Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-06-07
TO-DAY'S TELEGRAPHIC NEWS
COMMANDMENT OF SANTIAGO.
The Defenses at the Entrance to the
Harbor in Ruins and the Cruiser
Keina Mercedes Disabled,


Keina Mercedes Disabled,
NEW YORK, June IA special from
Cape Haytien, describing the lombard
ment of Santiago de Cuba on Monday,
saws that the forts about the harbor are
now q mass of ruins. The Moro is
shapeless pile of ruined masonry and
dismanted guns, and the Estrella bat
terry is utterly ruined. This result, the
dispatch says, was the work of ten
American ironclads which passed back
aud forth from Port Cabrera on the
west to Port Aguadores on the east OF
the harbor entrance, dischargiDg their
heavy guns as they steamed along, so
that scarcely yard of the coast escap-
Ell the deadly commanding. At Port
Aguadores the fort recently constructed
by Col. OrdoneZ, the famous artillery
expert, was blown to dust and Col.
Ordonez himself was badly wounded
by the flying splinters and debris, and
numbers of others wounded. Later in
the day the American ships moved
closer toward the mouth of the harbor
where the old cruiser Reina Mercedes
had been dlscerned attempting to place
explosives about the hull OF the Mer-
rimac to blow her to pieces and clear
the channel. A 13-incn shell from the
Oregon landed squarely abaft her
pilot house and tore her upper works
to shreds. Her "Second Commodore"
five of her sailors and a marine
were killed, a second lieutenant
of the Reina Mercedes and six
teen of her seamen were very
.riously wounded. A perfect shower
of shell and shot fell upon and around
the old cruiser and she was so badly
damaged that her crew, by orders OF
Admiral Ceryera, abandoned her and
sought the shore for safety. About
noon, according to the Cape Haytien
dispatch, land party of American
marines, near Daiquiri, was attacked
by Spanish infantry and squad OF
cavalry. The insurgents were posted
in the neighborhood, and with the aid
the marines successfully took up po'
sition, holding it and later making it
base from which they operated. The
Spanish force was defeated with heavy
loss and driven toward Santiago, leaving
their wounded behind them. The
Americans are now entrenched near
Daiquiri and are landing heavy guns,
preparatory to moving them toward
Santiago and laying siege to the city
There is panic in Santiago. The resi-
dents who can leave are fleeing to the
country, joining the insurgents or do
ing anything to get away from the GER
tain destruction that now awaits Ger
vera's fleet and the forces of Pando and
Linares.
Later reports show that Col. Ordon.
az, Captain SANCHEZ, Lieut.. Yrizar, and
two officers whose rank is not mention.
ID, are only severely wounded and moi
killed, as at first reported. The Span
iards claim that only one soldier was
killed, though the casualties in the
naval force are said to be as already
cabled.
CAPE HAYTIEN, Hayti, June 1906
q. m.-The fighting before and in The
vicinity of Santiago de Cuba continued
the greater part of yesterday, from 7:45
a. IN. until nearly II o'clock. Ten Of
the American warships maintained
steady and carefully directed fire
against Moro Castle and the batteries
at Punta Gorda, Socapa and Cincoreales,
in addition to bombarding the Spanish
fact in the harbor. The percentage OF
effective projectiles was very large. tap
pears from the best information obtain
able that immense damage WAS inflicted
on the enemy. The Spaniards admit
that the hombardment from the Amer
lean fleet was most destructive. About
sixteen hundred projectiles are said to
have been fred by the American war
ships, and il seems that the responsive
fire from the Spanish forts and ships
was scarcely felt at all by the Ameri-
caus. The Notifications near the en-
trance Of the harbor are described as
being riddled with solid shot and shat
tered by the explosion Of the immense
shells fired by the American battle.
ships. The Spanish batteries are IN.
derstood to have been virtually 81
fenced and Moro and the Notifications
at Socs pa and Punta Gorda are report
ed to have been demolished by the
three hours uninterrupted hsmmering
of the American feet.
The American attack is next said to
have been especially directed against
Aguadores,a small coast town q little TO
the east OF the entrance of Santiago bay.
Tue idea of the American admiral, it
appears, was to land troops and seige
guns there, after reducing the defences
of the place, and then make an assault
upon Santiago which, in view of the
present condition of its Notifications,
may be expected to yield very soon az
ter the beginning of such an attatk
The latest adyices received here from
Spanish sources do not indicate the du-
ration of the fire.or whether American
troops and siege guns were actually
landed at Aguadores, but from the in
formation obtainable it cannot be doubt.
ed that The net result Of Mondays fight
ing was extremely disastrous to the
Spanish defences. The military COM
mander of Santiago de Cuba &C
knowledges that Colonel Ordonez,
Captain Sanchez, Lieutenant Yri-
Ear, and Perez and Garcia, both Spanish |
officers, whose rank is mot mentioned, |
were killed. The Spanisrds also admit
the loss of twenty-one infantry soldiers |
severely wounded and say one soldier |
was killed, but it is believed the losses
we're much heavier. In the naval |
force, the Spaniards says that the Of
6cer who was second in command OF |
tho partly dismgutled Spanish cruiser
Reina Mercedes and five sailors and au