Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-06-02

Cruiser Maria Teresa sunk by the Fire
OF the merlcan Vessels.
CAPE HAYTIEN, Hayti, June s-The
fighting before and IN the vicinity OF
Santiago de Cuba continued the great
er part OF yesterday, from 7:45 a. m.
until nearly IL o'clock. Ten OF the
American warships main tanned
steady and carefully directed fire
against Ell Moro castle and the bat
teries at Punta Gorda, Socapa and Gin
coreales, in addition to bombarding
the Spanish fleet in the harbor. The
percent age OF effective projectiles was
very large. 1t appears. from the best
information obtainable at this place,
the cable station connecting with San
tiagO, that immense damage was in
ficted on the enemy. The Spaniards
admit that the bombardment from the
American feet was most destructive.
bout 1000 proiectiles were said to
have been fred by the American war
ships and it seems the responsive fire
from the Spanish forts and ships was
scarcely felt at all by the Americans.
The Notifications near the entrance of
the harbor are described as being rid
died with solid shot and shattered by
the explosion of the immense shells
fired by the American battleships.
The Spanish batteries are understood
to have been virtually silenced and
FL Moro and the Notifications at
Socapa and Punta Gorda are reported
to have been demolished by the three
hours unin terrupted hammering of
the American fleet
The American attack is next said to
have been specially directed against
AguadOreS, a small coast town a little
to the east of the entrance of Santiago
bay. The idea of the American admit
raj, it appears, was to land troops and
siege guns there, after reducing the
defenses of the place, and thence make
a close assault upon Santiago. which,
in view of the present condition of its
Notifications. may be expected to yield
very soon after the beginning of such
an attack. The latest advices received
here from Spanish sources do not indi-
cate the duration of the fire or whether
American troops and siege guns were
actually landed at Aguadores. but.
from the information obtainable, it
cannot be doubted that the net result
of Mondays fighting was extremely
disastrous to the Spanish defenses-
It is also understood here that the
Cuban troops maintained throughout
the greater part of yesterday an at
tack by land upon Santiago, and the
Spanish reports say the garrison lost
heavily in killed and wounded. In the
naval force, the Spaniards say that the
officer who was second in command of
the partly dismantied Spanish cruiser
Reina Mercedes and five sailors and an
ensign were killed. The Spanish sail
ors wounded, it is asserted, number 16
men. The loss on the American side,
the Santiago report says, is not known.
Later in the day, it appears, a land
ing Of American troops was effected
near Daiquiri, some distance east of
Aguadores and near the railroad sta
ton connecting with Santiago do
Cuba Later an engagement took
place between the American forces
and column of Spanish troops which
had been sent against the landing
party. The accounts of the battle OBJ
tainable here, being from Spanish
sources, do not set forth the result,
and. therefore, it is to be inferred that
the Americans were victorious and
that is the belief which prevails here.
There is report current at Cape
Haytien that the first-class armored
Spanish cruiser Maria Teresa was sunk