The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-14

Copyrighted. 1898. by the Associated Press.
ON BOARD THE FLAGSHIP IOWA.
OFF SAN JUAN DE PORTO RICO. May
II. via ST. Thomas, d. w. l., May 13.-
The forts Of San Juan de Porto Rico were
bombarded by part OF Rear Admiral
sampsons feet this morning. The eremy's
loss is believed to be heavy. The Amer
lean loss Is two men killed and seven men
injured.
After three hours firing the admiral
Withdrew the fieet. and heading for Key
West he said:
I could have taken San Juan. but have
no force 70 hold It. I only wanted to ad-
minister punishment This has been done.
I came for the Spanish neet and not for
San Juan"
The men killed were:
SEAMAN FRANK wIDEaGARK. OF
New York.
GUNNER's MArD -. Of tie Am
phitrite.
Tho latter died from the effects Of the
extreme heat.
OF the injured men three were on the
Iowa and four on the New York. The
names OF those slightly injured on the
Iowa are: Seaman Mitchell, Private Ma
rine Merkle. Apprentice Hill.
The injured on the New York are: Sea-
man Samuel Fe,tman, seriously; Seaman
Michael Murphy. Two other enlisted men
slightly injured.
All the above named were injured by
the bursting Of a shell. on the New York.
wounded.
The American ships are uninjured.
The bonsbardment began at 5:l5 a. m.
and ended at Sis a. M. The enemy's bat
teries were not silenced. The town In the
rear Of the Notifications probably suf-
fercd.
The ships taking part In the action were
the Iowa. Indiana. New York, Terror,
Amphitrite. Detroit. Montgomery. waum-
patuck and Porter. The enemys firing
New York were probably the only ships
hit. They went right up under the guns
IN column. delivering broadsides. and then
returned. The line passed thrice in front
OF the forts. pouring tons Of steel on shore
It 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 plucky. The after
turret OF the Amphitrite 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 the Montgomery retired,
their guns being too small TO do much
damage. The Porter ard waumpatuck
also stayed ou. of range. The smoke hung
over everything. spelling the aim OF the
gunners and making it impossible to tell
where our shots struck. The officers and
men OF all the ships behaved with cool
ness and bravery.
The shots few thsek and fast over all
sur ships. The men OF the Iowa who
were hurt during the action were Injured
by splinters thrown by an eighi-ineh shell,
which came through boat into the super
structure and scattered fragments In all
directions. The shots course was finally
ended on an iron plate an inch thick
Merk.e tMarten was struck in the arm
and may lose X. All were hurt by =r,,r-
ters. 4 fire WAS started in the boat, but,
was quickly estingnished
Moro battery. on the eastern arm OF the
harhor. was the principal point of attack.
Rear Admiral Sampson and Capt. Evans
were on the lower bridge ot the Iowa and
had narrow escape from flying spIinters.
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 ac-
curate aim difficult
TIE broadSides from the Iowa and In
diana Fuusbied IN the hills or shore five
minutes after they were delivered.
CloufS CT dust shaved where the shells
struck, but the smoke hung over every
thing,
The saesls screaehiag overhead and drop
ping around showed that the Span.aris
stlE stack TO their wuns.
At : o'elock Iu the morning AL hands
Ncre called on he Iowa. . few tina.