The herald., 1898-06-24


ton ashore there were several loud explo-
sions, either from dynamite or ammunition
left behind by the Spaniards.
Daylight showed the Spanish flag hauled
down, and gathered In circle of about six
miles were thirty American transports, wal
lowing In the heavy swell.
The Wanda Saw It
ON BOARD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DISPATCH BOAT WANDA, BAIQUIRI
HARBOR, Wednesday, June %, s PM, via
Kingston, Jamaica, Thursday June 49, $50
a.m.-At five o'clock this afternoon six
thousand trained American soldiers are
camped in and around Baiquiri and 10000
more rest on their arms on board the
transports ready to join those who have
debarked as soon as the available launches
and boats can carry them ashore. Time
and sea and weather were propitious for
the invasion. The navy co-operated splend-
idly and as the big warships closed in on
the shore to pave the way for the approach
Of the transports and then went back
again, three cheers for the navy went up
from 10000 Threats on the transports and
three cheers rose for the army from ship
to ship as the troop ships moved in to
take their share in the hazardous game.
1t was war and 1t was magnificent The
Cuban insurgents, too. bore their share
in the enterprise honorab!y and well. Five
thousand Of them, in mountain Businesses
and the dark thickets of their ravines, lay
all last night ON their guns watching ev-
cry road and mountain patch leading from
Santiago to Guantanamo. thousand
were within sight Of Baiquiri, making the
approach of the Spaniards under cover of
the darkness an impossiblity. At four
o'clock this morning, as the Associated
Press dispatch boat approached Baiquiri.
the entire island of Cuba seemed wrapped
in soft mist like that of the fog days in
northern ATTITUDES. Leaden clouds lay on
the eastern horizon and the color was re-
Elected in the gray waters of the ocean
which generally undulated in the May
breeze. Distant objects looked dimly, but
it was seen that many of the troopships
that had been lying several miles in the
offing had drawn in towards shore, while
three or four warships lay menacingly near
the harbor approach. All around, trans
ports, steam launches and small boats
were bobbing about like corks, the first in
dication of the true object of the under
taking ahead. An hour later, the sun
was rising in the Eastern sky, touching the
mountain tops with patches of light green
and revealing the great semi-circle OF
troopships, some close to the coast line.
others mile distant, with their decks
crowded with eager, expectant men, i'm
patient to begin the great movement of
destiny, to make a new chapter In the
history Of America, the first invasion by
our army of a foreign country in half a
century.
Tongues Of Lurid Flame
AS the dispatch boat of the Associated
Press ran closer in where the New Orleans
was lying with her great Armstrong guns
trained on Baiquiri. tongues of lurd flame
and black smoke were seen rising in the
town, the inevitable consequence of war and
a sure sign that the Spaniards had gone,
leaving ruin behind. The captain of the
New Orleans shouted the news to the dis
patch boat, adding:
"You had better keep off a little. You are
in range. They have rifle on the hill on
the eastern side of Baiquiri."
This is steep rocky hill known as Punta
Baiquiri, rising almost perpendicuarly at
the place indicated. 1t is veritable Gibral-
tar in possibilities of defense. From the
staff at it's summit the Spanish flag was
defiantly floating at sunset last night, but |.
was gone today and with it the small Span
ish guard which had maintained the sigma.
station. Between night fan and dawn the
Spaniards had taken the alarm and fled from
the place, firing the town as they left. The
flames were watched with interest from the
ships. Two sharp explosions were heard.
At first they were thought to be the reports
of guns from Spanish masked batteries, but
they proved to be the explosion of ammu-
milton in the busy blaze. Three hours wait
ing made the men on the transports impa-
tient to get ashore and in action, and every
move of the warships was closely watched
by the soldiers. A little before o clock the
bombardment of the batteries OF Jaragua
was begun by the ships of Rear Admiral
SIMPSONS fleet. This was evidently a |
feint to cover the real point of attack, lara
qua being about half way between Baiquiri
and Santiago. The bomba rdment lasted
about 20 minutes.
The scene from there quickly shifted back
again to the great semi-circle of the trans
port fleet before Baiquir At $40 o'clock
the New Orleans opened fire with gun that
sent shell rumbling and crashing against |
the hillside. The Detroit, Wasp, Machias
and Suwanee followed suit, and soon the
hillsides and the valleys seemed to be ablaze
as shot followed shot in swift succession
among the wild and excited cheering of the |
soldiers on the transports.
Alive With Boats
In five minutes the sea was alive with
fotilias Of small boats headed by launches,
speeding for Baiquiri dock. Some of the |
boats were manned by crews of sailors |
while others were rowed by the soldiers |
themselves. Each boat contained sixteen |
men, every one in fitting trim and carrying
three days rations, a shelter tent, gun |
and 200 cartridges. ready to take the field |
on touching the shore should they be called |
upon to do So The firing of the warships
however, proved to be a needless precau-
ton. as their shots were not returned and |
no Spaniards were visible.
Two correspondents of the Associated |
Press in small boat Joined the first f1otilla
that went ashore and witnessed the inspir-
ing sight of the landing.
Gen. Shafter, on board the Segueranca.
closely watched the landing of the troops.
Brighten. Lawton, who had been de-
tailed to command the landing of the troops,
led the way in launch accompanied by his
staff. and directed the formation of the line
of operation.
A detachment of eighty regular infantry
soldiers was the first to land, followed by
Gen. Skaters old regiment the First In
fantry, Then came the Twenty-ffth in
fantry, the Tenth Infantry, and the Sew
enth and Twelfth Infantry, the Second
nr. -.