The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-06-20
WORK OF AMERICAN GUNS
DESTRUCTION IMPLICIT
ED ON FORTS OF SANTIAGO.

The Bombardment of Last Thursday
Spread Wreck and Ruin Everywhere
Number of Spanish Killed Probably
Great-FIag at Half Mast on MORO
CastIe-Iay be Notification of the
Death of Hobson and His Followers.
Copyright, 1898, The Associated Press)
On board the Associated Press dis
patch boat Dauntless, off Santiago de
Cuba, Saturday, June IS, noon, via
Kingston Jamaica, Sunday, June 19-
A careful inspection of the fortifca-
tions along the crest of the hills de-
Tending Santiago harbor since the bonn
bardment Thursday morning shows
that the American gunners spread
wreck and ruin everywhere Some of
the batteries were demolished beyond
repair The vultures which circled on
level winds over the hills as thick as
swallows, around chimney for hours
after the firing ceased furnished grue-
some evidence of the fatality among
the Spanish soldiers. Hundreds Of
troops could be seen from the ships
digging in mounds of earth piled up by
the explosion of the projectiles from
the heavy guns for bodies while their
heads were famed by the wings of the
black scavengers of the battlefield.
There were two spots, one on the
east and the other on the west of the
hD rhO1~ xrI,i io1, of
foliage. The hilltops seem literally
blown away These marked the places
where the two hundred pound charges
of gun cotton blow by the vesuvius
landed. But the most ominous token
of death flew from Moro Castle The
saffron flag of Spain was half-masted
on the keep for several hours The sig
nificance of this is not known 1t is
not customary to half mast flags, but
possibly some Spanish leader was killed
by the heavy fire of our guns, though
some officers of the squadron believe
that the flag was half-masted as a noti-
fication to the Americans that Lieuten-
ant Hobson and his brave men We're
dead. If such is the case they must
have been wantonly murdered. The
Spanish might seek to lay their death
to the bombardment, but not a shot
from the American ships struck the
fortress. Neither Admiral Sampson
nor Commodore Schley believes that
Lieutenant Hobscn and his party have
been killed. We have seventeen pris-
oners of war at Guantanamo, including
lieutenant besides number in the
United States for reprsals or exchange.
There was evident Generalization
among the Spanish troops during the
bombardment. officers could be seen
with drawn swords, driving the men to
| the guns but even then they could not
| be forced to stay so long as our guns
| We're directed at them. The fifteen
minutes work of the Vesuvius had
shattered their nerves. 1t is believed
| by some that the thirteen-inch projec-
tiles fired from the Texas, which was
lreported to have exploded the powder
magazines in one of the western bat
teries, did not fall in the battery, but
went beyond and blew up one of the
| ships in the harbor.
| A dramatic incident of the lombard
| ment was the act of a Spanish officer,
who bravely ran along the parapet un-
der a heavy fire, encouraging his men
| to stand by their guns. Shot and shell
rained about him and after one terrific
explosion he was seen no more and the
parapet had disappeared. He could not
have escaped death.
| From the foretop of the Brooklyn, o.
900 yards distant, the men in the
grounds could be noticed, but a minute
later dust and flying debris would take
/ +I,nt, NJ,a Il
| ed away only spot of red earth could
be seen-guns and gunners had been
swept away. 1t was the most deadly
and destructive bombardment thus far
| There were no casualties in the fleet
although the ships held fixed posi-
| tion as If inviting the Spaniards to fire
| upon them The half-stripped ships
| gunners never worked with more en-
! thusiasm The words of Rear Admiral
Sampson were: First silence the bat
teries on the shore and then continue
firing until the Notifications are reduc.
| ed This order was strictly obeyed
1t was the first time that such instruc-
tions had been given and the men re-
sponded with a will.
In thirty-minutes the order was giver
to cease firing and the message went tt
each ship from the admiral, "Wel
done" The officers and men then turn
| ed in for breakfast. Every detail OF
the plan of engagement had been exc.
cuted to the letter, the opening of fire
by the New York to the last shot from
the Iowa. The Spaniards were evident
ly surprised while Strengthening theil
fortifications. The first shot Of the
| New York landed on the top of the hills
| where the gunners were already al
work erecting new pieces. The eartf
seemed to rise in a cloud and when the
| twelve-inch shells of the Iowa and the
| thirteen-inch beauties of the Oregon
landed squarely and fairly great chez
| went up from the ships. The western
squadron got into line and began firing
before the eastern one did.