Evening star., 1898-06-07
MORRO IS IN RUINS
Result Of BoInbaTdInent
BY Simpsons Fleet
FIGHT CAME OFF YESTERDAY
Nearly All of Santiago's De-
fenses Are Laid Low.
REINA MERCEDES BADLY DAMAGED
Marines Effect a Landing and
lntrench at Daiquiri.
REINA MERCEDES BADLY DAMAGED
INSURGENTS AIDED THEM

1t is believed that the invading ex-
pedition to Santiago will leave to-
night or tomorrow. That for Porto
Rico will follow, and the campaigns
will be vigorously pushed.
All the offices for the 10000 vol
unteers called for by the President
have been given or promised.
Excellent progress is being made
bv the conferees on the war revenue
bill.
Both houses of Congress reached
agreement on the war and navy de-
hciency bill appropriating over SI7,-
100000 and passed by the Senate
yesterday.
Reports from Tampa indicate that
conditions are rapidly improving as
far as congestion of freight and sup
plies are concerned
The only information at the War
and Navy Departments regarding
the reported engagement and land
ings in the neighborhood of Santiago
was of negative character.
Apparently authentic reports from
Cape Haitien say that Admiral
Sampson bombarded the defenses of
Santiago de Cuba yesterday, with
highly successful results.
The District troops have it from
reliable sources that they are to go
to Porto Rico tomorrow with the
Shafter expedition.
NEW YORK. June IA special from
Cape Haitien. describing the bombardment
of Santiago de Cuba on Monday, says that
the forts about the harbor are now a mass
OF ruins. The MORO is shapeless pile of
ruined masonry and dismantled guns, and
the Estrella battery is utterly ruined This
result, the dispatch says, was the work of
ten American ironclads, which passed back
and forth from Port Cabrera on the west.
to Port Aguadores, on the east of the har-
Dor entrance, discharging their heavy guns
as dhey steamed along, so that scarcely a
yard OF the coast escaped the deadly can
norading- At Port Aguadores the fort re-
Gently constructed by Col. Ordonoz, the
famous artillery expert, was blown to dust,
and Col Ordonoz himself was badly wound
sd by the flying splnters and debris
Captain Sanchez and Lieut.. Yrizar, artil-
Ary officers, were also wounded. Two in
sAntry heutenants, Garcia and Perez. and
twenty-one privates are reported fatally
wounded. Later in the day the American
slips moved closer toward the mouth of
the harbor. where the old cruiser Reina
Mercedes had been discerned attempting to
place explosives about the hull of the Mer-
rimac. to blow her to pieces and clear the
channel.
Hit the Reina Mercedes.
A thirteen-inch shell from the Oregon
landed squarely abaft her pilot house and
tore all her upper works to shreds.
Her second commodore" five of her
sailors and marine were killed. A sec
ond lieutenant of the Reina Mercedes and
sixteen of her seamen were very seriously
wounded.
A perfect shower of shell and shot fell
upon and around the old cruiser, and she
was 50 badly damaged that her crew. by
orders of Admiral Cervera, abandoned her
and sought the shore for safety
About noon. according to the Cape Hal
tien dispatch. landing party of American
marines near Daiquiri was attacked by
Spanish infantry and a squad of cavalry.
The insurgents were posted in the neigh
borhood, and. with the aid of the marines
successfully took up position, holding II
and later making il a base from which
they operated The Spanish force was de.
feated with heavy loss and driven back
toward Santiago, leaving their wounded be-
hind them.
The Americans now entrenched nea1
Daiquiri, and are landing heavy guns, pre-
paratory to moving them toward Santiag,
and laying siege to the city.
There is a panic in Santiago. The resi-
dents who can leave are fleeing to tn,