The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-14

feet bov the waterline and IL required
great elevation OF the guns. At So,
after three quarters OF an hour Of fir
ing. Commodore Schley ordered cease
firing and the ships on the west moved
further in until the had a good 1900
yards ang
Eight minutes later the command 10
open fire was given and the guns be
gan 10 crash away.
Following the whistle OF the s-inch
shell from the Brooklyn's after turret.
in charge OF Lieutenant Rush, there
was a burst of fire from the block
house near the battery and a great
cheer from the men. Ten seconds later
the Massachusetts, landed two lG-inch
shells. almost in he same spot and
signalled that the battery was sllenced.
Big guns could still be seen on the hill.
but there were no gunner around
them.
IN the meantime, shells from what
few batteries OF the enemy which were
keeping up a desultory firing were fall
ing either very short or just over the
ships. One burst over the Brooklyn
n two others vent dangerously close
TO her. But only a few sky lights were
injured.
In the meantime the four big battle
ships were pounding away at the Es-
trella battery and the inside harbor
d%efenses n the explosion of the great
shells could be seen causing terrible
havoc.
Down at the eastern end of the line
the New York and the New Orleans
put the Cave batteries out of action in
fifteen minutes and then devoted the
fire of their guns to the batteries on
the hill, there being two new masked
batteries west Of MORO that were very
nasty in their fire. The guns of the
New Orleans did deadly work there
and the fire from the Spaniards grew
more and more fitful.
BATTERIES ON FIRE.
The Estrella and Catalina batteries
were on fire and the b~lockhouse on the
eastern end were burning.
At 9:19 o'clock the ships turned so as
to bring their unused port batteries
into play n opened a still more dis
astrous fire.
By $50 o'clock the fitful fire from one
or two guns on the f~Ortifications showed
that the Spaniards had practically de-
serted their batteries and would not
return the fire.
Lieutenant Doyle's 8-inch guns in the
srarboard turTet of the Brooklyn and
Lieutenant Simpsons forward S-inch
landed right in the middle of the earth
works several times with evident dis
astrous effect.
The flagship signaled at 9:37 O'Clock
that the batteries were evidently ST
fenced; but it was not until 1905 that
the firing was stopped. At that time it
was known that not a single shot of
h enemy had taken effect on u
ships.
When the firing finally stopped the
warships moved slowly away and a
shot struck near the flying Squadron's
end of the line, giving evidence hat the
S~paniards had not been altogether
driven away from their guns, but had
run AWAY from them only to come back
when the opportunity offered.
One or two stray shots struck Moro
castle, but it was only Slightly damag-
ed about the uppe works.
1t is believed that both the Catalina
and the Estrella batteries are finally
out of action while a great portion of
the earthworks was knocked down.
1t was rumored that the ~Spaniards
had hauled down their flag, but it vas
probably shot down, as it was display
ed again by noon, and the firing of the
guns after the retirement of the squad
ron was not indicative of surrender.