Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-05-14

fort of San Juan, Moro, which rises
on hill at the end of the eastern arm
OF the harbor.
Moro, of course. was to be the CEN
ter of attack. In 1t were the seven g.
inch guns which Spain sent over as
soon as the war became certain and
which had been hastily mounted and
manned with the best gunners in the
colonial army.
Soon after the Detroit and Waum-
pautuck were in place Admiral Samp-
sons column of floating fortresses and
batteries began to move upon the
quiet and seemingly sleeping fortress
In the van was the Iowa, the flagship,
with the battlecry of the navy stream
ing in brilliant colored flags from her
mast-"Remember the Maine"
Next came the huge Indiana, of such
enormous bulk that she rode almost
steady even upon that heavy sea. Then
followed the New York. as formidable
as battleship; then the low-lying
monitors Amphitrite and Terror They
bore straight for the shore in single
file. Long before the flagship was in
range there came a fash cloud OF
smoke, roar and shell from the
walls of Moro. The shell fell far
short. The roar died away and for
hfteen minutes the scene was as peace
full as before.
Suddenly the Iowa turned sharply to
until her starboard battery was point
ing full at MORO. One of her great 10
inch guns burst into flame and q shell
sailed high toward Moro. II fell short
but the response came--a roar from all
the batteries and forts along the shore.
A tremendous burst of sound and
smoke and fiame, a shower of shells
that wasted themselves in the sea. SO
wild was the volley that even had the
Iowa been in range, none of the shots
would have hit her.
The Iowa was now nearer and the
entire line of warshlps was In posi-
ton to attack the Spanish shore line.
Each ship was now firing and each
shore gun was answering. But while
the Spanish aim was wild. the Ameri-
can gunners fired with calmness and
precision of experience In the target
practice. The fleet was soon enveloped
in smoke and also the shore. Only
outlines could be made out, but II was
apparent that while tile Spanish shells
issued from the smoke OF the shore to
tail into the sea, the American shells
rushed from the fleets envelope of
smoke to bury themselves In the smoke
on shore.
And now and then, as the wind
drifted the thick gray curtain aside
II could be seen that the American
ships were uninjured and that on
shore the line of Notifications that had
peen unproken was ruined in many
places. When the Iowa came up to
the WaumpatuclS stakeboat she turned
and led the column back against
the line of fire. The fleet was now
nearer and the Spanish shells fell
around the ships. Some struck against
the armor of the battleshlps-big six
men shells-but they bounded off,
leaving hardly n dent behind. One
spanish shell struck boat on the
Iowa, passed through 1t and entered
the superstructure, scattering spHnters
In every direction. Three men were
injured. Admiral Sampson and Capt.
evans were on the tower bridge and
narrowly escaped the flying fragments.
IN all the Iowa was hit nine times.
Later shell burst on the New York,
killing one man. injuring another se-
verely, and several slightly.
AT O'Clock the day had become furi-
ously hot. SO that men We're fainting
below the decks, and at the guns the
gunners were steaming sweat as no
man ever sweats In the hot room OF a
turkish bath. One man, a gunner's
mate on the Amphtrite. was overcome
and died i'm few hours. But the battle
went on. The fleet was now steaming
across the fortified front of the island
for the third time. The firing from the
ships was unabated. but many of the
Spanish guns were slenced, and while
the shower of shells seemed as thick as
ever, the thinner cloud OF smoke, the
leaping flames from the burning houses
close ut the shore but behind the forth
fications, made the Americans know
their work was not as vain as the
frenzied firing of the Spanlards.
In the old part Of the town of San
Juan, adjoining the fortifications. whole
made 1t difficult for the Americans to
confine their fire to the batteries. Many
of the shells flew over and burst among
the ancient buildings from which the
population had fed at dawn. So fierce
was the American fire that had the In
tention been to lombard the residence
part of San Juan. the damage could
hardly have been greater The light
houses were demolished soon after the
firing began. Later on the batteries in
Balla1 Square, In st. Christopher street,
In San Jose street and In San Sebastine
street. We're In flames. The St. Catherine
institute. an ancient palace, the orphans
burned or almost demolished.
Inc American officers, through their
glasses, could see the Spaniards at work
in many places were the Notifications
had been broken down. The Spaniards
seemed drunk with fury. They loaded
and fired like mad men, without aiming,
without any appearance Of discipline
or direction. AT times their crazed con-
dition led them TO many absurd acts,
such as waving swords, shaking fists
and dlscharging pistols at the American
line, which was barely in reach of their
guns at longest range.
Toward o'clock the heat became alb
solutely unbeatable on the American
ships. II became evident that the Span
ish forts could not be silenced short OF
another hours work. Men on the Amer
lean ships were dropping on all sides,
not from Spanish shots. but fror the
accurate and terrific bombardment I'M
der the tropical sun.
After consultation. Admiral Sampson
slgnalled Cease firing" and turned
away westward. The other ships slowly
followed, all except the monitor Ter
ror. She did not or would not see the
signal of the admiral. She remained
in her position In range of all the I'M
silenced guns of the Spanlards.
For half an hour she kept roaring