The Portland daily press., 1898-05-14

it impossible to tell where our shots
struck. The officers and men OF all the
ships behaved with GOODNESS and bravery.
The shots few thick and fast all over the
ships.
The men of the Iowa who were hurt
during the action were injured by
splinters thrown by an eight inch shell
which came through a boat into the
superstruoture and scattered fragments in
all directions, The shots course was final
ly ended on an iron plate an inch thick.
Morkle was = struck in the arm
and may lose it. All were hurt by
splinters, and fire was started in the
boat, but was quickly extinguished:.
MORO battery, on the eastward arm OF
the harbor was the principal point Of at
tack. Rear Admiral Sampson and Capt
in Evans were on the lower bridge Oh Inc
Iowa and had a narrow escape from
splinters which injured three men, Inc
Iowa was hit eight times; but the shells
made no Impression on her armor. Inc
weather was fine, but the heavy swells
made accurate aim difficult The broad
sides from the Iowa and Indiana rumbled
in the hills ashore for five minutes after
they we're delivered. Clouds of dust
showed where they struck but the smoke
hung over everything. The shells screech-
ing overhead and dropping Around were
the only signs that the Spaniards still
stuck to their guns.
At three O'Clock in the morning all
hands were called on the Iowa; q few
final touches in clearing ship were made,
and at five general quarters" sounded
The men were eager for the fight The
rug Wampatuck went ahead and anchored
her small boat to tie westward showing
ten fathoms, but there was not sign Of
life from the fort, which stood boldly
against the sky on the eastern hilH,
hiding the town.
The Detroit steamed far to the east
ward. opposite Valtern. The Iowa headed
straight for the shore. Suddenly her helm
few over, bringing the starboard battery
to bear on the Notifications. At 5.16 a.
M. the Iowa's forward 12-inch guns
Numbered out at the sleeping hills and
for fourteen minutes she poured starboard
broadsides on the coast.
Meanwhile the Indiana, the New York
and other ships repeated the dose from
the rear. The Iowa turned and came back
to the Wampatuck's boat and again lead
the column. the forts reply Ing fercely
and concentrating on the Detroit which
was about 700 yards away, all the bat
teries on the eastward arm of the harbor.
Thrice the column passed from the en-
trance of this harbor to the extreme east
ward battery.
Utter Indifference was shown for the
enemy's fire The wounded were quickly
aUU6Uupu u; ulO DlUOU WAS WdsilCu away
and everything proceeded like target
practice. At 7.45 a. M, Admiral Salnp'
son signalled ''cease firing
Retire was sounded on the Iowa and
she headed from the shore. The Terror
was the last ship in the line and failing
to see the signal banged away alone for
about half an hour, the concert of shore
guns roaring at her and the water flying
high around her from the exploded shells.
But she bore charmed life and re-
luctantly at g. 10. AS at Matanzas, the
unsatisfactory conditions, the smoke and
the distance prevented any important
conclusions being drawn. The town of
San Jnan must have suffered, although
protected by the hills as the high shots
must have reached 1t. tSs
No traces of the ombardment were dis
,erpible on the fort except small fires
weioh wero apparently extinguished be-
fore the fleet left.