The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-05-21
SHELLED SAN JUAN.
Sampson Attacks the Batteries De-
Tending the City.
Retires without Attempting Capture
OF the Town - Two OF Our
Men Killed and seven
wounded.

Washington, May 14.-At 1870 FRI
DAY morning the navy department re-
ceived the following dispatch from Adj
miral Sampson. II was dated at st.
Thomas, May 10, and was as follows;
"a portion OF the squadron under my
command reached San Juan this morning
at daybreak. No armed vessels were
found In the port. AS soon as II was suf-
flciently light commenced attack upon the
batteries defending the city. This attas
lasted about three hours and resulted Ia
much damage to the batteries and incidG-
tally TO a portion OF the city adjacent TO
the batteries. The batteries replied TO our
fire. but without material effect. One man
was killed on board the New York and
seven slightly wounded In the squadron.
No serious damage 20 any ships resulted.
"(Signed) SAMPSON"
Admiral SIMPSONS statement that
he attacked with only n portion OF his
feet ia taken TO indicate that he did not
find IL expcdient 10 take the entire
squadron into the harbor, though II is
not believed he has separated his fleet.
The navy department officials were at
loss 10 know how his dispatch reached
ST. Thomas until the press dispatch an
nounced the presence Of the Yale at st.
Thomas.
The Bombardment from the Flagship.
on board the. Flagship Iowa, on San
Juan de Puerto Rico, May IL (via ST. Thom-
as. Danish West Indies, May 1D.--The forts
of San Juan de Puerto Rico were bonn
barded by part OF Rear Admiral Samp-
sons fleet Friday morning The enemy's
loss Is believed to be heavy. The Ameri-
can loss Is two men killed and seven men
injured After three hours firing the adj
miral withdrew the fleet, and. heading for
Key West, he said: II am satisfied with
the mornings work. l could have taken
San Juan, but have no force to hold Il.
only wanted 10 administer punishment.
This has been done came for the Spanish
fleet. and not for San Juan"
Killed and wounded.
The men killed were: Seaman Frank
Wldemark. OF the New York. and Gun
ner's Mate -, OF the Amphltrite The lat
ter died from effects of the extreme heat.
or the injured men three were on board
the Iowa and four on board the New York.
The names OF those slightly injured on the
Iowa are: Seaman Mitchell. Private Ma
rine MerlSle. Apprentice Hin. The injured
on the New York are Seaman Samuel
Feltman, seriously; Seaman Michael Muir
ply, two other enlisted men, slightly in
jured All the above-named were injured
by the bursting or a shell on the New York.
This Is a complete list OF the killed and
wounded. The American ships were un-
injured.
story of the Battle.
The engagement began at els a. m. and
ended at S:i5 a. m. The enemy's batteries
were not silenced The town In the rear
OF the Notifications probably suffered. The
ships taking part In the action were the
Iowa. Indiana, New York, Terror, Am
phltrlte. Detroit. Montgomery. Wampa-
tuck and Porter The enemys firing was
heavy but wild. and the Iowa and New
York were probably the only ships hit.
They went right up under the guns In coll
umn, delivering broadsides. and then re-
turned, The line passed thrice In front Of
the forts, pouring tons OF steel on shore.
MORO battery the Target
MORO battery, on the eastward arm OF
the harbor, was the principal point OF at
tack. Rear Admiral Sampson and Capt.
Evans were on the lower bridge OF the Iowa
and had a narrow escape from flying splin-
tiers, which injured three men. The Iowa
was hit eight times. but the shells made no
impression on her armor. The weather was
fine, but the heavy swells made accurate
aim difficult. The broadsides from the
Iowa and Indiana rumbled In the hills
ashore for five minutes after they were de-
livered. Clouds OF dust showed where tho
shells struck, but the smoke hung over
everything. The shells screeching over
head and dropping around showed that
tho Spaniards still stuck 10 their guns.
At three o'clock In the morning all hands
were called on the Iowa, few final touches
In clearing ship were made. and at five
general quarters" sounded. The men were
eager for tho fight. The tug wamps tuck
went ahead and anchored, her small boat
to the westward showing ten fathoms, but
there was not a sign OF life from the fort,
which stood boldly against the sky on the
eastern hills hiding the town. The Detroit
steamed far to the eastward opposite VAL
tern. The Iowa headed straight for tho
shore. Suddenly her helm few over. bring
Ing her starboard battery TO bear on the
Notifications. At BIB n. m the Iowa 3 for
ward l2-lnch guns Numbered out at the
sleeping hills, and for IA minutes she
poured starboard broadsdes on the coast.
Meanwhile the Indiana, the New York and
other ships repeated the dose from the
rear The Iowa turned and came back TO
the Wampatuck's boat and again led the
column, the forts replying fiercely. concen-
tratlng on the Detroit. which was about
700 yards away. all the batteries on the east
ward arm OF the harbor. Thrice the column
passed from the entrance OF the harbor to
the extreme eastward battery.
ships Retire.
At 7:f5 a.. m. Admiral Sampson signaled
cease firing" Retire" was sounded on
tho Iowa, and she headed from the shore.
The Terror was the last ship in the line,
and. failing 10 see the signal, banged away
alone for about half an hour, the concert
OF shore guns roaring at her and tho water
flying high around her from the exploded
shells But she possessed charmed life
and reluctantly retired at 8.i5
Inflicted Much Damage.
As at Matsnzas. the unsatisfactory con-
dltion, the smoke and tho distance pre-
vented any important conclusions being
drawn. The town or San Juan must have
suffered, although protected by the hills.
as the high shots must have reached H.
No traces or the bombardment were dis
cernibe on the forts except small fires.
the fleet left.
IL Is impossible TO judge OF the amount OF
damage done TO the buildings and forts
They appeared 20 he riddled with shot but
the Spanlards were pluclxy. After the first
passage before the forts the Detroit and
the Montgomery retired, their guns being
too small TO do much damage The Porter
and Wampatuck also stayed out of range.
The smoke hung over everything. spelling
the aim OF the gunners and making AZ inn
possible TO tell where our shots struck The
officers and men OF all the ships behaved
with GOODNESS and bravery. The shots flew