The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-04-29

this was detrimental to a pacific block
ade. General quarters was sounded.
The men rushed to their guns. When
the New York was about 1000 yards
from Punta Gorda, her helm was put
to starbOard, and commence firing the
bugle blew. Naval Cadet BoOns, in
charge of waist" the 6-inch gun amid
ship on the port side had the honor Of
firing the first shot. The flagship shook
from stem to stern the first prOjec-
tile aimed by the United States at the
the big gun. This was at 1856 D. m
Fifty pairs of glasses were 1eveled
from the flagship at the shore. 1t
seemed minutes before the yellow
smoke cleared away, but in reality it
was less than five seconds. Then a lit
tie cloud of dust was seen to rise at the
right of the earthworks. Without the
aid of glasses the objective point could
be clearly defined. With a deafening
report the S-inch gun in the forward
turret let fly it's iron missile. It landed
hlSh- The after turret came next with
the same sized projectile. A shout of
delight went up from the flagship as a
dense cloud rose slowly from the very
center of the earthworks, showing how
true had been the aim.
Ihen from the entire pOrtside a fear
full fusillade was poured on shore. the
four turret guns firing almost simuIta-
neously and the four inch guns added
their smaller hail
When the smoke blew away, Punta
Gorda was dotted with dust clouds that
suddenly from the earth. Each showed
where shot had struck. At this stage
the guns in the Quintas Del Recro bat
terry were observed to be firing upon the
flagship. This fort is on the eastward
arm of the harbor 1000 yards from
where the flagship was lying. 1t is pro-
vided with four S-inch guns The flag
ships fire was at once directed upon it
Up to this period the New York had
been in the firing alone. Captain Har-
rington, on the Puritan, and Captain
Chester, on the Cincinnati, had drawn
up and were vigorously signalling for
permission to fire.
When this was reported to Rear Ad-
miral Sampson, he said: "All right;
tell them to go ahead So, while the
New York was commencing fire on
Quintas Del Recro, the Puritan took a
position to the eastward and opened on
the same point. The Cincinnati went to
the westward and poured a rapid broad
side into the earthwOrkS on Punta Cor
da.
Occasionally shots from Quintas Del
RecrO could be seen coming in the di-
rection of the New York. All fell very
short and at no time threatened the
ship. Only about ten shots are believed
to have been fired from this battery
during the whole engagement. 1t is
possible that it's guns may have been
disabled, as two S-inch shells were dis
tinctly seen to land squarely in the
fort.
For about five minutes Quintas Del
broadsides of the New York and Puri-
tan. What it's ultimate fate would have
been, is hard to tell had not attention
been diverted from it by a shell from
Punta Gorda, which whizzed over the
New York and fell little short of the
Cincinnati.
Capt. Chadwick put his helm to star
board until the port battery once more
bore on the Punta Gorda earthworks.
Another shell came from shore whizzing
along over the flagship.
Then the Cincinnati and New York
poured shot into the yellow earthworkS
and the surrounding land until the
smoke hid everything from view Only
one more shot from Punta Gorda was
noticed 1t fell short of the New York
by about 200 yards. It was believed to
come not from the earthworks, but from
hill about half a mile further inland
than the earthworkS. In fact it is
doubtful whether any shots were fired
from the earthWorxS after the two or
three broadsides had been poured into
them What became of the soldiers
seen on Punta Gorda, is not known.
Some declared they saw them running
to the brow of the hill where the field
battery was thought to be stationed, but
this, as well as the estimates of the en-
emy's number, which ranged from 400
to 1000 was purely supposition, dis
lance and smoke preventing accurate
knowledge.
When the bombardment was at its
height and after it had been in progress
for nineteen minutes, Rear Admiral
sounded A few shots rang out from
the Cincinnati and Puritan before they
caught the signal On shore all was
quiet. Not soul could be seen there
and there was no more firing. The
earthWorks. quarter of an hour before