The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-29
THE FIGHT At SANTIAGO
St. Louis and Wampatuck Silence
All the Batteries.
AMERICAN GuNNERY WAS EXCELLENT
In Forty-five Minutes the Spanish
Guns Were SiIcnccd-The Cables
Were AfterSard Cut.

New York, May 2S.The following is the
first authentic report of the battle of San
tiago de Cuba in which the United States
auxiliary cruiser st. Louis and the auxil
larry gunboat Wampatuck distinguished
themselves on May 10:
At daybreak on the morning of May Is
the St. Louis appeared off Santiago de
Cuba having been sent by the admiral to
cut the cables connecting Santiago and
Jamaica.
About 6 a. nj. the American flag was
hosted at the masthead and all hands
called to quarters.
The ship then swung round and steamed
across the harbor at distance of five miles
from the forts, firing three shots from
one of her forward 6-pounders in the
direction of Moro Castle, with the inten-
ton Of drawing the fire OF the forts TO
see what guns they had, but the fire was
not returned. The ship then steamed back
and forth across the harbor, getting gIadu-
ally closer to the forts. When about three
miles of the grapple was lowered and
$50 fathoms Of line run out.
About noon. the ship having reached q
point one and quarter miles from Moro
the grapple caught the cable. The Span
ards evidently discovered the mission of
the ship about this time, for battery To
the east OF MORO fired 6-inch gun the
first shot falling about 200 yards short.
captain Goodrich now ordered the fire
TO be returned by the two 6-pounders on
the starboard side and their shots began
to fall thick and fast on shore. Another
shot was fired from the gun on-shore AID
the shell whistled over the stern of the
snip and struck the water few yards be-
yond. That was the last shot from that
battery. as one of the shots from the ST.
Louis 6-pounders struck the gun and dis
abled 1t and the Spaniards could be seen
running for shelter. A mortar battery
then opened fire from the brow of a hin
on spar Point, we'll back in the bay. and
the shells began to fall around the shin
dangerously near. This battery was out
Oh range of the small guns of the st. Louis
ne little tug Wampatuck commanded by
Lieutenant Carl Jungen, then came IN
ana opened fire with her one little a.
FOUNDER
Quartermaster Reynolds one of the IA
nous Jameson raiders. fred tie gun and
ala excellent work
Another battery to the west of the on
trance opened fire but IL was sllencpd
aiter 1t had fired a few shots and tho
solulers engaged in race for shelter. The
suns were now turned on the signal sta
ion TO the east of the MORO WHARF the
Hphnlards had been engaged in SIGNALING
since the beginning of the engagement. The
nrst few shots tore away the roof of tho
s'shai mousse ana the men stationed there
Seit without hauling down their last signal
seeing ttat the mortar battery could moi
DC reached and that the other batteries
naa all been silenced, the captain took the
sup out oil range Of the mortars and thew
stopped ana finished heaving the erannle
As the grapple appeared at the waters
euee the cable could be seen HANGING fron,
Two OF Its prongs and Il mighty cheer arose
from the officers and crew who had as
sea on the forecastle. About 200
lannon's OF the cable was brought In on
deck. Then the AK rose and fell and tba
WORK was done, and nobly done. and eacb
man IN the crew OF the St Louis treas
ules piece of that cable as a souvenir
OF the battle they fought that day in order
10 get that cable. The engagement lasted
iorty-hve minutes. the ship lying broadside
Ia tho shore
She could not move without cutting her
hhe ana leaving the cable go, which tie
captain declined to do. During this time
sixty-slx shots were fired from ~, ~
LOUIS guns forward and LOG shots from, m,
utter guns, while the little Wampatrrk
ffed seventy-three from her three-pounder
dter cutting the cables at Santiago ae
Supa. Captain Goodrich decided to cut The
trench cable that runs from McIa 81
Nicholas Hayti to Guantanamo ana Cpha
ABOUT thirty miles TO the eastward of San
ti,go. Vi san
IN the day after the encounter with ,he
,orts OF Santiago the st. Louis and the
Walipatuck, on May 10, appeared orf
Guantanamo about daylight. and the Wan.
na,nsk' With Lieutenant Iupgen in com
p nna Thief Officer Graves. Ensign
layne' Lieutenant Catlin and eight ma !.
rihes and four seemen from the St. Louis
on board. steamed into the mouth ~ ,hs
s nn,uor ana dropped grspple in eight
ia'h ems q water, proceeding TO drag aero -
me. mouth OF the harbor for tho cable
Acoct iso fathoms OF line was run out and
soon the cable was hooked in about ,iftv
,a'nons OF water. About this time tbs
,unhost reported Spanish yunboat coming
~ 'ne raroor and signal was sent 10
me 81 Loris, then half mile ou.sid. hn,
s sne naa already discovered It and opened
IRE with TIE two port 6-inch runs The
n