Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-05-19
SAN JUAN ATTACKED.
CAPITAL OF PORTO RICO
BOMBARDED BY SAMPSON.
Two Americans We're Killed and Seven
Injured -Engag ement Lasted Three
Hours and Was Terminated by samp-
son Before batteries Were sllenced.


Hours and Was Terminated by samp-
son Before Batteries We're sllenoed.
ST. THOMAS, Danish West Indies,
May 14,-The forts of San Juan de
Porto Rico were bombarded by part
of Admiral SIMPSONS feet Thursday
morning. The enemy's loss is believed
to be heavy The American loss is
two men and seven injured. After
three hours firing the admiral with
drew the feet and headed for Key
West He said after the engagement:
II am satisfied with the mornings
work. l could have taken San Juan,
but have no force to hold it only
wanted to administer punishment.
This has been done. came for the
Spanish fleet, and not for San Juan. I"
The men killed were: Seaman Frank
Widemark of the New York.
Gunner's Mate of the Amphi-
trite
The latter died from the effects of
the extreme heat
Of the injured men three were on
board the Iowa and four on board the
New York. The names of those
slightly injured on the Iowa are: Sea-
man Mitchell, Private Marine Merkle,
Apprentice Hill
The injured on the New York, all
of whom were hurt by the bursting
Of shell, are: Seaman Samuel Felt
man, seriously; Seaman Michael Muir
ply. Two other enlisted men, slight
ly injured.
This is complete list of the killed
and wounded. The American ships
were uninjured.
The engagement began at Sis a. m.
aud ended at s:l5 a. m. The enemy's
batteries were not silenced. The
town in the rear of the Notifications
probably suffered.
The ships taking part in the action
were the Iowa, Indiana, New York,
Terror, Amphitrite, Detroit Mont
gomery, Waumpatucket and Porter.
Enemy's firing was heavy, but wild,
and the Iowa and New York were
probably the only ships hit They
were right up under the guns in col
umn, delivering broadsides, and then
returned. The line passed thrice in
front of the ports, pouring tons of
steel on shore.
1t is impossible to judge the amount
of damage done to the buildings and
forts. They appeared to be riddled
with shot; but the spaniards were
pluclsy. The after turret of the Am
phitrite got out of order temporarily
during the engagement, but she
banged away with her forward guns.
After the first passage before the
forts, the Detroit and Montgomery
retired, their guns being too small to
do much damage. The Porter and
Waumpatucket also stayed out of
range. The smoke hung over every
thing, spelling the aim of the gun
ners and making it impossible to tell
where our shots struck.
The officers and men of all the ships
behaved with GOODNESS and bravery.
The shots flew thick and fast over all
our ships.
The men of the Iowa hurt during
the action were injured by splinters
thrown by an eight-inch shell which
came through boat in the super
structure and scattered fragments in
all directions. The shots course was
finally ended on an iron plate an inch
thick Merkle (MurteD was struck in
the arm and may lose it All were
hurt by splinters and fire was start
ed in the boat, but was quickly ex-
tinguished.
Moro battery, on the eastward arm
OF the harbor, was the point of attack
Rear Admiral Sampson and Captain
Evans were on the lower bridge of the
Iowa and had a narrow escape from
flying spllnters, which injured three
men. The Iowa was hit eight times
but the shells made no impression on
her armor.
The weather was fine, but the heavy
swells made accurate aim difficult
The broadsides from the Iowa and
Indiana rumbled in the hills ashore
for five minutes after they were de-
livered Clouds of dust showed where
the shells struck; but the smoke hung
over everything: The shells screech-
ing overhead and dropping around
showed that the Spaniards still stuck
to their guns