The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-29
FLAG REMOVED FROM MoaRo.
State Il Texas Enters Harbor First Iyath
Red Gross Supplies.

SANTIAGO, July l9.-At exactly 9
o'clock Sunday morning, the Spanish
flag was lowered from the staff CROWN
ing the heights upon which battered
MORO castle spreads half way. The
lowering of this emblem of the de6unct
sovereignty of Spain in this part Of the
world was witnessed by few Spanish
and American troops on shore, and by
the Brooklyn, New York, Vixen and
Vesuvius, lying within few hundred
yards of the barber entrance. Almost
Immediately after the flag was hauled
down steam launches, commanded by
Lieutenants Hobsea and Palmer entered
the harbor, penetrating as far as the
firing stations of the submarine naines.
These mines were judged not to he so
formidable as expected and later in the
afternoon they were all exploded under
the supervision of the Vixen. It was
seen that two mines had been exploded
ut the time Of the entrance of the Mer.
rimac into ihe channel of Santiago har-
boz, but it is not thought that either of
them had anything to do with the sink
ing of the craft. Six or seven steamers
in the harbor fall as prizes to the army
and navy. The Spanish gunboat
Alvarez, had already been taken posses
sion of by prize crew from the New
York. The other vessels lie at the
other end of the harbor, at Santiago
proper Soon after noon, Commodore
Schley with Captain Cook of the Brook
lyn, Leutenants Sears and Wells, and
three invited correspondents of the AS
sociated Press, went into the harbor on
steam launch, which moved slowly in
order to make close observations of the
Spanish forts and batteries. Everyone
expressed satisfaction at the fact that
Moro castle was not demolished by the
bombardment, Captain Cook saying:
"We need Ell MORO as an object lesson
and America is rather shy Oh ruins any
how
The old forts stand on the bluff, ter
race fashion Around the base in the
superstructure are few caves made
i by the navy's projectiles. 1t would ap-
pear, however, that only one bastion
was knocked to pieces, while the queer
little sentry boxes, dating back to the
10Th century, escaped almost intact.
MORO castle is the only imposing
fortifcation in the harbor and it is only
SO i'll Importance, since not a gun is
mounted within or on the crumbled
walls. In fact, all the batteries, masked
and open, dwindled in their terror-in-
spring qualities as the inspection grew
closer. Growing the hill on the west
side Of the ontrance were the famous g.
inch rapid fire guns from the Spanish
cruiser Reina Mercedes. These were
ugly looking and dangerous, while be-
low On big foundations on the western
shore Of the entrance We're some revolv-
ing guns. These were the ones which
poured such a bitter fire into the Merri-
mac. Directly east Of MORO castle, on
the crest of the plateau-ike cliff, were
six big guns, one or two of which had
been dismounted.
Commodore Schley has ever and over
again expressed the belief that our fleet
probably could have entered the harbor
without the loss of single ship. The
mines might have stopped ingress by
sinking the leading ship, but this
is the chance Of war, and not so
| grave as many taken during the civil
strife, nor as seriots as would have been
the situation lad there been good bait
teries, properly manned, in the harbor.
Wreck of Reina Mercedes.
Commodore Schley's party first
cto tl,o ~
Mercedes, which lies with her bow
pointed toward the city. She had list
/. to starboard and rested on a reef near
the foot of Moro cliff. The cruiser was
sunk to the upper deck, on which one
8-inch gun remained. One torpedo tube
was loaded and the auxiliary battery
seemed in place. Evidently the crew of
the Reina Mercedes left her in hurry.
This is less to be wondered at when it is
noted that there were great gaps in her
sides, showing where two IL and two 49,
inch shells had struck her. About 600
yards ahead of the Reina Mercedes and
almost in line with her was the wreck
of the Merrimac, lying in fully six
fathoms of water, on the very edge of
the channel. Had ncs the current
swung the doomed ship alongside in
! stead Of athwart the channel, the latter
would have been well blocked.
Commodore Schley then said he was
determined to have glimpse of Santi-
ago city and the launch was headed
along the west side Of the channel.
Punta Gorda was rounded and distant