The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-17
Enemy's Western Batteries Were
Badly Wrecked.
ONE WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED
No American Ship Struck or Man
Injured.
BA1lLESHIP TEXAS STRICTLY IN H..
She Dropped Shell In n Powder
Magazine CausinR Terrible Havoc.
The spanish Loss Was Great.

Especial Dispatch to the New York Herald,
London Times and The Houston Post.
Copyrighted, 1928, by James Gordon Ben
nett.)
Washington, June l6.Aciive naval opo-
rations against Santiago de Cuba will be
the order OF the day until the arrival Of
the army.
Admiral Sampson was Informed by cable
today that the troops were at last actually
on their way to Santiago de Cuba. and thai
NE could expect their arrival within three
days. This information will undoubtedly
be the signal for renewed bonlbardments
Of shore batteries in order to destroy every
yestge OF defense along the shore that The
spaniards may have erected since the
men OF war appeared off Santiago de Cuba.
copyrighted. 1898. by Associated Prcas)
On Board the Associated Dispatch Boat
rauntlcss, off Santiago dc Cuba. Thursday.
June i6, noon, via Kingston, juno 16, .
y. m.---Rcar Admiral SIMPSONS fleet boln-
barded the batteries at Santiago de Cuba
for the third time at daylight this morn
ing For houra the ships pounded the
batteries at the right anu left OF tho en-
trance, only sparing III MORO.
The western batteries, against which the
main assault was directed. were badly
wrecked One was utterly dcetroycd In
others rcany guns were dismountcd
AT first the Spanish replied passonately
and wildly, bu, impotontly Then most Of
the guns were deserted Not a ehip was
struck nor man injured on the Amcri-
can side,
Az preliminary to the hammering given
the batteries, the dynamite cruiser Vesu-
vius at midnight last was given another
chance.
Three 25O-pound charges of guncouon
We're sent over the Notifications at the en-
trance The two charges vent through
but no reports were heard Whether tho
Two torpedo boat destroycrs were destroyed
Is not known, but The destructive area Of
the gnncotton Ia large and II would not
Dc surprising II II Is subsequently ascer-
'aineo 'not enc or both Of the ~ pedo de-
stfoyeis In Santiago bay were DESTROYED
Admiral Sampson issued orders far ,a
'"'' hlBhl' tOIec was
served to the men at Gao this morning
ana with the first flush OF dawn tho men
were called quietly TO quarters.
The ships steamed In ave.knot speed IN
5000 yards range. when they closed nm
proadside on until a distance Of three cabin
lengths separated them.
They were strung out In the form Of n
crescent, the fighting ships In the center.
Inc line remained stationary throughout
the commandments
The Vixen and SCORPION took No pogi
tons on the opposite Hanks. close inshore
Tor the purpose OF ennlading any Infantry
that might lire on the shlps.
Wheh the ships go, In position IL was
sun 100 dark for any fltiug, The admiral
slgnaiied the ships net 70 Ore until IN,
huSzzles OF thesenemy's guns In the em-
brtsurcs could be seen Nv tho rnna am.
,tsdns.
Fifteen minutes later, al s,2O Tho Nav
YORK opened with broadside from her
n'ui battery q; the wornA on .he .ost az
the entrance TO The hArD0r.
~" the ships followed IN red strcaks Of
h.une' Inc deet enveoped In smoke. belt
q me hiils aud KICKED up dirt aud ma
- - vas udsu.HcSnt spectacle from
where the Dals,,iess lay.
Ihough the gun captains had been Gnu
aoned nos To waste ammunition. bu IA
hre with elaboration. the fra was sn raoia
mat there was almost continuous ~
port. ~
The thirteen-inch guas OF the blttlo,hlns
sounded above the rattle OF the smaller
guns. a strong land breeze OF tho shoes
carried the smoke OF the ships seward
while II let down thick curtain In front
OF the Spanish gunners.
The Dons responded spirltedly nj frat
but their frensled half crazed nre could
not match the cool trained eyes OF tho
shliled Eunnery OF the American sailors
our hre was much more effective u,an
In preceding bombardments. The ADMIRAL
mad been given explicit instructions IA
trajectory. '"'
ne shells In the preceding lombard
ments dropped with the almost sfraleht
trajectory OF proiectiles and with full
charges II was almost impossible to plant
them p""'
They would shoot into the air. onclrc,e
the batteries owing to the hlrh elevation
and fall far over the f,rtiarotlons. The
Eflbsis "''
In fifteen minutes the western batteries
were completely wrecked Thu Massachu
sets tore n gaping hole on the emplace-
mept with good pound projsctile ana
the Tcxas drcnped she'll Into the powder
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