The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-05
SCHLEYS WORK AT SANTIAGO.
BOMBABDMENT OF TUESDAY ONLY
A WARNING Up EXERCISE.

spaninrds CouIdn't Have Been Very
well Pleased with Their Firse
Taste of American GunDowder-A
1e-Iach Shell Falls on the Deck OF
the Reina Mercedes and Kills
Eight Men-The Peppering of the
CristobnI Colon.
Copyright 1898. by the Associated Press.
or Santiago de Cuba, June 3 (per tho
Associated Press Dispatch Boat Wanda,
Via Kingston June S).-The hermeticallY
sealed feet Of Spain in the harbor OF Sans
tiago de Cuba got rs hrst taste OF Ameri-
can gunpowder on Tuesday afternoon, and
IL was evidently not greatly to the liking
OF the Spanhrds. for with the big Ameri-
can warshps firing only two rounds fro1a
their largest guns. one Spanish ship was
hit and parts OF the foruhcutions were de-
stroyed one Pinch she'll from the Mas
sachusetts plunged into the deck Of the
Reina Mercedes the partly dismantlco
Spanish cruiser. and killed eight Spans
iards. besides wounding many more.
After the discovery Of the fleet OF the en-
emy on Sunday, Commodore schley waited
forty-eight hours to see if they would ven-
ture out
No movement was made, however. ana
on Tuesday morning the commodore decid-
! ed he would find cut Just how far in the
mouth Of the harbor the Spanish armored
cruiser Cristobal Colon was located, ap-
pearances at the different angles being
very deceptive. In addition TO this he was
confident that the forts would return his
| FIRE ana IN that way the location OF the
| spaniards' guns and the probable accuracy
! Of their aim could be determined.
| AT 10 o'clock accompanied 10y Lieut.
! Sears, Lieut.. Wells, aud Ensign McCauleys
al Of the nagship he boarded Che yacht
| Vixen and was taken 70 the Massachu-
SETS Up TO the time of his going on
board there was no intmauon on the bait
deshlp that she would be allowed
to shoot After lunch Commodore sdhleys
with his stan. went forward and tooz
M q position near the coming tower.
Lieut.. Sears, precisely at 12:45 O'Clock.
signaled the Iowa and New Orleans 10
swing into line and follow the movements
of the flagship.
TELL them men to clear for action" SAID
| the commodore, and the signal had hardly
| been made ont when a cheer from each
ship came over the water.
TELL them TO get ready for firing ana
| go to quarters added the commodore
The men were in their guns IN an in-
| stant
FIRE with only the big guns. Get the
range of the Spanish ship Of harbor Ths
New Orleans may try few shots at Nor
| TO for a range"
The ships were ready to move, when
Capt Higginson ready to go 90 his nght-
| Ing station Ia the steel protected coming
| tower, said: You had better step in tho
tower. Commodore; you win be sure there.
| NO" replied Commodore SchIey, -
want 10 see things. / can't see there"
Then. sUll chewing his cigar he stood
| with his glasses In his hands looking to-
ward the objective point
| The men of the secondary batteries whd
| were not busy prOdted By the example,
and stood ont on the open decks and watch-
| ed the firing of the guns.
The three war vessels We're then about
six miles from the entrance Of the bay to
| the southwest.
The Cristobal Colon was seen as she laY
broadslde on In the narrow entrance.
There was but one place that she could be
fired at by the American ships.
GO ahead at ten knots northeast" was
the order issued by the commodore, and
the ships Strengthened out.
Fire when you are a about z, 300 yardss
was the next order from the commodore.
who stood on top Of the l3-inch gun tur-
ret Soon there was a frightful roar ana
an immense half ton projectile propelled
by the explosion Of $50 pounds oc pow
der, went dying toward the mark. For
three seconds il flew along its trajectory
aud when 1t dropped there arose foun-
tain of water. which for minute bid
the Colon from sight while a ringing cheer
went up from the 1aokies on deck
"A little short there. Try your other
a little higher up" said the commodore
and elevatiug 1t to 5000 yards the big gun
hurled a projectile toward the enemy.
n fair HIT" cried the men, as the she'll
crashed into the stem of the Reina Mer-
cedes end exploded
The two after guns then spoke, and
after this the entrance Of Santiago de
Cuba was closed out OF vision from those
on board the battleship
By this time the cruiser New Orleans
had come in range, and the forts were
opening a steady fire from what were
evidently high power modern guns. The
shells dropped thick and fast over or short
Of the Massachusetts. and the Americas
blue jackets jeered and laughed at the
bad aim Of the spaniards
One very well put shot went close
through the upper works Of The Massachu-
setts but 1t did noe hit any
thing and simply made splashing
IN the water on the other side OF the
battleship.
by this time playing a tattoo on the low
lying forts at the entrance, so as TO draw
their fire and ascertain the range, and ths
Iowa's 12-lnch guns were hurting steel
prOjectiles into tho harbor entrance.
The forts kept up a perfect cannonade,
and some Of their shots were well aimed.
so far as the range was concerned, but
they were not effective.
The Cristobal Colon opened fire with her
big guns, but their shells never once came
near The line, while It is believed several
Of the shots of the American squadron
damaged the Spanish warship.
After running a mile 40 the eastward,
the Massachusetts, followed by the other
American warships circled around and
ran back over very nearly the same
course, steaming west by south.
on getting near the range where tho
firing opened the warships delivered one
more round from their starboard Bate
ries and drew out OF the Spanlards' range.
For half an hour after the ships had
passed a mile out Of the range OF me shore