Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-05-18
THE IOWA LEADS THE FIGHT
Bearing the Signal TO the Fleet,
"Remember the Mafne."

New York, May IA correspondent
of the World sends the following dis
patch from st. Thomas, descriptive o
the bombardment of San Juan:
Admiral Simpsons fleet lay within
sight of San Juan de Puerto Rico all o
Wednesday night. At 8 o'clock on Thurs
day morning all hands on all the Ship
were called. For an hour and a hal
each ship was the scene of an orderl.
confusion as the 1000 sailors stripped
their ships, their guns and themselves
By 4:3O everything was in readiness t.
begin the second engagement of the war
At 5:l5 came the call "To quarters,
and instantly every man was at his pos
and ready and eager to strike a blow IL
atonement of the Maine. The object o
attack lay in plain view, straight aheat
to the south.
The Notifications and batteries of Sal
Juan de Puerto Rico are on the cora
reef guarding the entrance to the harbor
1t was glorious morning, the sky un
clouded, the air cool and brisk. A lont
heavy swell rolled toward the shore ant
broke against the reef whose ratification
seemed to be asleep.
To mark the limits of the line of battle
the Detroit and the tug Waumpautucl
steamed shoreward, the Detroit to thu
eastward until she was opposite the Val
tern, the Waumpautuck to the westward
until she was able to anchor her small
boats in 10 fathoms of water just on
of range of the great fort of San Jual
Moro, which rises on a high hill at thu
east OF the harbor.
The Center of Attack.
Moro, of course, was to be the cente
of attack. In it were the seven 6-incl
guns which Spain sent over as soon a
the war became certain and which hat
been hastily mounted and manned will
the best gunners in the colonial army
Soon after the Detroit and Waumpautucl
were in place, Admiral Simpsons column
of floating fortresses and batteries begal
to move upon the quiet and seeming
sleeping fortress.
In the van was the Iowa, the flagship
with the battle cry of the navy streaming
in brilliant colored flags from her mast
Remember the Maine" Next came tn
huge Indiana, of such enormous bulk tina
she rode almost steady even upon tina
heavy sea. Then followed the New York
as formidable as battleship; then thu
low-lying monitors Amphitrite and Ter
ror. They bore straight for the shore il
single file.
A Start From Shore.
Long before the flagship was in rang'
there came a flash, a cloud of smoke, 6
roar and shell from the walls of Moro
The shell fell far short. The roar dice
away and for Is minutes the scene wal
as peaceful as before.
Suddenly the Iowa turned sharply tt
the east. She came around peacefully
until her starboard battery was pointing
full at Moro. One of her great l3-incf
guns burst into flame and shell sailed
high toward Moro. 1t fell short but the
response came--a roar from all the bat
teries and forts along the shore. A tire
mendous burst of sound and smoke and
flame, shower of shells that wasted
themselves in the sea. So wild was the
volley that even had the Iowa been in
range none of the shots would have hit
her.
The Iowa was now nearer and the en-
tire line of warships was in position to
attack the Spanish shore line. Each ship
was now nearer and the entire line was
in position to attack the Spanish shore
line. Each ship was now firing and each
shore gun was answering. But wnlie .Ae
Spanish aim was wild, the American gun
ners fired with the calmness and precis
ion of experience in target practice.
The fleet was soon enveloped in smoke
as was also the shore. Only outlines
could be made out, but it was apparent
that while the Spanish shells issued from
the smoke of the shore to fall into the
sea, the American shells rushed from the
fleets envelope of smoke to bury them
selves in the smoke on shore. And now
and then as the wind drifted the thick
gray curtain aside it could be seen that
the American ships were uninjured and
that on shore the line that was unbroken
was all in ashes.
Fleet Draws Nearer.
When the Iowa came up to the Waum
pautuck stake boat she turned and led
the column back again across the line Of
fire. The fleet was now nearer and the
Spanish shells fell around the ships. Some
struck against the armor of the battle
ship-big 6-inch shells-but they bounded
off leaving hardly dent behind.
One Spanish shell struck boat on the
Iowa passing through it and entered the
superstructure, scattering sphnters in ev
cry direction. Three men were injured
Admiral Sampson and Captain Evans
were on the lower bridge and narrowly
escaped the flying fragments. In all the
Iowa was hit nine times. Later shell
burst on the New York, killing one man
injuring another severely and several
slightly.
In Terrific Heat.
At o'clock the day had become fur.
iously hot so that men were fainting be
low the decks and at the guns the gun.
ners were streaming sweat as no man
ever sweats even in the hot room of q
Turkish bath.
One man, gunner's mate, on the Am
phitrite was overcome and died in n few