The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-19
Nothing Formidable AbOut the Bat
teries, and They Could Easily Have
Been SiIenced by Our ships.
TWO OF CERVERA'S VESSELS
THE MARIE TERESA AND THE CO.
LON, LIKELY TO BE SAVED.
Spaniards at Guantanamo and Other
Points Still in Ignorance of Gen.
TOraPs Surrender.
Downright. 1895 by the Associated press.)

Copyright, 1895, by the Associated Press.)
UNDER MORO CASTLE, harbor of
Santiago de Cuba. July II, p. m. via
Playa del Este, province of Santiago de
Cuba, July II, delayed in transmission
At exactly 8 o'clock this morning the Span
ish flag was lowered from the staff crown
ing the heights upon which battered MORO
Castle spreads half way. The lowering OF
this emblem of the defunct sovereignty of
Spain in this part of the world was wit
messed by a few Spanish and American
troops on shore and by the Brooklyn New
York. Vixen and Vesuvius, lying within a
few hundred feet of the harbor entrance.
Almost Immediately after the flag was
hauled down, steam launches, commanded
by Lieutenants Hobson and Peters entered
the harbor and penetrated far as the
firing station of the submarine mines. These
mines were judged to be not so formidable
as expected 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
of the Merrimac into the channel of San
tiago harbor. but it is not thought prob
able that either of them had anything to
do with the sinking of the craft.
Six or seven fine steamers in the harbor
fall as prizes to the navy and army. The
Spanish gunboat Alvarez had already been
taken possession of by prize crew from
the New York. The other vessels lie at the
other end of the harbor at Santiago proper.
Soon after noon Commodore SchIey, with
Captain Cook. of the Brooklyn, Lieutenant
j. H. Sears, the flag lieutenant, Lieutenant
B. w. Wells, the flag secretary, and three
e i
Press, went into the harbor on a steam
launch which moved slowly in order to
make close observations of the Spanish forts
and batteries. Every one expressed salts
faction at the fact that Moro Castle was
not demolished by the bombardment, Capt.
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 terrace
fashion From the waters edge to the brow
beetling cliff there are huge caves fornN d
by the action of the waves and round me
base and the superstructure are not a few
caves made by the navys projectiles It
would appear, however, that only one bas-
ton was knocked TO pieces while the queer
little sentry boxes dating back to the six
teeDth century, escaped almost intact
MORO Castle is the only imposing fortifi-
cation in the harbor and it is only so IN
appearance, since not gun is mounted
within the crumbled walls In fact all the
batteries, masked and open. dwindled in
their terror-inspiring qualities as the in
spection grew closer.
Growing the hill al the western entrance
were the famous six-inch rapid-firing guns
from the Spanish cruiser Reina Mercedes
These were ugly-looking and dangerous
while below, on the brink of the mountains
on the west shore of the entrance of the
harbor, were some Calling guns. These
were the ones which poured such q bitter
fire into the Merrimac.
Directly east of Moro Castle on the
crest or the plateau-l1ke clit1, were six big
guns, one or two of which were dismounted
Inc Estrella battery and a small neighbor
further in, showed no guns, while the
famous Cay Smith filled the islet with
blue, white and yellow houses. situated in
groves OF hoWering trees, some of the build
lngS looking as il they were the resorts
OF pleasure seekers in pleasanter times All
were deserted, and strange TO say, not one
projectile.
on the inside of the slope and hill to the
westward some hastily constructed but very
comforting easements were seen in which
the Spanish gunners were wont to retire
when our ships opened fire. When the fir
ing ceased the gunners only had few steps
Wnch almost always fired a few spiteful
farewell shots
AT Punta Gorda there were two four-inch
guns, one above the other, neither protect
ed by sand or earth. These commanded
the harbor entrance pretty well, but they
Gould have been silenced by one heavy we'll
Commodore Schley has over and over
again expressed the belief that our feet
probably could have entered the harbor
without the loss of a single Ship The
mines might have stopped .ingress by sink
ing the leading ship But this is the chance
OF war and not as grave as many taken
would have been the situation had there
been good batteries, properly manned, in
the harbor.
Commodore Scheys party first steamed
around the wreck Of the Reina Mercedes,
which lies with her bowsprit toward the
city. She had a list to starboard and rested
on a reef near the foot of Moro cliff The
cruiser was sunk to the upper deck, upon
which one six-pound gun remained. One
battery seemed in place Evidently the
Reina Mercedes was left in a hurry This is
less to be wondered at when it is noted
that there were great gaps in her sides,
showing where two twelve and two thir.
teen-inch shells struck her. The sea washed
gently through the after cabin of the cruis-
er, which was decorated in old fashioned
style, and the wind fiuttered a red silk cur
tain, which could be plainly seen over an
inner door as the launch steamed by.
About six hundred yards ahead of the
Reina Mercedes, and almost on the line
with her. the wreck of the Merrinac
lying in fully six fathoms of water on the
very edge of the channel. Had not the
current swung the doomed ship aIongside
instead of athwart the channel the latter
would have been well blocked When AS
sistant Naval Constructor Hobson took the
collier into the harbor he was hunting for
a four-fathom spot. and only missed ia by a
few yards ~ "
At the firing station on the west side
which Commodore Schley inspected person
ally, the American party met a Spanish ar
ulery captain. who was courteous and
gloomy. Commodore Schley was his own
Interpreter and advised the officer with
the few men under his command to go up
TO the city and surrender quickly as pos
sible. When the Spanish captain was asked
10 point out the route to the sx-inch bat
terry on the west hill, he said there was
none and explained that the way to get
there was to overstep rocky and difficult
ground. 1t was learned later that this was
not true, and II was surmised that the
Spaniard was anxious to prevent the Amer
leans seeing the damage done by the bonn
bardment.
Commodore schley, then said he was de-
termined to have a glimpse at Santiago city
and the launch was headed along the west
side of the channel going slowly and stick
ing TO the shallow water. lest some contact
mine put end, as the commodore re-
marked. TO our quiet pleasure party"
Skirting the broad. lakelike spot in the har-
Dor, where the Spanish fleet. destroyed two
weeks ago to-day, used to lie during the
commandments. and noting the brilliantly
nainted buoys which marked the shadows.
Punta Gorda was rounded and. distant
about two miles. the city of Santiago shone
out, the cathedral being especially well de-
fined and the masfS and tunnels OF not a