Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-06-01
TO-DAY'S TELEGRAPHIC NEWS
The Fight at Santiago.

The following additional details have
been received here from Span
ism source at Havana of the engage
ments reported of Santiago de Cuba
yesterday:
The Spanish batteries at first answer,
ed the fire of the American squadron
in lively manner. After twenty min
utes of firing directed in superior
manner upon the part of the American
feet, the Spanish batteries began tc
weaken their fire and the American
ships concentrated violent fire upon
Ell Moro, destroying it completely
The forts at La Zacapa and Punta Gorda
fired the last shots.
The Spanish losses must have been
considerable. Details are lacking as
to the American losses.
The SpaDiards pretend to have strucs
the American vessels several times bull
this information is accepted here undel
reserve.
At four o'clock yesterday afternoon
the American squadron ceased firing.
At that hour there was no Spanish yes
sci in sight. No news has been re-
ceived here from the dispatch boats.
The American squadron which bonn
barded Santiago de Cuba was composed
of powerful vessels, and one of them Is
supposed to have been the flagship
New York, though other reports have
it that she was not present.
LONDON, June This city is Devil
dered oy the conflicting reports from
Santiago de Cuba which are reaching
mere from all sources. Some of the dis
patches have seemingly minute details
as to how the "Brooklyn was tending
we'll in shore, opeGed the battle yes:er'
day afternoon and how a heavy lire
was concentrated by the whole
squadron on Moro and the other de,
lenses, to which they replied furiously.'
Another report says: Commodore
Schley, after exploding many mines IN
the chsnnel, ran the Texas far enough
into. the harbor to engage and sink the
Reina Mercedes"
NEW YORK, June IAN evening
Journal special from Cape Haytien says
the torpedo boat Porter, which arrived
At Mole St. Nicholas at l o'clock this
morning with dispatches for Washing
ton, brought the story of the lombard
ment of Santiago de Cuba. The Ameri-
can squadron, augmented by the tor
pedo boat Porter, the auxiliary cruiser
St. Paul and the protected cruiser New
Orleans, formerly the Amazonas, ap
preached the entrance to the harbor OIL
Santiago at about 1880 p. m, the Iowa
leading. Inside the entrance to the har-
Dor was seen one of the warships Of Ger
vera's feat, stripped for action.
AS the American fact drew near the
New Orleans was detached and steamed
forward ahead of the lowe, Texas and
Massachusetts. One OF the forts open
ed fire on her and she replied, the other
TWO ships directing their fire at the bat
terry on the Punta Gorda within the
harbor and to westward of the position
occupied by the Spanish ship. The
latter replied to the fire and immedi.
ately became target for all the Amer
lean ships engaged in the battle. She
retired behind a protecting headland
and was not seen again during the en-.
gagemsnt. The Iowa, directed by
Capt. Fighting Bob' Evans; the Massa'
chusetts, Capt. F. ]. Higginson; Texas,
Captain ]. W. Philip and the New
Orleans, Captain w. M. Folger, kept
up their terrific fire against the Moro,
La Zacapa and PuLta Gorda forts for two
hours, their projectiles of enormous
size doing tremendous damage to the
defences Of the harbor. The masonry
on La Zacapa and Moro was battered
almost into dust and the forms of Span
ish artillerymen and infantry could be
plainly seen flying to safety behind the
neighooring hills. The auxiliary cruis
er which joined Schley's fleet just be-
fore the battle took place was hit by
shells from the forts, and it is thought
she has been seriously damaged by the
shells.
After seeking the protection OF jut.
ting hesdland the Spanish warships
continued to fire projectiles over the
hills toward the feet, but they had no
range, not even direction to their shots,
and the shell fell harmlessly into the
sea. That the number Of killed and
wounded on the Spanish side is enor-
NOUS no one doubts, for time end again
che American shells hit the batteries
squarely and amid the flying masonry
and dismantled guns the forms of men
were deserted.
The damage done to the American fleet
cannot be learned, but it is not thought any
person was killed, if, indeed, any one was
wounded