The San Francisco call., 1898-07-24

KEY WEST, July 23.-Acting under orders from Rear Admiral Sampson, four American warships on Tuesday af- ternoon last entered the harbor of Nipe, on the northeast coast of the province of Santiago de Cuba, and after fu- rious bombardment took possession of the harbor. The vessels engaged were the Topeka, Annapolis, Wasp and Ley den. In the course of an hour they silenced the forts, sunk the Spanish gunboat Jorge Juan and scattered the Spanish rifemen who had taken part in the engagement.
 On Thursday the Annapolis, Wasp and Leydon came from Santiago, and Captain Hunker of the Annapolis, who was ranking officer, was surprised to learn that Nipe had not been taken. Admiral Sampson had understood that this had been done, and had orders for the monitors detailed for the PortoRican campaign to rendezvous there. When the situation had been cleared up, Cap tain Hunker ordered the ships to go in. The Wasp and Leyden, being the small est of the quartet, led the way, followed by the Annapolis, while the Topeka, which carried heavier battery, brought up the rear.
 The channel leading into the harbor was very narrow, and on a bluff to the right, called Galory Point were a, fort and signal station. As the American ships entered the Spaniards were sig naling in a lively fashion, apparently notifying the ships in the harbor, which were the Jorge Juan, two smaller gum boats and an armored launch. As the Wasp and Leyden rounded the point the fort fired a dozen shots none of which, however, fell near them, and the Topeka returned the fire with her three-p -pounders.
 Almost immediately the Spaniards deserted the fort and retired, while the Topeka continued to send shells into them. A body of rifiemen on the beach returned the fire with few wild shots, but, they, too, were quickly dispersed by the Topeka's smaller guns. The Topeka also discharged several torpe- does. At the same time another small fort to the left of the channehfired on the American ships, but it was siIenced as easily as the other.
 In the meantime the Wasp and Ley den had taken up a position in the northwestern portion of the harbor and opened fire across the water at the Jorge Juan, which lay to the southeast,
  position was about mile and quar- ter from the beach, and behind her a third fort stood on an eminence. This fort opened on the Wasp and Leyden. and as the Annapolis and Topeka came up the Spanish gunboat joined in the fight and a general battle followed The Topeka anchored in the middle of the harbor about 4000 yards from the Jorge Juan, and the other three Ameri- can boats drew up on either side and formed a semi circle. The Americans then closed in on the Spanish ships. The Topeka sent four-inch shells crashing into the Jorge Juan at such a rate that she sank yitLin twenty min utes.
 When the firing became heavy the officers and crew of the Spaniard put off in a small boat made for th4 shore under a heavy fire and escaped into the woods.
 Two shots from the Topeka's bow gun. fired at an elevation of 450O yards, dropped square into Mavari fort, the Spanish pennants disappeared and a white flag was run up. This ended a short, but one of the most vicious, bat ties of the war
 All of the American ships sent small boats over to the Spanish gunboat, that of the Topeka being under com mand of Lieutenant Niblack, the for