The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-03

and al $50 general quarters was sound
ed and the flagship headed in towards
Aguadores, about three miles east of
MORO Castle The other ships retained
their blockading stations. Along the
surf-beaten shore the smoke of an ap-
preaching train from Altares was seen.
1t was composed of open cas- full OF
General Duffield's troops. At the cutting
a mile east of Aguadores. the train stop
ped and the Cuban scouts proceeded along
the railroad track. The troops got out OF
the cars and soon formed in a long. thin
| line. standing out wildly against the yell
low rocks that rose perpendicularly above
shutting them off from the main body OF
the army, which Is on the east side OF the
| hill, several miles north.
From the quarter Of the flagship there
was signal by vigorously ig-wagged
| letter an da few minutes later. from
lump Of green at the waters edge. came
an answer from the army. This was the
first cooperation for offensive purposes
between the army and navy. The landing
| of the army at Baiquiri and Altares was
| purely naval affair.
| With the flag In his hand the soldier
ashore looed like butterfly.
Are you waiting for US TO begin?" was
the signal made by Rear Admiral Samp-
son TO the army.
General Duffield is ahead with the
to the flagship.
By this time It was o'clock and the
admiral ran the hagship's bow within
three-quarters of a mile of the beach.
She remained almost as near during the
forenoon and the daring way she was
| handled by Captain Chadwick, within
sound Of the brakers, made the Cuban
pilot on board stare with establishment.
The Suwanee kept company with the
Gloucester was to the westward, near
MORO Castle. From the southwark the
Newark came up and took position to
the Westward. Her decsk were black
with 1000 or more troops. She went along
side the flagship and was told to disem-
bark the troops at Altares.
Then Admiral Sampson signalled to
General Duffield when do you want us
to commence fring?"
In a little while a white flag on shore
sent back the answer:
When the rtst of the command arrives
Them 1 will signal you
1t was a long and tedious wait for the
ships before the second fifty carloads of
troops came putting along from Altares.
BY $3.50 the last of the soldiers had
left the open railroad tracks, disappear
ing in the thick brush that covered the
eastern side of Auadores inlet.
The water in the sponge tubs under the
| breeches of the big guns was growing
hot in the burning sun. Ashore there
was no sign of the enemy. They were
believed TO be on the western bluff where
runs rocky gully leading into Santiago
City. On the extremity of the western
arm was an old, castelated fort from
which the flags were flying and on a
parapet of the eastern hill, commanding
the gully, two stretches of red earth could
easily be seen against the brush. These
were the rife pits.
wagged to Admiral Sampson to commence
| firing, and minute later the New York's
guns blazed away at the rifle pits and at
the old fort
The Suwanee and Gloucester Joined in
the echoes which rumbled around and
filed the gully. All the stored-up thunder
of the clouds seemed to have broken
loose and smoe soon rose over the hills
and the gully was shut out from view.
Then the firing became more deliberate.
OF our troops ashore in the brush moth
ing could be seen, but the ping" ping"
of the small arms of the army foated
oiut to sea during the occasional lull in
~, I, -.
the rifle pits until clouds of red earth
rose above them.
An 8-inch shell from the Newark drop
ped in the massive Old fort and clouds
of white dust and huge stones filed the
air. and fragments OF masonry came
tumbling down. A shot from the Suwanee
hit the eastern parapet and 1t crumbled
away like a mummy exposed to the air
after long years. Amid the smoke and
debris the flagstaff was seen TO fall for
ward.
1.-The flag has been shot down." shouted
the ships crew, but when the smoke
cleared away the emblem of Spain was
seen TO be still flying and blazing bril-
liantly in the sun, though the Flagstaff
was bending toward the earth. Appar-
emily the Flagstaff had been caught firmly
in the wreckage of the fort. A few more
shots levelled the battlements until the
old castle was pitiful sight
When the firing ceased, Lieutenant Del
ehanty, of the Suwanee. was anxious
TO finish his work, so he signalled to the
New York, asking permission TO knock
down the Spanish flag.
3 10 ~ in
The Suwanee then lay about 1900 yards
from the old fort. She took her time.
Lieutenant Blue carefully aimed the four
inch gun and the vrews of all the ships
watched the incident amid intense excite
ment.
When the smoke of the first cleared
away, only two STEAMERS of the fag were
left The shell had gone through the
center of the bunting.
\ delighted yell broke forth from the
crew Of the Suwanee.
Two or three minutes later the Suwsnes
fired again and huge clouds Of debris rose
from the base OF the flagstaff. For
few seconds It was impossible TO tell what
had been the effect OF the shot Then
Il was seen that the shell had only added
to the ruin OF the fort.
The Flagstaff seemed to have a charmed
existence and the Suwanee had only one
chance left. II seemed hardly possible
for her TO achieve her object with the
big guns al such a distance and such
tiny target.
There was GREATNESS silence among the
crews. They crowded on the ship decks
I'D