The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-06-03

| might nave Deen able 10 lnflict some DAM
age II her gunners knew how to shoot.
! The Marblehead. so soon as she had
located the Spaniards, stood out 20 sea
and met the flagship. She reported her
! discovery TO Commodore Schley. who was
elated when he learned that he had finally
| got the enemy I'm a position where the
| superior running qualities OF the Spanish
ships would count for nothing, for coop
| ed up I'm the narrow harbor as they were
they could do no manoeuvring whatever
The Spanish squadron consisted OF the
Cristobol Colon, Admiral Cervera's flag
ship; Admiral Oquendo Vizcaya. and
Maria Teresa, and the destroyers Furor
and Pluton
All doubt as 20 the locality OF the Span
iards having been removed. Commodore
Schley determined 10 draw the Gre OF the
fortincations IL possible, his object being
to discover the positions of the new
masked batteries. which, # was UNDER
stood, had been recently constructed near
the entrance
At noon Commodore Schley transferred
his flag from the cruiser Brooklyn to the
battleship Massachusetts, whereat there
was great rejoicing among the officers
and crew OF the latter. for the presence OF
the commander OF the squadron told them
that they were TO be I'm the thick of the
fight.
At noon Commodore Schley left the
Brooklyn, which was taking on coal from
the collier Merrimac at the time, ana
went aboard the Massachusetts,.
The Suns dispatch boat had just ar
rived from Kingston. Jamaica. with mes
sages for the fleet. and. after speaking
the ships had steamed within four hum
dred yards of the entrance 20 the harbor
In order TO get n close look at the Span
ish fleet and secure accurate sketches Of
the fortifcatons at the entrance. While
impudently drifting within range the
Suns boat saw tho Comm0dore's flag
raised 10 the military masts Of the Mas
sachusetts and heard the Jingle bell call
Ing for fun speed on the big battleship
The Massachusetts headed straight for
the Suns boat The New Orleans, Iowa
and the little Vixen, a converted yacht
followed I'm the order named cables
length apart.
AS demonstrations. which consisted OF
parades within 4 few miles OF the bat
terles. had been made on Sunday and
Monday by the blOckading fleet. those on
the other ships thought nothing OF the
movements OF these four vessels. The
Brooklyn and the Texas lay two miles
90 seward unconcernedly coaling. The
Harvard. Marblehead. Castine and Eagle
were even further away. the men on board
attending 10 their routine duties.
At the mouth OF the tortuous harbor
the Cristobal Colon could be plainly dis
tinguished. lying with her port broad
side toward the Aemrican ships and fly
ing and immense ensign
SO close had the dispatch boat moved
I'm that / could see through my glasses
that the Spaniard had her awnings up
uf MI xtrnr
moving lazly about her decks.
on the east side Of the harbor az the
Colon's stern rose the grim walls OF the
Moro. with another large Spanish flag
above It, Behind the flagship. high
above the water was q formidable island
battery directly in the centre OF the
channel. Close 20 this could be distin-
guished two other armored cruisers, the
Vizcaya and the Almirante OQuendo, and
close TO them two smaller vessels, APP
parently the torpedO-bOat destroyers
Pluton and Furor.
Six miles inland a haze OF smoke
pierced here and there by white spires,
marked the city Of Santiago. The whole
scene was bathed I'm brilliant sunshine.
IL had for a background a range or high,
palm-covered mountains crowned with
a tangled mass OF snow-white cumulous
clouds.
Commodore Schley had known positively
on Sunday as has been described, tnat
Admiral Cervera's squadron was inside
Calamity had the little Marblehead, dar-
ingly commanded BY McCalla, poked her
nose into the very mouths OK the great
guns of the Spanish batteries and made
out clearly four big cruisers two tor
pedo boat destrOyers and the Old Reina
Mercedes.
Commodore schley had carefully pre-
pared mans Of the land fortitlcauons
but knew that several additional masked
batteries had but recently been con-
structed close TO the entrance OF the har-
Dor
As The Massachusetts, passed the en-
trance she opened fire on the CristoDaI
Colon. the Spanish flagship, moored, as
has been said, across the entrance WIN
her broadside to the Americans.
The Massachusetts used her forward
s-inch gun on the port side for the hrsl
shot. followed with her l3-inch rifles
The conclusion as the latter were as
charged caused the waters TO Ylbrate
and the ships to tremble.
The Cristobal Colon and the four bat
treies. two on the east side or the en-
trance, one on the west side, and one on
Smith Cay. which is i'm the centre OF the
channel about half mile north OF the
MORO. replied 20 the American IRE.
The batteries used 10 and Pinch Krupp
guns. while the American warships nred
from their 70. y. and G-noh guns. The
fire ON both sides was well sustained, and
the reverberations were thrown back
from the mountains until 1t seemed as
though there was no moment Of silence
between the discharges Of the great guns.
At first both sides showed bad judg-
ment in getting the range, which was
about 1000 yards most OF the shots gong
wild.
The Americans passed twice before the
batteries going at full speed. on the
second round the Americans showed a
very decided Improvement in their marks
manship. They now had the range OF
the batteries and the MORO. and nearly
every shot landed in the spot Intended.
The ancient Moro, towering above the
sea. was struck time and again, each
shell. as It exploded. tearing great rents
I'm the yellow walls and sending skyward
masses of masonry that fen back into
the fort with loud crashes.
Lower down along the shore where the
other batteries were located the damage
from the American fire seemed to be
equally great.
As the ships came back on their second
passage before the entrance the Spanish
artillerymen showed a surprising accu-
racy Of aim. Several OF their shells burst
over the Iowa, and three fell dangerously
near the New Orleans one dropped and