The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-03
THE NEW ORLEANS
ENGAGED THE FORTS

Her First Shot Located Large Battery on the
Hills Above Mono-.It Flew Straight into the
Fort and Must Have Done Great Damage
Her Fire was Extremely Accurate The Span.
iards Dropped Shells Close TO The Iowa--The
Attack was Made for The Purpose Of Locating
The Batteries and Spanish Forts--T The Ameri-
can Fleet Sustained no Damage and Lost not
Man.
Copyright by the Associated Press
On board The Associated Press Dis
patch Boat Dandy, Port AQt1uio, June
2. For an hour yesterday afternoon, the
Massachusetts, Iowa. New Orleans and
Vixen, of Commodore Schley's squadron,
exchanged shots with the Spanish fleet
under Admiral Cervera, and with The
land batteries guarding the harbor of
Santiago de Cuba, behind which the
Spanish fleet is hiding. The engagement
was the first which has occurred between
the two naval forces, and was but pre-
lude to serious work in the latter part of
the week.
No attempt was made by the Ameri-
can commander to bring on IL. general en-
gagement, it being his desire to locate
the batteries on the hills above the har-
Dor. and to determine the position Of the
Spanish forts.
shortly before 10 o'clock Commodore
Schley left the Brooklyn for the Massa-
chusetts. on board of which battleship
he remained during the fighting.
At / o'clock the signal to form column
was hoisted on the Massachusetts. She
then steamed slowly away until
about five miles west of the harbor en-
trance, when she turned in toward the
shore and, when about 5000 yards off,
turned east again and bore down on the
entrance, the New Orleans being close
Ip and the Iowa half IA mile behind. The
flagship gradually increased her speed,
and was soon running through the water
at the rate of 10 knots I'M hour. She
drew closer and closer to the batteries,
and to the anxious watchers ON the ships
il seemed that she would never open
fire.
When. however, she had passed the
harbor entrance by five hundred yards,
n great cloud of white and yellow smoke
burst from the two 13-inch guns in her
aft turret and two shells rose over the
hin. one Of them strikiAg the Spanish
fagship Christobal Colon full and fair,
as She lay at her anchorage, and the
other falling close alongside.
The two guns in the forward turret
were then fired, and their shells in ex-
ploding threw up great jets OF spray close
10 the Colon.
All the shore batteries took up the
challenge and began a rapid ilre on the
Massachusetts but she was soon beyond
their range and the batteries thefeupoh
turned their attention on the New Vt
leans. This cruiser had been directed 70
pay attention to the batteries ana 70
draw their fire as much as possible, ana
she obeyed her instructions to the letter.
Her first shot located a large battery
on the hill above Moro 1t flew straight
into the fort and must have caused much
damage. as Il great cloud of dust and
debris rose as the shell bursted. A cou-
PIE more shots sent part of the walls Of
Moro flying into the air and then the
New Orleans confined herself to the bat
feries. her fire being rapid and extreme
~ accurate. Every shot she fired made
trouble for Spain.
The Iowa came next. and. like the
Massachusetts devoted her attention to
the ships lying within the harbor Her
Pinch shells made the water fly all
around that part Of the harbor in which
the Cristobal Colon lay. The latter,
however. was not seriously damaged
and kept mp her fire until long after the
American ships steamed out Of range.
After the Iowa came the little Vixen
which apparently had no business in q
fight where battleships We're engaged
But she scudded along after the Iowa
like fox terrier following n mastiff
After the Vixen had passed the forts