The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-06-17

PRESS BOAT. DAUNTLEss, OFF,
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Thursday, June.
Is. noon, vla KINGSTON, jamaica
Thursday, June 16, 0 p. m.-Rear Ad-
mlral SIMPSONS fleet bombarded the
batteries at Santiago de Cuba for the
third time at daylight this morning.
For hours the ships pounded the bat.
teries at the right and left OF the en-
trance, only sparing Ell Moro. where
Lieutenant Hobson an his companions
Of the Merrlmac, are In prison.
The western batteries, against which
the main assault was directed, were
badly wrecked. One was utterly de-
stroyed. In others many guns were
d!smounted. S5t
At fist the .Spanlards replied passion
atelV and wildly, but impotently. Then
most OF the guns were deserted. Not a
ship was struck nor q man injured on
the American side.
It is believed that the enemy's loss
Of life was heavy.
As preliminary to the !lammering
given the batteries, the dynamite cruz
ser Vesuvius- last night at midnight
was given another chance. Three $50
pound charges of gun cotton were sent
over the Notifications at the entrance.
The design was to drop them in the bay
around the angle, back OF the emiuence
! OF which El Moro Is situated, where it
Z Is known TINT Spanish torpedo boat de-
rtro tt-ar I,,tp 81, at,@
through. as no reports were heard-a
ton In water. Whether the destroyers
were demolished is not known. but the
destructive area OF gun cotton Is large
and 1t would not be surprising II 1t is
Subsequently ascertained that one or
both were destroyed.
The third charge exploded with terri
fc violence on Cavo Smith. From where
the fleet lag the entrance to the harbor
looked, in the black night, like door.
opening into the llvld fire Of a Titanic
furnace. "A crater big enough to hold a
church was blown out OF the side OF the
Cayol Smith and was clearly seen from
the ships this morning.
Admiral Sampson Issued the orders
for the bombardment last night. Coffee
MAS oGifcu ~ Tue tllel az pdSl
three this morning, and with the first
blush OF dawn the men were called
quietly to quarters. The ships steamed
In five knot speed to a three thousand
yard range, when they closed up. broad
side on, until q distance OF three cable
lengths separated them. They were
strung out In the form OF crescent,
the heavy fighting ships In the center.
the flagship on the right flank and the
Massachusetts, on the left. The line
remained stationary throughout the
bombardment. The Vixen and Scorpion
took up positions on opposite flanks,
close inshore for the purpose OF emf
lading any infantry that might fire
upon the ships.
When the ships got In position It was
still TOO dark for any firing. The adj
niral s!gnn1led the ships not to fire un-
III the muzzles OF the enemy's guns In;
the embrasures could be seen by the
Gul captains.
Fifteen minutes later, at 5:25 a. m,
the New. York opened with broadslde
from her main battery at the works on
the east Of the entrance to the harbor.
All the ships followed in red streaks OF
fame. The fleet, enveloped In smoke.
pelted the hills and Kicked up dirt and
masonry. II was a magnificent specta-
Gle. The Dons responded spiritedly at
first. but their frenzied, half crazed fire
could not match the cool nerve, trained
eyes and skilled gunnery of the Amer
lean sailors. Our fire was much more
effective than In preceding lombard
ments. The measured crash Of the
Dig thirteen-inch guns OF the battle
, ships sounded above the rattle OF the
guns of the secondary batteries like
thunder claps above the din OF hur-
rtcane ~ -5s4s-
IN fifteen minutes one western bat
terry was completely wrecked. The
Massachusetts, tore 4 gaping hole In, the
emplacement with a thousand pound
pro1ect!le, and the Texas dropped a
Shell Into the powder magazine. The
explosion wrought terrible havoc. The
frame was lifted, the sides were blown
out and a shower OF debris few In ev-
eFb direction. The loss OF life must
have been great.
The batteries on the east OF Moro
were harder to get at, but the New Or
leans crossed the bows Of the New York
10 within five hundred yards OF shore,
and played tnttoo with her long
elSht-inch rifles, hitting them repeated
". striking n gun squarely muzzle on,
llttlns It of Its trunchons and sending
u sweeping In somersaults high in the
DIR. 49, y
Several times Admiral Sampson sig
tnlled the ships temporarllytto TO cease
nrtng In order to allow the smoke to
clear from the batteries. When the or
aer came Mt $50 o'clock to cease firing
every gun OF the enemy had been ST.
lenced for ten minutes, but as the ships
aFew on some Of the Spanish courage
returned. and a half dozen shots were
nred spltefully at the Massachusetts
una Oregon. falling In their wake.
Admiral Sampson is highly grntlfed
With the results OF the bombardment.
ne thinks the western batteries prac-
uca!!g demolished. As some OF the guns
On the eastern batteries did not fire..
hs thinks It possible they were only
Dummies. s5Es K a l35
me only regret expressed is that
lieutenant Hobson and his men by
tnGr men presence IN Moro made, 1t sacred.
UtherwlHe It would now be n pile OF
,Sts. Probably no fewer than flvo
,1ousahd projectilcs were fired OF q
"'ai weight OF hnlf n million pounds.
Story OF aiutilntion Denied.
NEW YORK, Juno 1G,-S.ertlnn