The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-14

1
command reached San Juan this morn
ing at daybreak. No armed vessels
were found in port. As soon as it was
sufficiently light l commenced an at
tack upon the batteries defending the
city. This attack lasted about three
hours and resulted in much damage to
the batteries and incidentally to a por-
tion 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 to any ships resulted"
| Copyright 1895 by Associated Press.
On Board the Flagship Iowa. of San
Juan de Porto Rico May IL. via St.
Thomas, D. w. l., May 13.-The forts
OF San Juan de Porto Rico were bom-
barded by part Of Rear Admiral Samp-
SON. fleet this 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 ad-
miral withdrew the fleet and, heading
for Key West. he said:
Il am satisfied with the mornings
work. / could have taken San Juan,
but / have no force to hold it, only
wanted to administer punishment. This
has been done. / came for the Spanish
fleet and not for San Juan"
The men killed were:
Seaman Frank widemark of the New
York.
Gunner's Mate - of the Amphitrite.
The latter died from the effects of
the extreme heat. OF the injured men
three were on the Iowa and four on
board the New York. The names of
those slightly injured on the Iowa
are: Seaman Mitchell, Private Marine
Murter, Appreptice Hin. The injured
on the New York are: Seaman Samuel
Feltman, seriously; Seaman Michael
Murphy. Two other enlisted men
slightly injured.
the bursting of she'll on the New
York. This is complete list of the
killed and the wounded. The Ameri-
can ships are uninjured.
The engagement began at 5:15 a. m.
and ended at Sis a. M. The enemy's
batteries were not silenced. The town
i'm the rear of the fortifications prob
ably suffered. The ships taking part
in the action were the Iowa. Indiana,
New York, Terror. Amphitrite, Detroit,
Montgomery. Waumpatuck and Por-
ter. The enemy's 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 COL
umn. delivering broadside. and then
returned. The line passed thrice in
front of the forts. 1t Is impossible to
Judge the amount of damage done to
the buildings and forts. They appeared
to be riddled with shots, but the Span
iards were plucky. The after turret of
the Amphitrite got out of order tempo
rarily during the engagement, but she
banged away with her forward guns.
After the first passage before the forts
the Detroit and the Montgomery re-
tired. their guns being too small to do
much damage. The l'orter and the
Waumpatuck also stayed out of range.
The smoke hung over everything, spoil
ing the aim of the gunners and max |
ing IL impossible to tell where our shots |
struck. The officers and men of all |
the ships behaved with coolness and |
bravery.
The shots came thick and fast over all
our ships. The men of the Iowa who |
were hurt during the action were in
jured by splinters thrown by an eight
inch shell which came through a boat
into the superstructure and scattered |
fragments in all directions. The shots |
course was finally ended on an iron |
plate an inch thick. Murtel was struck |
in the arm and may lose II. All were |
hurt by splinters. fire was started in |
the boat. but was quickly extinguished. ]
Moro battery, on the eastern arm of
the harbor. was the principal point Of /
attack. Rear Admiral Sampson and
Captain Evans were on the lower bridge |
of the Iowa and had . narrow escape |
from the flying splinters, which injured
three men. The Iowa was hit eight |
times. but the shells made no impress
sion on her armor. The weather was
fine. but the heavy swells made accu-
rate aim difiicult. The broadsides from
the Iowa and the Indiana rumbled in
the hills on shore five minutes after
they were delivered. Clouds of dust
showed where the shells struck. but the
smoke hung over everything. The /
shells screeching overhead and dropping
around showed that the Spaniards still
stuck to their guns.
At 3 o'clock in the morning all hands
were called on the Iowa. a few final
touches in clearing ship were made. and
at o'clock general quarters" sounded.
The men were eager for the fight The
tug Waumpatuck went ahead and an
chored her small boat to the westward.
10 fathoms. but there was not
a sign of life from the forts. which stood
boldly against the sky on the eastern
hill The Detroit steamed far to the
eastward. opposite Valtern. The Iowa
headed straight for the shore. Sud
denly her helm few over. bringing the
battery to bear on the fortifi-
cations. At Sis q. m. the Iovas for
vd 19.ineh 1rYnS rhnpAeyed ctis n he |