Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-06-07
TEN VESSELS KEEP UP NCESSANT FIRING
And Sail Back and Forth Before the Fortifcations
For Three Solid Hours.
TWO SPANISH SHIPS ARE REPORTED AS SUNK

CAPE HAYTIEN, Hayti, June Z, 9:0l
.. .m.-(Copyright)-The bombardmenI
of the forts of Santiago. it appears
from information obtained here, lasted
from 5 to IL a. m. yesterday, inficting
immense damage. The Notifications
are riddled and shattered.
PORT AU PRINCE, June 7, $3.50 a. m
up to this hour, no news has been
received here of the fighting reported
about Santiago de Cuba yeserday.
FIGHTING FAST AND FURIOUS.
CAPE HAYTIEN, June z. - Ten
American warships maintained a
steady, carefully directed fire against
Moro castle and the batteries of Punta
Gorda, Socapa and Cinco Reales, in ad-
ditioR to bombarding the Spanish fleet
in the harbor. The percentage of sf-
fsctive projectiles was large. About
1000 prejectiles are said to have been
fired by the American warships. The
and ships was scarcely felt by the
Americans.
The Notifications near the entrance
to the harbor are described as being
riddled with solid shot and shattered
by the explosion of immense shells,
fired by the American battleships
The Spanish batteries are understood
to have been virtually silenced. Ell
Moro and the Notifications of Socapa
and Punta Gorda
ARE REPORTED DEMOLISHED.
The American attack is next said to
have been specially directed against
Aguadores, q small coast town a little
to the east of the entrance of Santiago
Bay. The idea of the American Ad-
miral, it appears was to land troops
and siege guns there, and after reduc-
ing the defenses of the place thence to
make close assault upon Santiago,
which in view of the present condition
of its Notifications, may he expected
to yield soon after the beginning of
such attack.
The latest adyices received from
Spanish sources do not indicate the du-
ration of the lire or whether the Amer
lean troops and siege guns were actually
landed at Aguadores, but from the in>
formation obtainable it cannot be
doubted that the net result of Mon
days fighting was extremely disastrous
to the Spanish defenses.
1t is also understood that the Cuban
troops maintained throughout the
greater part of yesterday
AN ATTACK BY LAND
upon Santiago. The Spanish reports
say the garrison lest heavily, in killed
and wounded. The military commander
of Santiago acknowledges the following
casualties among the land forces: Col. |
Ordonez, Captain Sanchez, Lieutenant
Yrizas, of artillery, and Perez and
Garcia, both Spanish officers, whose
rank is not mentioned.
SPANS USUAL CLAIM.
HAVANA, June 6-10 p. m.-(Copy~
right, delayed in transmission 1.-THE |
Spaniards claim to have repulsed two
American attacks, today at Santiago.
General Blance congratulated the
Spanish commander there on the |
..heroism" of Spanish ferces.
LITTLE TOO STRONG.
NEW YORK, June Several morn
ing papers publish dispatches from
Cape Haytian, Port Au Prince and |
Port Antonio, stating that reports had
been received from Santiago, that Ad-
miral Sampson yesterday engaged the
defenses of Santiago, entered the bay, |
engaged Cervera's squadron, and in the |
fight that followed two Spanish vessels |
were sunk and one American vessel
damaged. These reports are unc0n-
Iirmed and discredlted by the papers
which published them.
THE NAVAL LOSSES. !
CAPE HAYTIAN, June 7.-Spaniards
also admit the loss Of twenty one in-
fantry soldiers, severely wounded, and
say one soldier was killed. 1t is be-
lieved the losses of the Spaniards are
much heavier. In the Naval force. the
Spaniards say, the officer second in
command of the partly dismantled
Spanish cruiser Reina Mercedes, and
five sailors and one ensign were killed.
Tho Spanish sailors wounded, it is
asserted. number sixteen.
DIsAPPEARKD FROM SIGHT.
HAVANA, June 7.-Morro Castle is
admitted to have been damaged as
was "the exterior headquarters" built
during the time of peace at Cayo Smith,
and 10 addition the Spanish Cruiser.
Reina Mercedes, Is admitted to have
been slightly damaged" The Spanish
Commander at Santiago reports that
the American FIRE did not dismount one
piece of artillery. and says that nine
American vessels disappeared from
sight before dark
SPANISH ACCOUNT.
The Spanish losses, according to on
cIai report, are one soldier killed, one