The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-24

Key West, Fla. July 2S--Acting IN
der orders from Rear Admiral Samp-
son, four American warships on Thurs
day afternoon last entered the harbor
of Nipe, on the northeast coast OF the
province Of Santiago de Cuba, and, al
ter a furious bOmbardment, took pos
session of the harbor as base or oper-
ations for the Porto Rico campaign
It is understood, however, that the
plans have been changed since. IN con-
sequence of the occupation OF Santiago
by the United States forces, and that
| Nine will not be used for the purpose
originally intended The vessels en-
gagged were the Topeka, Annapolis,
Wasp and Leyden. In the course or an
hour they silenced the forts, sunk the
| Spanish gunboat Jorge Juan and scat
tered the Spanish rihemen vino had
taken part in the engagement
| For a week or more the Topeka mas
been blockading the northeastern coast
between Cape Lucrecia and Caoonlco'
with strict orders from Commodore
Howell not to attempt an entrance
into any of the harbors-
A few days ago, while cruising past
Nipe, which is about midway in the
blockade line, and directly across the
island from the city Of Santiago. an
armored launch about 100 feet long
came out and fred two shells, both OF
+, which, however. fell short. The To-
peka returned the fire and chased the
/ launch into the harbOr, but, owing TO
the commodore's orders, could not fol-
low her in.
On Thursday the Annapolis, Wasp
and Leyden came from Santiago and
! Captain bunker Of the Annapolis VINO
was ranking officer. was surprised %
learn that Nipe had not been taken
Admiral Sampson had understood that
| this had been done. and had orders
! for the monitors detailed for the Porto
( Rico campaign TO rendezvous there
When the situation had been cleared
up. Captain Hunker ordered the ships
! to go in. The Wasp and Leyden, being
/ the smallest OF the quartette, led the
way. followed by the Annapolis, while
| the Topeka. which carried a heavier
battery, brought up the rear
ENTERED THE HARBOR-
The channel leading into the harbor
was very narrow, and on a blum 70 the
| right. called Galory Point, was fort
and signal station. AS the American
/ ships entered, the Spaniards were sig
mailing in lively fashion with blue
/ ball and flag. apparently notifying the
! Spanish ships in the harbOr, which were
/ the Jorge Juan, two smaller gunooatS
] anu lliC 81 4AAOANA Ae~-AAANA- 1890
/ fore.
| AS the Wasp and Leyden rounded the
point, the forts fired dozen Shots
none of which, however, fell near them.
and the Topeka returned the fire with
/ her three Founders Almost 1mmed1-
ately the Spaniards deserted the forts
and the Topeka continued to send
! shells into them. A body Of rifiemen
| on the beach returned the fire with a
few wild shots, but they too, were
I quickly dispersed by the Topeka's
: smaller guns. The Topeka also dis
I charged two torpedoes. At the same
/ time another small fort to the left OF
the channel fired on the American
/ ships. but it was silenced as easily as
/ the other.
/ In the meanwhile the Wasp and Ley
I den had taken up position In the
/ northwestern portion Of the harbor and
opened fire across the water at the
Jorge Juan. which lay to the south
east, in front of the town OF Mayar1.
GENERAL BATTLE.
! Her position was about mile and
: a quarter from the beach and behind
her a third fort stood on an entn-
ence. This fort opened on the Wasp
l and LeyGen and as the Annapolis and
( Topeka came up the Spanish gunboae
joined in the fight and a general battle !
! followed The Topeka took position IN
I the middle of the harbOr. about 400
yards from the Jorge Juan, and the
other three American boats drew upon
either side and formed a semi-circle.
The Americans then closed IN on the
Spanish ships, pouring in a destructive
| fire and on the forts behind The
! Topeka sent fOur-inch shells crashing
/ into the Jorge Juan at such q rate
that she sank within 20 minutes.
When the firing became heavy the
| officers and crew of the Spanlard put
/ off in a. small boat, made the shore
under a heavy fire, and escaped into
| the woods
WHITE FLAG RUN UP.
Two shots from the Topeka's bow
gun, fired on an elevation Of 400 yards,
dropped squarely into the Mayari fort,
the Spanish pennant disappeared and a
white flag was run up. This ended a
short, but one of the most vicious
battles of the war.
All of the American ships sent small
boats over to the Spanish gunboat
that of the Topeka. being under COM
mand of Lieutenant Niblack, the
former naval attache at Berlin, Vienna
and Rome. They found that the Jorge
Juan fOrecastle had been entirely
nipped away by the T0peka's four
inch shells, and that her fore and
mizzen masts and flag staff We're
carried off. It is thought the Spaniards
scuttled her before abandoning the
vessels. Divers were sent down and
quite a curious collection of relics was
found. One was the ships motto he
brave and we will go home to SPAIN
They also brought up gun sights, signal
flags and a hundred other momentoes
of the engagement, which were dis
tributed among the officers and men
of the victorious ships.
Four or Eve cats, still alive, were
clinging to the wreckage and one dog,
which had been chained to the deck,
was drowned. That part of the rigging
which protruded from the water
swarmed with rats who attempted to
renew the battle with the Americans
but were driven into the sea.
MINES EXPLODED.