The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1898-06-24
WRECK AND RUIN.
thursdays Bombardment Played Havoc
With Fortfications at Santiago.
The Flag over Moro Castle Was Half
masted for Several Hours Possibly a
spanish Leader Was Killed or Hob
son aud Men We're Murdered.


son aud Men Were Murdered.
OFF SANTIAGO DE CuBA, June 10, via
Kingston, Jamaica, June 2O.-A care
ful inspection of the Notifications
along the crest OF the hills defending
Santiago harbor since the lombard.
ment Thursday morning shows that
The American gunners spread wreck
and ruin everywhere. Some of the
batteries were demolished beyond re-
pair The vultures which circled on
level wings over the hills as thick as
fswallows aroapd a esimnex for hcurs
stver the Hiring ceased furniShed
'xs'~s~rsns .eridence of the f4tsiity
among the Spanish soldiers. Hun
dreds of troops could be seen
from the ships digging in mounds
of earth piled up by the explosions OF
the projeetiles from the heavy guns
for bodies while their heads were
famed by the wings of the black
scavcngers of the battlefield. There
we're two spots, one on the east and
the other on the west of the harbor
entrance which were denuded Of the
foliage. The hill! tops seem literally
blown away. These marked the places
where the 200 pound charges Of gun
cotton blown by the Vesuvius landed.
But the most omiuous token of death
tew from Moro castle. The saffron
nag of Spain was half masted for sew.
ierai hours. The significance of this
Is not known. 1t is not customary to
half mast flags, but possibly some
Spanish leader was killed by the heavy
fire of our guns, though some officers
lof the squadron believe that the flag
was half masted as u mott fication TO
the Americans that Lieut. Hobson and
Ihis brave men were dead.
II such is the case they must have
been wantonly murdered. The Span
ish might seek to lay their death to the
.bombardment but not a shot from the
american ships struck the fortress.
Neither Adm. sampson nor Commo-
-iore Schley believe that Lieut.. Hob
son and his party have been killed.
We have IL prisoners taken at Guam
.,anamo including a lieutenant, for
eeprisals or exchange.
There was evident decentralization
Einong The spanish troops during the
pbombardmcnt. Officers could be seen
WITH drawn swords driving the men TO
the guns, but even then they could not
le forced TO stay SO long as our guns
we're directed at them. The fifteen
minutes night work of the vesuvius
ID shattered their nerves. 1t is be-
<-ecou ry eosao tlsat The 1sskssi. pros.
Iectile fired from the Texas which was
reported to have exploded the powder
magazine in one of the western bat
,sries did not fall in the battery but
went beyond and blew up one of the
ships in the harbor.
A dramatic incident Of the lombard.
ment was the act of Spanish officer
who bravely ran along the parapet
under a heavy fire encouraging his
men to stand by their guns. Shot and
she'll rained ABOUT him and after one
terrific explosion he was seen no more
and the parapet had disappeared. He
could not have escaped death.
From the foretop of the Brooklyn,
. 96O yards distant, the men in the
grounds could bc noticed, but a min,
ute later dust and flying debris would
take their places and when the smoke
cleared away only spot of red earth
could be seen-guns and gunners had
been swept away. 1t was the most
deadly and destructive bombardment
Of the war thus far. Scarcely a shot
from the big guns of the squadron
went astray. The aim of our gunncrs
was superb and not only were the
coast forts annihilated, but the bat
teries on Cayo Smith, up the harbor,
were destroyed.
Had all the ships used smokeless
powder as did the New Orleans there
would remain no signs of guns or for
tifcations to indicate that there had
ever been any defenses there.
There were no casualties in the fleet,
although the ships held a fixed posi-
ton as If inviting the Spaniards to FIRE
at them. The half-stripped ships gun.
ners never worked with more enthusi-
asm. The words of Rr. Adm. sampson
were; First silence the batteries on
the shore and then continue firing un-
til the Notifications are reduced"
This order was strictly obeyed. 1t
vas the first time that such instruc-
hous had been given and the men re-
spoua~a ~~1,n will. In 30 minutes
the order was given to cease firing and
the message went to each ship from
the admiral, We'll done" and the Of
icers and men turned in for break
fast Every detail of the engagement
had been executed to the letter, from
the opening fire by the New York to
the last shot from the Iowa. The
>paniards were evidently surprised
while strengthening their forttica-
tons.
A Manifesto In Favor of Peace.