The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-13
FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT.
The Battle as Witnessed from One of
SchIeY's Vessels.


Downright 1885, by the Associated Press)
OFF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, June 6, via
Kingston, Jamaica, June Z, IL a. m ODE
layed in transmission 1.-The Spanish water
batteries defending Santiago de Cuba were
badly wrecked to-day by the American fleet
in a bombardment lasting from shortly
after o'clock until some time after 10
oclock this morning. Orders for the attack
were issued on Sunday night. All the men
were warned to retire early, and prepare
tons were made for breakfast at $50 a. m.
That tie fire from the Spanish forts would
be severe was generally conceded, but
snatches of song and the drumming of
guitars and mandolins from the ships gave
anything but an impression of deadly war
fare.
Early in the morning the officers gathered
on the quarter decks and discussed the
situation and the possible effect of the
shots. 1t was agreed that the earthworks
would be hard to destroy, and that great
deal of ammunition would be wasted, es-
pecially as the forts were situated on high
ground. To the contrary, the fact that the
ships were not to move and were to stand
in at 5000 yards made them good target,
and it was judged that the drop of shots
from the forts would be disastrous in case
secondary batteries of rapid-fre guns use
less, and they were silenced.
The line of battle planned was the same
as in the movement of Saturday afternoon.
The big battle ships Texas, Massachusetts,
Oregon and Iowa moved in on a straight
line from the south. The Brooklyn, Mar
blehead and Vixen moved in line on a
slight angle, the Vixen close in shore and
h.
dangerous place on the line, because both
she and the Texas faced up the harbor,
which rounds northeast On the other
angle to the west were the New York, New
Orleans and Yankee. These faced the new
earthwork battery opposite MORO Castle,
while the Brooklyn. Marbehead and Vixen
faced the Estrella battery, MORO Castle,
the Catalina battery and two earthwork
batteries On the western bank and a couple
of new shore batteries. The morning opened
with heavy showers and no breeze. Not a
favorable outlook, because the dense smoke
from the big guns would hang over the
ships like pail and disarrange the aim Of
the gunners, while the shore batteries, hav-
ing smokeless powder, would be able to fire
at the patches of smoke with little incon-
venience.
AN INSPIRING SIGHT.
Toward $50 the skies lightened and good
breeze came along AT 6:32 the order to
move into land was given, and as the
columns formed a beautiful and inspiring
sight was witnessed. Forming in two
columns at a distance of six miles, the
ships moved towards the entrance of the
harbor the Brooklyn leading one column
and the New York the other. Slowly they
moved up until within four miles of the
forts Then they turned, the Brooklyn to
the west, followed by the Marblehead,
Texas and Massachusetts, and the New
York led to the east. followed by the New
Orleans, Yankee, Iowa and Oregon.
When the ships had all turned into this
new formation they moved in battle line
to within 5000 yards of the batteries in the
position Originally detailed. The Vixen and
the Suwanee went on the left flank to look
out for rifiemen or rlhe pits. ano ,,d 5he
similar duty on the right flank. The forts
remained silent, but at precisely 7:41 o'clock
a twelve-inch gun on the Iowa shattered
the silence, and from one end of the line
TO the other there was an instant response
to the firing Through clouds of smoke the
twelve-inch shells of the Iowa could now be
seen striking on the base of the Estrela
some of the batteries on the hills opened
at once hut their good aim of last week
fleet for the Spanish return shots flew far
from the mark The great difficulty seemed.
as far as the American ships were con-
cerned. to be the dense clouds of smoke
which obscured the gunners and range-fnd-
er's aim but even with that great difficulty
the shooting was splendid.
The thirteen-inch shells from the Massa-
chusetts and Oregon struck into the hills
near the batteries and threw up mountains
of earth even when they fell a trife short.
The moral effect of the terrible power must
have been great, for battery after battery
was deserted by the Spaniards. The Texas,
with two twelve-inch guns, and the Iowa,
with her four big guns, raked the entire
hillside while the Brooklyn and New York
poured in a heavy fire from their destructive
eight and five-inch guns.
The Brooklyn headed in further with her
squadron of fighters, when the smoke be-
came too dense and then, obtaining a new
range. the ships poured in a deadly rain
of eight-inch and five-nch shells in the
meantime the shells from a little Spanish
fort on the water front two miles off Moro
Castle opened on the Suwanee. under the
command of Lieut.. Commander DeIehanty
The Vixen in command of lieutenant
Sharp. then moved in, and with a hot FIRE
from their small guns soon silenced them.
A DIFFICULT JOB.
The great earthworks on the hin near the
flying squadron's end of the line then began.
putting shells in so close to the Brooklyn
and Massachusetts that it was determined
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