The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-15
know their work was not as vain as
the frehZied firing of the Spaniards.
RESIDENCES DESTROYED.


/ In the old part OF the town of San
Juan, adjoining the Notifications, whole
blocks were blazing. The swelling sea
made it difficult for the Americans to
confine their fire to the batteries. Many
of the shells flew over and burst among
the ancient buildings, from which the
population had fled at dawn. So fierce
was the American fire that had the in
tention been to lombard the residence
part of San Juan, the damage could
hardly have been greater. The light
| houses were demolished soon after the
firing began. Later on the houses in
Ballaj square, in St Christopher street,
in San Jose street and in San Sebas-
tan street were in flames. The ST.
Catherine institute, an ancient palace,
the orphans asylum, the old churches,
were burned or almost demolished.
The American officers, through their
glasses, could see the SpaniardS at
work in many places where the fortif-
cations had been broken down. The
Spaniards seemed drunk with fury.
They loaded and fired like madmen,
without aiming, without any appear
ance of discipline or direction. At times
their craZed condition led them to
many absurd acts, such as waving
swords, shaking fists and discharging
pistols at the American line, which was
barely within reach of their guns of
longest range.
KNOCKED OUT BY HEAT.
Toward 8 o'clock the heat became alb
solutely unbearable on the American
ships. 1t became evident that the
Spanish forts could not be silenced
short of another hours work Men on
the American ships were dropping on
all sides, not from Spanish shots, but
from the accurate and terrific bonn
bardment of the tropical sun.
After consultation Admiral Sampson
signaled Cease firing" and turned
away westward. The other ships slow
ly followed all except the monitor Ter
ror. She did not or would not see the
signal of the admiral. She remained
in her position in range of all the I'M
siienced guns of the Spaniards. For a
half hour she kept roaring away at the !
forts and embankmentS with an almost
incessant fire from her 10-inch guns. !
The Spaniards concentrated upon her,
but her audacity seemed to infuriate
them beyond even attempts at marks
manship. Many of the shells struck
the sea mile and a half from her. !
Only a few came anywhere in her |
neighborhood. Still fewer struck her
low-lying deck, and these glanced away |
as harmlessly as a pea-shooter slug
from the shell of a turtle.
The Terror guns are noisy, but their l
roars were drowned in the tempestuous
booming of the Spanish batteries. Be |
fore she steamed reluctantly away she /
had the satisfaction of noting that she 1
had made many a. deep wound in the 4
Spanish line and silenced several guns /
that might have made trouble later on. ]
The fleet steamed to the westward I
about 20 miles and then stopped to re-
move the CRIME of battle and to rest |
and refresh the weary, but happy, sail |
ors. The Spaniards evidently got the |
idea that the departure was a retreat, 1
and that the Americans had been /
driven off, so they sent out dispatches (
about great Spanish victory, just as /
they did at Manila when Dewey |
steamed away to rest and get break /
fast.
While the fleet was at anchor 20
miles from San Juan, a German steam
er, the Bolivia, came by. She was on
her way to st. Thomas Admiral
decided that it would be best
to find out more about her, and sent
the Montgomery in pursuit She was
presently overhauled, and while she
along, Lieutenant Field went
aboard, examined her papers and
looked over her passengers to make
sure that she was not going to call at
San Juan on her way.
As the Montgomery started back,
having gone nearly to San Juan she
espied the Spanish cruiser Isabella III,
an almost useless old warship. crawl
ing out OF San Juan harbor, and crawl
ing along in shore, evidently going to !:
see what had become of the American i