Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1898-05-20
WAR NEWS BRIEFS.

8 " Ill lUN NJ DltlUl M 6
On Wednesday of last week
Commander Maynard of the gun
boat Nashville with the Marble
head and Window entered the
harbor of Cienfuegos, and after a
terrific engagement with the enc
my, cut the cable connecting Ha.
wanna with Santiago de Cuba. The
task of cutting the cable was &C.
complished, but only after a heat
ed fight between our warshlps and
several thousand Spanish troops
which lined the shore and lay be-
hind improvised breastworks.
STORY OF THE FIGHT.
1t was observed that the Span.
ish troops had assembled ashore,
but it was not known that heavy
guns had been placed in a masked
battery and that the old light
house, far out on neck of land,
had been transformed into for.
midable fort. Our small boats
proceeded cautiously, and for
more than an hour worked unmo-
Tested on the cable. Suddenly,
just as the work was about COM
pleted, the shore battery fired a
shell at our boats. 1t was follow
ed by others, and the Spanish in
fantry opened fire with their ri
tles.
MARBLEHEAD SPEAKS.
Then like flash the Marble
head sent a shell inland, and fol-
lowed it with perfect shower OF
shot.
The Nashville was quick to fol-
low suit, and the little Window
cut loose with her 4--pounders.
In the meanwhile, Spanish bull
let's fell in every direction around
the small boats. Though the at
tack had come suddenly and
fiercely, the blue jackets were moi
dismayed, and, protected by the
return fire of our warships, work
was continued and the cable cut
Whom the boats returned to the
ships, Regain, who was in one o
tie Marblehead's boats, of which
there were two, was found t
have been killed. Six men were
badly wounded.
The Spaniards had by this time
suffered severe loss. Their shots
from the lighthouse struck ouI
warships several times, and al
though they did not do mucl
damage, the fire aroused the de
termination of the American Off
GERS TO exterminate the fort.
BLOWN TO PIECES.
Thereafter, for the moment, tn
fire of our warships was concen
trated upon the lighthouse, an,
the improvised fort was blown t.
pieces. The Marblehead and tn
Nashville used their heaviest gun
as well as their small rapid-fir
guns, and hundreds of shots wer
thrown into the Spanish troops.
Commander Washburn May
nard and Lieut.. Cameron NJ. Win
slow, both Of the gunboat Nash
vile, were slightly wounded, fou
killed and four others wounded
The Spanish loss is estimated a
400. The lighthouse was destroy
ed, the arsenal demolished an
the batteries on shore silence(
The town was set on fire by shell
from the American fleet.
The news of the cutting Of tn
cable at Cicnfuegos has cause
. great satisfaction at the navy d.
partment, because this was orde
ed some days ago, and it wa
hoped it had been done before tn
, Spanish feet left Martinique. Tht
cuts off Havana from the worl
} and leaves Blanco without mean
7 of communication with Madrid, {
: hearing from outside.
{ Like a great many sensations
reports we have been getting sine
the American-Spanish war begal
} news was flashed over the 'phor
r to this place late Saturday eve
' ing that Sampson, in command i,
Z the American fleet, had come
, contact with the Spanish fleet
i Porto Rico, and after sever
I hours engagement, Sampson W;
9 killed, two American war vesse
g sunk and II Spanish vessels gu
cumbed to the fire of our gun
The fact that Sampson had fallc
= q victim and two Of our vesse
g sunk created a good deal Of G
Q element among our people, b
:. later news was received here tn
nothing Of the kind had occurre
:, and the people yet eagerly ava
u further development in Cub,
: waters.
d There arc great many myst
e ries connected with the war no
being waged between the Unite
States and Spain. 1t seems tn
u "Uncle Sam" has had smooth sa
: ing so far, but the hottest perit
?. of the warfare is yet to be fougl
|. and lust when and where in Cub;