The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-05-19
VAR NEWS.
GATHERED SINCE OUR LAST ISSUE.


there was general movement for I'M
mediate invasion OF Cuba but plans
have been changed and the invasion OF
Cuba seems deferred.
The result OF the battle OF Cardenas,
in which Ensign Worth Bagley, OF Raj
elgh was killed, is given on first page.
On the 18th Rear Admiral SIMPSONS
fleet appeared off the coast OF Porto RICO
and bombarded the town of San Juan
and demolished the Moro Fort. The
following is partial account OF the
battle:
On Board The Flagshsp Iowa, OIL
San Juan De Porto Rico, May IL, Via
St. Thomas, Danish West Indies, May
13.-The forts of San Juan de Porto
Rico were bombarded by part OF Rear
Admiral SIMPSONS fleet this morning.
The enemy's loss is believed to be
| heavy. The American loss is two men
killed and seven I'M ured.
After three hours firing the Admiral
| Withdrew the fleet and headed Tor Key
West, he said:
| 81 am satisfied with the mornings
work. could have taken San Juan,
but have no force to hold it. l only
wanted to administer punishment.
This has been done. 1 came Tor the
Spanish fleet and not San JUAN"
The killed are Seaman Frank Wide
mark of the New York gunner's mate
-, of the Amphitrite. The latter
died from the effects OF the extreme
heat.
| OF the injured men three We're on
hoard the Iowa and four on the New
York, The names of those slightly
injured on the Iowa are Seaman Mitch
eli, Private Marine Merkle, Apprentice
Hill. The injured on the New York
are Seaman Samuel Feltman, seriously
Seaman Michael Murphy, and two 9th
err enlisted men, slightly injured.
All the above named were injured
bv the bursting of a she'll on the New
York. This Is complete list OF the
killed and wounded.
The engagement began at . 10 a. m
y and ended at s is. The enemy's bat
teries were not silenced. The town
, in the rear of the Notifications probab
iy suffered.
The ships taking part in the actor
/, we're the Iowa, Indiana, New York, Ter
V ror, mphitrite, Detroit, Montgomery
Wampatuck and Porter. The enemy
firing was heavy but wild, and TIL
! Iowa and New York we're probably tn
s only ships hit. They went right VI
under the big guns in column, deliver
, ing broadsides and then returned
a. The line passed thrice in front OF TIL
y | ,,o,,.i,,,r t>,,r r cEor.1
It is impossible to judge the amour
= of damage done to the buildings Az
= forts. They Appeared to be riddles
% with shot; but the Spanlards~ "er
, plucky. The after turrat OF the Am
= phitrite got out OF order temperate
during the engagement, but she hanse
. >, away with her forward guns. Ate
- the first passage before the forts th
=" Detroit and the Montgomery retired
their guns being too small to do mac
damage. The Porter and Wampatuc
also stayed out OF range.
The smoke hung over eyerythln!
spelling the aim of the gunners an
:: making it impossible to tell where o,
/ shots struck. The officers and men {
re all the ships behaved with GOODNESS an
lie bravery. The shots flew thick and ia
over our ships.
l. The men Of the Iowa were injure
Ia by spllnters thrown by an elght-inc
~ ~ shell which came through boat in
- the superstructure and scattered fras
- ments in all directions. The shot
81 course was finally ended on an ire
~ plate an Inch thick. Merkle (Murte
-, - was struck in the arm and may lose
10 All were hurt by splinters and fl
\ was started in the boat, but it W
-, quickly extInguished.
10 Moro battery. on the eastward ar
~ w of the harbor, wasthe principal poi
80 of attack. Rear Amlral Sampson ar
49, Captain Evans were on the low
- bridge OF the Iowa and had narre
e. escape from spllnters, which injur
,1r three men. The Iowa was hit Gig
-, times, but the shells made no impre
49, iod on her armor. The weather "
~ ~ fine, but the heavy swells made acct
~ ate aim difficult. The broadsldes fro
" the Iowa and Indiana rumbled in t
~ hills ashore five minutes after tn
=. were delivered. Clouds of dust show
" where they struck.
g.. At 3 O'Clock in the morning all bar
~ were called on the Iowa, few fiji
~ No. touches in clearing ship were made a
,+a at 5 general quarters" sounded. I
VT men we're eager to fight.
- The tug Wampatuck went ahead a
m anchored her small boat in ten ia
oms, but there was not a sign of
from the fort, which stood Dol.
against the sky On the eastern b
hiding the town.
The Detroit steamed far to the es
ward, opposite Vallern. The 10
us headed straight for the shore. Sudd'
- ly her helm flew over, bringing
the starboard battery to bear on
tea Notifications. At 5 :16 a. m. the low
&C. forward 12-inch guns Numbered out
the sleeping hills, land for fourteen m
,ar. utes she poured starboard broadsiGes
the coast. Meanwhile the Indiana,
So New York and other ships repeated
ans dose from the rear. The Iowa turr
any and came back to the Wampatuc
boat and again led the column,
forts replying tiercely and concent
ing on the Detroit, which was alb
ON seven hundred yards away, all the
terles on the eastward arm of the l
Dor. Thrice the column passed fl
met the entrance of the harbor to the
on treme eastward battery. Utter indlf
but ence was shown to the enemy's
The wOnndad were uuicklv attend