The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-05-14

ahO NoASo to AAolu 1t-Ahc kNihchiy
 Loss Believed to be Heavy-The Ameri-
 can Ships Not Injured but One Man is
 Killed, One succumbs to the Excessive
 Heat and Seven Are Injured
 vering of the Vessels During the Bom-
 bardment.
 Copyright 1898, by the Associated Press,l
 On board the flagship Iowa, off San Juan de Porto Rico, May 12, via St. Thomas, Danish West Indies, May 13.- were bombarded by part of Rear Ad- miral Sampson's fleet this morning. The enemy's loss is believed to be heavy. The American loss is two kill ed and seven men injured. After three hours firing the admiral withdrew the fleet, and, heading for Key West, he said: II am satisfied with the morn ings work I could have taken San Juan, but I have no force to hold 1t. I only wanted to administer punish ment. This has been done. came for the Spanish fleet and not for San Juan.'
 The men killed were: Seaman Frank Widemark of the New York; Gunner's Mate -, of the Amphitrite The latter died from the effects of the extreme heat. Of the injured men, three were hna yJ the New York The names of those slightly injured on the Iowa are: Sea- man Mitchell, Private Marine Merkle, Apprentice Hill. The injured on the New York are: Seaman Samuel Felt man, seriously; Seaman Michael Mur- phy, two other enlisted men, slightly injured. All the above named were in- jured by the bursting of shell on the New York. This Is complete list of the killed and wounded. The American ships were uninjured The engagement began at 5:15 a. m. and ended at S:10- a. m. The enemy's batteries were not si- fenced and the town in the rear of the Notifications probably suffered.
 The ships taking part in the action were the Iowa, Indiana, New York, Terror Amphitrite, Detroit, Montgom- cry, Wampatuck and Porter The ene- my's firing was heavy but wild, and the Iowa and New York were probably the only ships hit. They went right up un- der the guns in column, delivering broadsides, and then returned The line passed thrice in front of the forts, pouring tons of steel on shore. It is impossible to judge the amount of the damage done to the buildings and forts. They appeared to be riddled with shot, but the Spaniards were plucky. The after turret of the Amphitrite got out of order temporarily during the en-
 gagement, but she banged away with her forward guns. After the first pas sage before the forts the Detroit and the Montgomery retired, their guns be- ing too small to do much damage. The Porter and the Wampatuck also stayed out of range.
 The smoke hung over everything
 spelling the aim of the gunners and making it impossible to tell where our shots struck. The officers and men of all the ships behaved with coolness and bravery. The shots flew thick and fast | over all our ships. The men of the Iowa who were hurt were injured by splinters thrown by an eight-inch shell which came through boat into the su- perstructure and scattered fragments In all directions. The shots course was finally ended on an iron plate an inch ! thick. All were hurt by splinters, and fire was started in the boat, but was ! quickly extinguished.
 Morro battery, on the eastward arm of the harbor, was the principal point
 of attack. Rear Admiral Sampson and Captain Evans were on the lower bridge of the Iowa and had narrow escape from splinters which injured three men. The Iowa was hit eight times, but the shells made no impress sion on her armor. The weather was fine, but the heavy swells made accu- rate aim difficult. The broadsides from the Iowa and Indiana rumbled in the
 hills ashore for five minutes after they | were delivered. Clouds of dust showed ] where they struck, but the smoke hung over everything. The shells screeching ] overhead and dropping around were the only signs that the Spaniards still stuck to their guns.
 At o'clock in the morning all hands were called on the Iowa, a few final touches in clearing ship were made and at o'clock general quarters sound ed. The men were eager for the fight.
 The tug Wampatuck went ahead and anchored her small boat to the west
 ward showing ten fathoms, but there
 was not sign of life from the fort, which stood boldly against the sky. The Detroit steamed to the eastward, opposite Valtern. The Iowa headed straight for the shore. Suddenly her helm flew over, bringing the starboard battery to bear upon the Notifications. At 5:16 a. m. the Iowa's forward guns
 thundered out at the sleeping hills and for fourteen minutes she poured star
 board broadsides on the coast. Mean while the Indiana, the New York~and
 other ships repeated the dose from the | rear. The Iowa turned and came back
 to the Wampatuck and again led the column, the forts replying fiercely and l concentrating on the Detroit, which was about 700 yards away all the bat terieS on the eastward arm of the har-