The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-19

is !. TOLD |
or the Bombardment Of the Port
Of San Juan
by REAR ADMIRAL SAMPSON
Spain Claimed "We Didn't do o |
Thing to Them
BUT 1T SEEMS THAT WE DID

| ~ - SSLHAS AAfi - ls''A - bAbs1
Tho North snd OF MORO Castle was Left :
Ia Utter Rain, tho cabras Island Fort
was Completely silsnesd and the San
Carlos Battery Badly pamaged-The ,
Spanish Aim was A,tonndinEly had.
Accuracy OF American Gnnners.
Copyright, 1893, by tho Associated Prsss3
ON BOARD THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS DISPATCH BOAT DAUNT-e
LESS, KEY WEST. Fla, May 1s.Thes
Dauntless. dispatch boat of tho Assocl-7;
nted Press. arrived here this morning
and brought the first detailed account
OF the bombardment of San Juan de-
Porto Rico. by a portion OF the feet un-5
der the command OF Rear Admiral
Sampson on May u last. 9l
THE AMERICAN wARsH1Ps sus-
TANNED ONLY TRIVIAL INJuRY.
AND LOST BUT ONE MAN KILLED.
AFTER THE ENGAGEMENT THDs
NORTH END OF MoRRo cAsTLng
WAS IN RUINS, THE tCABRAS is
LAND FORT WAS sILENcED AND !
THE SAN CARLOS BATTERY WAS
DAMAGED.
No shots were aimed at the city, and
| 1t Is not known whether any damage
was done there. Spaniards at ST.
Thomas claim that'a school house was
struck, and that the master and his /
pupils were killed, but this Is not
thought likely, as the Commandment &
took place early in the morning and Z,
the school children proba bly, were not
In the building at the time. 5ts
| Misleading Plans. ~ ~
The plans OF the fortlncations Sur-s
nished to the fleet were very mlslead-
ing. 1t was known that the Spanish
forts had recently been strengthened
with new guns, but other facts deyelop-S;
ed which showed miscalculations by I
| those who drew the plans. Refugees IN Z
| ST. Thomas told the correspondents who !:
touched there after the : engagement
that the Spaniards thought the forts at
San Juan were stronger than, those OF I
Havana. * 80
The United States heetleft Key West
on May 3 5"to intercept and destroy''
the Spanish fleet, which had left the I
| Cape Verde islands. This was the only Z
l&informatio the United States navy desS
|:partment and Admiral Sampson had on
The subject. 4.
Our warships proceeded slowly feast-is
ward, and on May were off Cape Hay-jl
tien,5 republic OF Haytl. Attempts were
made there to obtain Information res
garding the whereabouts Of the Span-s
iards. but no definite knowledge was ]
obtained. II
Early In the morning of May u, Rear
Admiral Simpsons ships approached 3
San Juan, the American consul at Cape5;
HaytIen having informed the admiral
| that he had heard a report that thirteen s
Spanish war ships had been seen head
| ing for Porto Rico. ~ Il,
The city OF San Juan Is situated In a
long narrow pocket. A,tongue OF high-
| land separates It from the ocean, Tho z
entrance Of the harbor Is easily defend-e
| ed. and the same can be said OF tho &
headlands of lofty Cabras island, which
| lies In the throat OF the passage These
| headlands have been fortified by the
Spaniards, but they did not prove IN
any way dangerous to our warships.
The town OF San Juan IS on the ocean i
side OF the bay and In the rear OF the I
town rise high hills. To reach the city,
ships must pass the MORO castle for ti-F;
fcatIons and the battery OF San Carlos.
situated on pronIontory at the east G
entrance OF the harbor. Besides they
must pnss the Canuelo battery, ors3
Cabras island. The attack on the forts
was planned so that our warshlps could :
be, In position to meet the Spanish
vessels should they emerge from the.
harbor. I, 81
The fleet assembled or San Jnan
about o'clock Thursday last and pre-
pared for battle, stripping the decks
and getting the guns, ammunition and
appliances for handling the wounded
ready. " sS q
Rear. Admiral Sampson. had transfer
red his flag to the. Iowa and the att
tack on the forts began at Sis and last-s
ed three hours. *
The Town was Asleep. W f.is
Although 1t was known at San Juan
that the American fleet was near. the:
spaniards apparently kept no lookout.
The soldiers In the forts and the people
in the town were fast asleep when our
warships approached. 81 u n IA ~
The fleet steamed majestically into
the harbor and In due course OF time
opened q tremendous fire upon the sfor-
tincations. Three times the warships 4.
made the circuit outlined In. the official
plan The forts wlthstood the first Il
round, but the Montgomery, from her
station near Fort Canuelo, on Cabras
Island, wrought complete distinctions.
With glasses the officers OF the Mont-I
gomerya could see the occupants OF Sthe3t
fort jumping over the walls and run
ming away III &. .ss| s!s q. & III & q n
The, Iowa, leading the fleet, delivered a
her deadly, missiles with great accuracy
upon Morros northern walls,
The rest Of the fleet fired ia 5order,Ss
first on Moro and then on San Carlos, 81
according to position. H. 90 ~
On the second round the Spanish, guns h
ners were thoroughlv awakened and 4
stood by their guns braveiy. keeping up =
furious but aImless fire. From their
firm foundation and high elevation they
had a splendid opportunity to cripple
our fleet, but the Spanish gunners seem. n
cd TO fire regardless ofaaimi and as IL Y
only deslrous OF emptylng. their maya
Zines. s.5 - ~ 2 si 4 * II ~
AL the end OF the third round the
monitor Terror, failed to understand tho.
order to withdraw and engaged aIorro Il
Castle alone for half an hour. ~
The scene was intensely interesting;
but It was not so exciting as had been $
expected. The Spanish aim was So as y
toundlngly sbad 5that absolutely no an 5s
xictv was felt for our ships. ta'S;Sa
I ~ IN