Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-04-30

rool a. Il th7 vessel were
,5sralv at Target Praciice-Splen-
"a Work OF the Jaok!es at the
crns-Ths Cease Firing Order
(.aea Cause Of disappointment.
ono commandment BAD at Least
.na Good Bffscc of Showing the
c,aniards What American War
.lins Can DO. and Gave the Gun
wers Fine Practice Shooting.
n, paard the Flagship New York,
as havana, April IS, Via Key West,
,nrf 2q-When the bombardment OF
T.. 1T4-anzas defenses Us at its height
....,s.lav and after it had been in pro-
s for 10 minutes, Rear Admiral
samson ordered cease firing to be
..n4ed A few shots rang out from
.,a cincinnati and Puritan before they
c,acbt the signal. On shore all was
.,ie. N3t a soul could he seen there,
a,J there was no firing. The earth
works quarter-hour before had pre-
.eo,- fairly regular outline, but now
~ lad a Jagged appearance. Big
cans were plainly visible at Quintas
rssoreo, but there was not a sign OF
la here. Admiral Sampson had eff
ts.gallv stopped the work on Punta
.,rda He had drawn the fire of the
,a4mv and discovered the location and
rnmber of their batteries, besides af
foriing his three ships good target
n-ac,ice. incidentally he had put the
,foqr of American guns into Spanish
l,sarts. 1t would have been pt.fectly
fa3siblo for these three ships unaided
10 have steamed past the Notifications
right into Matanzas and taken it or
s5elled il at pleasure The only risk
rgn would have been from mines. How
ever. Matanzas was not wanted, luck
iy for it. After satisfying himself
that his object had been accomplished
Admiral sampson
HEADED BACK FOR HAVANA.
The Puritan and Cincinnati were left
10 look after Matanzas and they will
see to it that Matanzas is not the scene
Of much fortification work in the flu
ture The readiness to assume this task
can be judged from the fact that short
~ after the signal cease firing had
been given, Capt. Chester asked per
mission to reopen. This was refused,
Admiral Sampson evidently thinking
that Mayanzas had had enough for one
afternoon.
During the bombardment the New
Yorks engines at intervals went slow
ly astern, keeping a steady range of
1850 yards On Punta Gorda and 1000
on Quintas da Recereo, the machinery
working perfectly not only in the en-
CINE room but throughout the whole
ship. This is especially true of the
electric ammunition hoists and turret
training gear, two of the most essen
tial parts of a ships equipment during
action
From the naval point of view few,
II any. lessons We're learned from the
b1mbardmert, though the range at
which the shooting was carried was a
satisfactory test of craftsmanship. The
dis+eece. however, prevented the staff
i1Ga asceuairiHg the effect Of the
hea'y explosive proiectiles on the
eauhworkS. Gui1jas Rocereo appeared
70 be an - 9 fort, lying near the
waters edge. Z ne battery was probably
behind recently constructed sand
work.
Itm The lay point of view the bonn
Dardmont appeared to demonstrate sew
eFal things. Ii was proved that the Of
feers from Rear Admiral Sampson
down are perfectly cool in the face of
danger and action, and that they have
superior control over the men at the
mos exciting and trying moments, and
that the latter are as STEADY and cour-
ase0us when the guns roar and the
sacls whistle as when they muster to
morning and evening quarters in time
Of peace. Al the second place, the
Commandment gave an excellent, though
al the same time,
G7PTCIJTJvI-H Il JTSTI9 ALTON
OF warships death-dealing powers.
had a single ship been in the place
where the shells fell it seems as if she
would have been blown to bits before
she could have returned the fire. When
10000 ton ship, usually as steady as
rock, shakes and trembles like
frightened child; when firmly fitted
DoltS start from their sockets and win
doN panes and woodwork are shatter-
ed' when the roar peals up from port
and starboard and you feel your feet
leaVing the deck and your glasses
jumping around on your forehead,
while a binding, backening smoke
hldes everything from sight. then it is
mat you first realize the terrible power
Vi modern warships batteries.
Scenes of intense interest occurred on
'Ae flagship deck during the lombard
ment. The center Of attraction natur-
"'iy was about the forward bridge,
where Rear Admiral Sampson paced up