The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-19

| passing Cabras island to the westward an,
VIII turn again with starboard helm t
PISS a at FIRST Should this nlah b.
| hanged and il be directed to hold th'
ships in front OF the entrance the s'gnst
stop, will be made at The proper time
The Indiana, New York and the noaltors
| will follow the motions of the flagship and
rem ain In column.
The course. after Fort Ca1usio II
brought into range with the west end oil
Clbras island. will be east by south.
Should nightfal come with the port In
the enumy's hands and the ships inside.
| the cruisers will take up positions just
outside the harbor. tue Montgomery 10 he
eastward and the Detroit 10 the westward
Will! their batteries ready aud Che men at
to epns They viii show no lights.
,e other ships, in succession. wlil
sweep the entrance of the harbor AID III.
| channel leading into The anchorage vita
| saarch lights to keep the torpedo boa, de-
st, oyers from coming out
| In case the enemy should attempt to
| escape from the port fire is 10 Je con
| centrdted on the leading ship should tho
| a,tcmpt be at nigh, the search liyh's in
| use ere 10 be turned on her bri i,e nd
| comm. tower aud are to be held there.
| Tie fleet assembled off San Juan about
3 O'Clock on Thursday last and prepared for
battle, stripping the decks and getting The
guns and ammunition and appliances for
81 Dlps0n had transferred his flag 10 the
Iowa aud the attack on the forts began al
5:l5 and lasted three hours.
Although II was known at San Juan
that the American fleet was near, the
Spaniards apparently kept no lookout. The
soldiers In the forta and the people in the
town were fast asleep when the warships
approached. II was not yet broad daylight
and the coast was yelled In an unusually
A al
come right down TO the ocean. Further IN
lard, making Il sharp line against the sky,
rose Il tall range of mountains, An casterly
breeze was blowing and II long heavy swell
gave graceful motion to the saa. The
plans OF the admiral were carried out. Tine
fleet Htoamed maJestlcally into the bafbor
and In due course of time opened Il ire
mondous fire upon the Qualifications. Three
timos the warships made the circuit out
lined IN the official plan. The forts with
stood the first round, but tho Montgomery,
from her station near Fort Cauuclo, |
wrought complete destruction. with their
glasses the officers of the Montgomery
eould sec the occupants of the fort jump
over the walls and run away.
The Detroit which went nearest to Nor |
10, had to train her guns at high angle |
Her shots. directed at the North side OF |
Moro cut deer burrows in the face OF thf |
Qualifications. The Iowa. loading the fleet |
delivered her deadly missiles with great |
accuracy upon Morros northern walls. Tho t
rest Of the rleot fired in order, first on Nor
70, nud then on san CARLOS. according 10 |
position. On the second round tho Spanish
Eunncrs were Thoroughly awakened and
stood by their guns brnNely keeping up u
fuTiuuG but aimless fire From their firm
foundation ana high elevation they had
splendid opportunity to cripple our fleet.
bit the Spanish gunncrs seemed to fire re-
G2rdles5 of aim as II only DESTROYS of emp
Is IFS their magazines.
From the Associated Press dispatch boat
we could see :hc American ehells among
tho forts ana among the troops Of the gar
rHon, raising clouds Of dust and causing
fires to break out.
II was hoped ttat the Spanish fleet would
merge from the harbor as soon rs The firing
began. and feeling OF disappointment
spread through the rleet when the lookout
showed that the harbor WAS clear. 4; the
end o. the third round tho monitor Terror
failed to understand the signal 10 withdraw
and engaged tho MORO forts alone for half
an hour
The Terror moved IN as If Intending TO
ram tho forts, and the Spanish gunncrs
became much excited at her be-
havlor, for they fired rapidly aud without
taking any aim, foe the Terror was not
touched
From the dispatch boat every shot fired
by The spanlards could be seen The flash
and smoke OF the batteries were followed
by great splashng hundreds OF feet from
tn" Terror. The shells of the Spanlards on
exploding would ding columne OF water
sixty feet high. The socne was intensely
Interesting. but II was not 40 exciting as |
had been expected
The Spanish aim was ep bad that nhso-
lutely no anxiety was felt for our ships In
fact. whom the Spanish forts fired voleys |
which hid them in smoke. followed a few
seconds later by the geyscr-ike spouting
and splashing not dangerously near .he
Terror dorsve cheers went up from the
grew OF tho dispatch boat standing on her
bow The officers and reporters on the dis
patch beat viewed tho iombardment
through merine glasses from the top OF the
PILOT house, Tho heavy swell somewhat
affected the aim of tho guNners on the
Terror, for some OF her shells struck the
sea in front Of the forts. Finally the Ter
ror, seemingly grew tired slowly with
drew, firing a. she steamed away Then
the Sranards became almost frantic with |
excitement and hlnsed away at the monitor
until she WAS long out uf range.
After the battle tho Associated Press boat |
went among the fleet 10 inspect the damage |
done The sailors We're calmly cleaning
the decks and polishing the guns on board |
the Iowa q boat was struck aud caught fire
"N 'N'lNNSt plpc was uOnteu. the nfluRc |
railing was shattered and three men were |
slightly wounded All this was done by q |
she'll which struck the Iowa.
cne she'll. which exploded on the New |
York, killed man, wounded tour others. |
shattered cutter, tore three holes Ia a |
vertilator and broke small davit arm
Pieces of the she'll were carefully gathered |
up for souvenirs. hut there were not
erough pieces to go around. The New
York was hit only once.
When the dispatch boat OF the Associated
Press left the vicinity OF San Juan for the
island of st. Thomas with the dispatch de-
scrihing tie ongasement the fleet was pre-
pairing to bury the dead. In addition TO the
man killed on board the New York, a gun
ner's mate ON hoard the monitor Amphi-
trito died from the effects Of the heat.
~ tie New Works. four wounded. only
two were seriously enough injured TO call
for their transfer TO the hospital shin Sol
ace, which subsequently, Joined the fleet
The New York fired 10 shots. IL is said.
during the bombarlment.
The cable operator at San Juan cahlea
TO tie operator al st. Thomas early on the
morning of the l2th, announcing that n
Vigorous bombardment of the capital Of
Porto Rico was In progress adding that h,