Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-07-13
FIGHTING IN PROGRESS.
Spaniards Refuse to Surrender
Shafter Opens Fire.
lombard SANTIAGO
SchIey's Fleet CO-opcrates-Ship s
Shells Fall Short of the
City Itself.

Washington. D. c., July IA cable
gram from Gen. Shafter was received at
the war department stating that the bonn
bardment of Santiago would begin today
1t appears that the affair Of Sunday WAS
only ii preliminary artillery skirnIish.
Tn war department today made public
three dispatches from Gen. Shafter, re-
ceived in the early hours of this morning
and about l O'Clock this afternoon:
The following was received at $50 L.
M.
playa del Este-The navy has prom
ised after the bonn bardment begins TO get
in close to the harbor with some of their
light draft boats. If the bombardment
tomorrow (Monday) is not quickly con-
elusive they will make the attempt. As
soon as Henry's achievements arrive we
will surround the town and can knock it
to pieces with our light guns. Capt.
Goodrich of the st. Louis assisted me
very ably in disembarking troops
Twenty-three minutes later the follow
ing was received
MY plans for tomorrow arc to keep up
the bOmbardment of the trenches and
city and complete the investment on the
northwest by the troops which have just
arrived at SlbOney, one regiment OF
which, the First Illinois, has now reached
me.
Soon after noon today the following
was received:
Il regret to report that Capt Rowel!
Second infantry, was killed late yester-
day afternoon"
On Board the Associated Press Dis
patch-Boat Dandy, Off Aguadores, Cuba,
July 10.-(Nia Port Antonio and Kings
ton, Jamaica, July II. 9:45 a. m.)-The
Brooklyn. Indiana and Texas, under Com
modore Schley, began the bombardment
Of the city OF Santiago at 5:15 this after
noon in obedience to the request from Gen.
Shafter, conveyed by signal from the
shore.
The warships lined up from east to west.
4 quarter of mile from shore and fired
over the limestone bluffs that come down
to the sea and hide the city, five miles
away.
one hour.
After thirty-tive shots had been fred
from the S-inch guns Commodore Schley
became convinced that the BrOoklyn's
fire was falling short, and ordered q ces-
satOn. permitting the battleShipS TO con-
tinue, they. with their larger guns, hay
ing longer range The shots were fired
intervals of tive minutes. The signals
from the shore announced that the shells
fell 1000 feet short and a little to the
eft OF the Spanish position. At dusk
the squadron ceased firing and COmmO-
dore Schley sent q launch to the shore to
ask Gen. Shafter if he desired firing con
tinued during the night.
When the Associated press reporter
went aboard the Brooklyn, Commodore
Schley said he was ignorant of the pur
pose of the bombardment. The Associated
press reporter read to him a message re-
ceived at Juragua from mounted courier
saying the armiStice was ended and that
hOstilities had been resumed.
Commodore Schley said: Gen. Shat
ter signaled 10 me to begin the lombard
ment as soon as | could get into position.
| doubted from the start whether | could
hit the city. | had to guess at its loca
ton and be very careful not to iniure our
own army. If l lombard tomorrow [
shall have range marks on shore to guide
me and l shall take the ships closer to
the shore than today. The water off
Aguadores is so smooth that our marks
manship was not affected by the swaying
of the ship. In firing today | gave the
listing the ships. But | knew l would
fall short. The guns will carry more
than five miles. but to throw shots over
the cliff a great elevation is required"
When the Dandy left Aguadores at Z
o'clock the Warships were still III posi-
ton.
During the bombardment the Dandy
ships.
When the bombardment began a heavy
rainstorm was III progress with thunder
and lightning, but artillery fire could be
heard on shore, indicating that Gen.
Shafter had resumed hostilities imme-
diately upon the ending of the armistice.
Following the roar of Commodore
Schley's guns could be heard the Shrek
ing Of the shells as they sped on their
way to the doomed Spanish city. Then
came q long echo from the hills back of
Santiago, and sometimes a peal of thun-
der prolonged the reverberations and gave
the impression that the city was bonn
barded from the sky. sea and land.
The situation must have been appalling
to the Spaniards. and if Gen. Shafter
made the demonstration for the mere eff
feet which it would have on the waver-
ing enemy, he probably attained his end
HIS AVAHAR VF E0PEE