The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-17

IRE IOr Time Was Spfr.
Tied, but the Dons Could Not
stand Against the Cool md
steady Fire of the Men Behind
the Guns on the American st,,n
spanish Batteries Raced and
Their Cannon siIenced by the
Well-Directed Shots of the Fleet.
OFF SANTIAGO, June 16, noon fvia
Kingston, Jamaica, June 16, 9 D. mo.-
Rear Admiral Sampson's fleet bonn
barded the batteries of Santiago de
Cuba for the third time at daylight this
morning.
For hours the ships pounded the bat
ter1es at the right and left of the en-
trance, only sparing Ell Moro. where
Lieut.. Hobson and his companions of
the Merrimac are in prison The west
ern batteries, against which the main
assault was directed, were badly
wrecked. One was utterly destroyed.
In others many guns were dismounted.
AT first the Spaniards replied pas
sionately and wickedly, but impotentIy.
soon most of the guns were deserted.
Not ship was struck nor a man in
jured on the American side. 1t is be-
lleved the enemy's loss of life was
heavy
GUN COTTON USED.
AS a preliminary to the Fammerine
given the batteries, the dynamite cruis-
er Vesuvius, last night at midnight,
was given another chance. Three 25O
pound charges of gun cotton were sent
over the fortifications at the entrance.
The design was to drop them in the bay
around the angle, back of the eminence
on which Ell MORO Is situated, where
1t was known the Spanish torpedo boat
destroyers were lying. Two charges
went true, as no reports were heard-a
popularity Of the explosion Of gun cot
ton in water.
Whether the destroyers were demoI-
| ashed is not known, but the destructive
area OF gun cotton is large and it would
not be surprising If it is subsequently
ascertained that one or both were de-
stroyed. The third charge exploded
with terrible violence on Cayo Smith.
SANTIAGO sHELLED.
Admiral Sampson issued orders for
the bomhardment early this morning.
Coffee was served to the men at $3.50
this morning, and at dawn the men
were called to quarters. The ships
steamed in at a five-knot speed to a
3,s0O-yard range, when they closed up,
broadside on, until a distance of three
cable lengths separated them. They
were strung out in the form of a cres-
cent. the heavy fighting ships in the
center, the flagship on the right flank,
and the Massachusetts, Oh the left flank
The line remained stationary through
out the bombardment. The Vixen and
Scorpion took up positions on opposite
f1anks, close in shore, for the purpose
of enfilading any infantry that might
fire upon the ships.
When the ships got into position it
was still too dark for any firing. The
admiral signaled the ships not to fire
until the muzzles of the eneInys guns
enbrassures could be seen by the cap
teins. Fifteen minutes later, at $40 a.
m, the New York opened with broad
side from her main battery at the
works at the east of the entrance Of
the harbor. All the ships followed with
red streams of flame. The ships were
soon enveloped in smoke as they pelted
the Notifications. The gun captains.
had been cautioned not to waste am
munition, but to fire with deliberation,
yet the fire was so rapid that there was
an almost continuous roar.
FIRE EFFECTIVE.
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
American sailors. Our fire was much
more effective than in preceding bonn
bardments. The admiral's ordnance ex-
pert had given explicit directions to re
duce the powder charges and to elevate
the guns, so as to shorten the trajectory
and thus to secure a plunging fire. AS
the shells in the preceding lombard
ments dropped with the almost straight
trajectories of projectiles with full
charges, it was impossible to plant
them. They would shoot into the air,
encirclng the batteries, owing to the
high elevation, and fall far over the
Notifications.
The effect of the reduced charges
was marvellous. In fifteen minutes one
western battery was completely wreck
ed. The Massachusetts tore a gaping
hole in the emplacement with a thou
sand-pound projectile, and the Texas
dropped a shell into the powder mag
azine. The explosion wrought terrible
havoc.
LOSS OF LIFE HEAVY.
The frame was lifted, the sides were
blown out and a shower of debris flew
in every direction. One timber, carried
out of the side Of this battery, went
tumbling down the hill. The loss Of
life must have been great.
The batteries on the east of Moro
were harder to get at, but the New
Orleans crossed the bows of the New
York to within 500 yards of the shore
and played a tattoo with her long eight
inch rifles, hitting them repeatedly,
striking gun squarely muzzle on, lift
ing 1t off its trunnions and sending
it in sweeping somersaults high in the
air.
Several times Admiral Sampson sig
nailed the ships temporarily to cease