The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-06-24

New York, June pa special dated
at Playa del Este, Cuba, today, said
that at 1 o'clock this morning the last
of General Skaters army of invasion
had landed at Baiquiri
| Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.)
| On Board the Associated Press Dis
patch Boat Wanda, Baiquiri Harbor,
Cuba, Wednesday, June %, p. m (vis
Kingston, Jamaica, Thursday, June 2S
$50 a. m.).-At o'clock this afternoon
5000 trained American soldiers are
camped in and around Baiquiri, and
| 10000 more rest on their arms on board
the transports ready to join those who
have debarked as soon as the available
launches and boats can carry them
ashore.
Time and sea were propitious for the
invasion. The navy co-operated splen-
didly, and as the big warships closed
in on the shore to pave the way for
the approach of the transports and
then went back again, three cheers for
the navy went up from 10000 threats
on the transports, and three cheers rose
for the army from ship to ship as the
troOpshipS moved in TO take their
share in the hazardous game. 1t was
war and it was magnificent.
The Cuban insurgents, too, bore their
share in the enterprise honorably and
well. Five thousand of them in noun
tain Businesses and dark thickets of
ravines, lay all last night on their guns,
watching every road and mountain
path leading from Santiago to Guanta-
namO. A thousand were within sight
of Baiquiri, making the approach Of
the Spaniards under cover of the
darkness impossible.
AT 4 o'clock this morning, as the AS
sociated Press dispatch boat approach
ed Baiquiri, the entire island of Cuba
seemed wrapped in soft mist like that
of the dog days in northern ATTITUDES.
Leaden clouds lay on the eastern hOri-
ZOn, and the color was reflected in the
gray waters of the ocean, which gen
orally undulated in the may breeze.
Distant objects doomed dimly, but it
was seen that many of the troOpships
that had been lying several miles in
the offing had drawn in towards shore,
while three or four warships lay men,
acingly near the harbOr approach.
All around transports, steam
launches and small boats were bob
bling about like corks, the first indica-
llOIl u the True ODJGCI VI the
ing ahead. An hour later the sun was
rising in the eastern skies. touching the
mountain tops with patches of light
green and revealing the great semi
circle of troopShipS, some close to the
coast lines, others a mile distant, with
their decks crowded with eager, eX-
pectant men, impatient to begin the
great movement of destiny. to make a
new chapter in the history of America,
10 fi1.cr iTlX W sion nv orr a rT11 of for
eign country in half century.
SPANIARDS HAD GONE.
AS the dispatch boat of the Associa-
ted Press ran closer in where the New
Orleans was lying, with her great
Armstrong guns trained on BaiQuiri.
tongues of lurid flame and black smoke
were seen rising in the town, the inev-
liable consequence of war and a sure
sign that the SpaniardS had gone,
leaving ruin behind.
The captain of the New Orleans
shouted the news to the dispatch boat,
adding: You had better keep off a
little You are in range. They have a
rife on the hill on the eastern side OF
Baiquiri.''
This is a steep rocky Unknown as
Punta Baiquiri, rising almost per-
pendicularly at the place indicated.
It is a veritable Gibraltar in posi-
bilities of defense. From the staff at
it's summit the Spanish flag was de-
family floating at sunset last night,
but it was gone this morning and with
it the small Spanish guard which had
maintained the signal station. Between
nightfalI and dawn the SDaniardS had
taken the alarm and fled from the
place, firing the town as they left.
The flames were watched with interest
from the ships. Two sharp explosions
were heard. At first they were thought
to be the reports of guns from Span
ish masked batteries, but they proved
TO be the explosion of ammunition in
the burning buildings
Three hours waiting made the men
on the transports impatient to get
ashore and in action, and every move
of the warships was closely watched
by the soldiers. A little before 8
o'clock the bombardment of the bat
teries of Jaragua was begun by the
ships of Rear Admiral Simpsons
fleet. This was evidently a feint to
cover the real point of attack,
Jauargua being about half way be-
tween Baiquiri and Santiago. The
bombardment lasted about 20 minutes.
The scene then quickly shifted back
again to the great Semi-circle of the
transport fleet before Baiquiri.
AT $40 o'clock the New Orleans open
ed fire with a. gun that sent a. shell
and crashing against the
hillside The Detroit, Wasp, Machias
and Suanee followed suit and soon the
hiNsides and the valleys seemed to be
ablaze as shot followed shot in swift
succession among the wild and excited
of the soldiers on the trans
ports.
LANDING COMMENCED.
In ; minutes the sea was alive with
hotillas of small boats, headed by
launches, speeding for the Baiquiri
dock.
Some of the boats were manned by
crews of sailors, while others were,
rowed by the soldiers themselves. Each
boat contained is men, every one in.
fighting trim, and carrying three days
a sheltered tent, a gun and 200
cartridges, ready to take the field on
the shore should they be
called upon to do so. The firing of the
however, proved to be
needless precaution, as their shots were