The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-05-15
SIMPSONS BIG CANNON
DID NOT SILENCE THE FORTS OF
SAN JUAN
Unless the Dose Has Been Repeated
the Spanish Coal Piles Are
Still Available


Associated Press Special Wire
NEW YORK, May 14.-A correspondent
of the World sends the following dispatch
from st. Thomas, descriptive Of the bonn
bardment of San Juan:
Admiral Simpsons fleet lay within sight
Of San Juan de Porto Rico all Wednesday
night. At o'clock on Thursday morning
oil hands on all the ships were called: For
an hour and a half each ship was the scene
of an orderly confusion as the 1000 sailors
stripped their ships, their guns and them
selves.
BY 4:so everything was in readiness for
the battle to begin-the second great en-
gagement of the war. At 5:15 came the
call ITO quarters" and instantly every
man was at his post and ready and eager
to strike q blow in atonement for the
Maine.
The object of attack lay in plain view.
straight ahead to the south. The forts
end batteries of San Juan de Porto Rico
are on the coral reef guarding the entrance
to the harbor.
It was a glorious morning; the sky I'M
clouded, the air cool and brisk. long
heavy swell rolled toward the shore and
broke against the reef, whose forts seemed
70 be asleep.
To mark the limits of the line Of bat
tla, the Detroit and the tug Waumpatuck
steamed shoreward, the Detroit to the
eastward until she was opposite Valtern,
the Waumpatuck to the westward until she
was able to anchor her small boats in ten
1athoms of water, just out Of range of the
great fort Of San Juan, Moro, which rises
ON q hill at the end Of the eastern arm
OF the harbor.
Moro, of course, was to be the center Of
attack. In it were the seven six-inch guns
sent over as soon as the war became GER
tain, and which had been hastily mounted
and manned with the best gunners in the
colonial army. Soon after the Detroit and
Waumpatuck were in place, Admiral
SIMPSONS column Of floating fortresses
and batteries began to move down upon
the quiet and seemingly sleeping fortresses
and batteries along the coral reef. In the
van was the Iowa, the flagship, with the
battle cry of the navy streaming in bril-
liant-colored flags from her mast. IRE
member the Maine
Next came the huge Indiana, of such
enormous bulk that she rode almost steady
even upon that heavy sea. Then followed
the New York, as formidable as battle
ship; then the low-lying monitors Amphi-
tyite and Terror. They bore straight for the
shore in single file. Long before the flag
ship was in range there came flash, a
cloud of smoke, a roar and a shell from the
walls of MORO. The shell fell far short.
The roar died away and for fifteen min
utes the scene was as peaceful as before.
Suddenly the Iowa turned sharply to the
east. She came around peacefully until
her starboard battery was pointing full
ut Moro. One Of her great 13-inch guns
burst into flame and a shell sailed high to-
ward Moro. 1t fell short, but the re-
Spouse came-a roar from all the batteries
and forts along the shore. A tremendous
burst of sound and smoke and flame,
shower of shells that wasted themselves in
the sea. So wild was the volley that even
had the Iowa been in range none of the
shots would have hit her.
The Iowa was now nearer and the entire
line Of warships was in position to attack
the Spanish shore line. Each ship was now
firing and each shore gun was answering.
But while the Spanish aim was bad, the
American gunners fired with the calmness
and precision of experienced target prac-
tice. The fleet was soon enveloped in smoke
end also the shore. Only outlines could
be madc out. but 1t was apparent that
while the Spanish shells issued from the
smoke on the shore to fall into the sea, the
American shells rushed from the fleets
envelope OF smoke to bury themselves in
the smoke on shore.
And now and then, as the wind drifted
the thick gray curtain aside, It could be
seen that the American ships were unin !.
Surcd and that on shore the line of FORTH
cations that had been unbroken were torn
and ruined In many places. When the
Iowa camc up to the Wampatuck stake
boat, she turned and led the colmun back
again across the line of fire. Our fleet was
now nearer and the Spanish shells fell
around the ships. Some struck against the
ormor of the battleships-big 6-inch shells
but they bounded on, leaving hardly n
Gent behind. One Spanish shell struck a boat
on the Iowa. passed through 1t and entered
ehea supsrstructure. scattering splinters in
Dvery direction. Three men were injured.
Admiral sampson and Captain Evans were