncomfortably near US, as
we lay idly watching the battle, while
! for a third time the ships circled around
and in turn had another chance to do
what they could to batter down the forts.
We had now been under the fire OF these
heavy guns for three hours, and yet from
the general demeanor of all on board one
might have thought that we had Just
had a satisfactory target practice
During the entire engag ement, when we
were in the most perilous position, the or
der, discipline and calmness on board
were most striking. From the distinguish
! cd and 6ad rrI,0
manded the ship from the most exposed
/ position, the bridge, with absolute COOL
ness and dignity, to the men performing
/ the humblest duties, there is but one
word to describe the conduct of all on
board during these hours OF hard work
amidst the gravest danger-at was per
feet
After the third procession Of the ships
had passed the batteries the fleet drew off
out of range slowly and with no appear
ance of a retreat The Terror was the
last in the line, and she seemed to be in
cfined to linger under the batteries all by
herself Finally, at sos, she fred her last
shot and came away. At SIS, Just three
hours after the first shot was fired by
the Iowa, the last one doomed out from
the srore and the bombardment of San
Juan was over. The Spanish papers will
say that the Americans were repulsed
with heavy losses.
The action was certainly not decisive
but the damage done on shore must have
been considerable while our Ships did not
suffer, and our total casualties were one
killed and seven wounded.
As we lay off out of range. awaiting
signal from the flagship. the newspaper
yacht kanapaha made the rounds of all
the ships to make inquiries regarding cas-
ualties. When she came under the stern
of the Detroit she gave us a hearty cheer,
which was returned. She then steamed
off, for the nearest cable. At a signal
from the New York. upon which vessel
the admiral had again hoisted his flag.
the feet steamed away from Porto Rico.
without knowing what our mornings
work had accomplished.
Every ship of the fleet was under fire
during the entire three hours The shore
batteries, instead Of becoming weaker.
seemed to fire more frequently toward
the end o fthe action, and if there was
ever any doubt that Spaniard would
fight, it is dispeled as far as this SQUAD
ron is concerned. BBut their gunners are
marVelously bad shots. Considering that
they had a perfectly steady gun platform
1t is most remarkable that at such short !
range and with such powerful guns thew
did not at least put one ship out of COM
mission Our men in the same position !
would certainly have sunk the Detroit |
and badly crippled the New York. on |
the other hand, the men on the ships had |
a considerable swell to contend with
which accounts for some of the wild /
shots that were fired. One shot. presuma |
DIV aimed at MORO, took off the top of |
the lighthouse which surmounts il.
The Detroit fired about 800 shots. as fol- /
lows: rs 5-inch shells, 125 6-pounders. and
20 1-pounders. The noise during the time /
we were actually engaged was deafening.
and the smoke sometimes suffOcating. es-
pecially below decks. The cabin skvlights
were Of course, slowed on shore before
we sailed from Key West and canvas
hoods had been hauled over the openings
and secured. \ shot fror1. our 5-incb pun
on the poop. vred right over these. car
49, JIG N4A ~ SltLD1l, anu the Otler was I
drawn OFF by a shell from the shore as Il
across the deck not far over
head Our sig was badly shattered. and
nearly everything in the way OF glass
MARE was broken
In the midst OF the engagement. when
the bursting shells were the thickest. the
Wit OF some Of the men. especially the
[rishmen, seemed the sharpest. ard many
bright sayings caused laughter a a time
when It was the least TO be expected.
Down in the handling room. where the
ammunition was being broken out OF the
na gaines. hooked on 10 the whips and
loisted to the decks above, were about
fifteen men in scanty apparel. some strip
ed 70 the waist working hard and stead
y, though the heat vas great and the
smoke that came down the hatch and had
20 means OF escape was often sitting
These men had no means OF knowing
; hat was going on on deck or around Us
Except from an occasional exclamation
leard down the hatch such as Take that
or the Maine" See the bricks fy." in !
heating tina; our shots were telling on !
he forts ashore. o. the shrek OF \ sheu ,
.ver The hatch showing that the enemy
we're san az T. During Tire hottest part
4 the battle there WIS q lGll n the de-