The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-05-19
SAN JUAN BATTLE.
Eoemy's Loss Believed to BE ,avy; Amer.
lean Loss. Two Killed, seven wound-
ed-Iirins Lls;ed Three Hours,

2 ON Board TIE FLAG SNIP Iowa OF
san JCAN III FoETo RICO. May II wi;
II. Thomas, Danish West Indies Ma.
l@).-1hc forts Of San Juan de Port,
Rico were bomtaricd 10y part Of Rr
Adm. Samnson's fleet Friday morn
ing. The encmy's loss is believed Il
be heavy The American loss is two
men killed and seven men injured.
After three hours firing the admiral
Withdrew the feet and heading for
Key West he said:
Il am satisfied with the morninr's
work. could have taken San Juan.
but have no force to hold it. only
wanted to administer punishment.
This has been done. | came for the
Spanish feet and not for San Juan"
The men killed were: Scamen Frank
. Widcmark OF the New York. Cum
ncr'S mate, Of the Amphitrite; the lat.
/ ter died from effect, of extreme heat.
( or the injured men, three were on
board the Iowa and four on board the
New York. The names Of those s,irht.
~ injured on the Iowa are: Seaman
Mitchell; Private Marine Merk,c and
Apprentice Hill The injured on the
New Go~l, are: Seaman Samuel Felt
man. seriously; Seaman Michael
Murphy and two other enlisted men.
slightly injured. All the above named
were injured 10y the bursting Of shell
on tho New York. This is complete
list Of the killed and wounded.
The American ships were unin iurcd.
The engagement began at 5:l5 a. m.
and ended at SID a. IN.
Ire cncmy's batteries were not ii.
lcnced The town in the rear of Che
fortihcations probably suffered.
Inc ships taking part in the action
were the Iowa, Indiana. New York. |
Terror, Amphitritc, Detroit. Mont |
romcry, Wampatuch and Porter. The |
enemy, firing was heavy but wild. and |
the Iowa and New York were proba. I!
bly, the only vessel, hit They went |
right up under the guns in column de-
I'vering broadsidcs and then returned.
The line passed thrice in front of the
forts, pouring tons Of steel on shore.
1t is impossible TO Judge the amount
Of damage done TO the buildings and
forts. They appeared to be riddlcd
with shot; but the Spaniards were
piucky The after turrct Of the Am
phitritc rot out OF order temporarily
turing the engagement, but She banged
away with her forward guns After
lac first passage before the forts the
Detroit and the Montgomery retired.
heir guns being too small TO do much
.amagc. The Porter and Wampatucll {
.,so stayed out of range. The smoke t
ung over everything. spelling the aim ,
# the gunners and making it imposSi. /
'le TO tell where our shots Struck. +
ne officers and men OF all the Ships
with coolneSs and bravery.
ne shots flew thick and fast over all !
ur ships. +
MORO battery on the eastward arm
the harbor, was the principal point {
attack. Er. Adm Sampson and
apt. Evans were on the lower bridge o
the Iowa and had narrow escape n
ON flying splintcrs, which injured t,
lrcc men. o
The Iowa was hit eight times but y
lc shells made no impression on her Il
NOR The weather was fine but m
Ie heavy swclls made accurate aim b
ficult The broadsides from the /
wa and Indiana rumblcd i'm the hills
more for five minutes after they were
liycrcd. Clouds OF dust showed "a
lere the shells struck; but the smoke h,
ing over everywhere. The shells II,
recchinE overhead and dropping ar
ound showed that the Spaniards b;
ii stuck to their guns.
Thrice the column passed from the .rc
trance Of the harbor to the extreme IN
,tWard battery II
tier Indifference was shown for the &c.
emys fire The wounded were TN
iclIiy attended, the blood was wash. N,
away and everything proceeded tn
c target practice. At 80 am. MI
IN. Sampson signaed: Cease tr.
ng" Retire" was sounded I'm
the Iowa and She headed from the
re. The Terror was the last ship tel
the line and failing TO see the sig "A
+, banged away alone for about half Re
hour, the concert of shore guns
ring at her and the water flying Na
n around her from the exploded NO
lis. But She possessed a charmed an,
and reluctantly retired at S:l5. ma