The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1898-05-19
BOMbAhji'S;iNT OF SAN JUAN.
SIMPSONS Fleet Appears Before Forti-
fcations and Crumbles Them.
THE ENTIRE TOWN IS BADLY DAMAGED
Only Few Shots From the Battleships
Iowa and Indiana Were Necessary to
Quiet the Guns of the Spaniards,
Who Sought Safety in Flight.

PORT AU PRINCE. American
fleet, under Rear Admiral Sampson,
bombarded San Juan de Porto Rico
Thursday.
The squadron arrived off the fated
fort just before daylight. Word had
been sent ahead that the Notifications
were to be bombarded, and notice to
women and children, aliens and non
combatants to quit the place and seek
such safety as the outlying hills af-
forded. Out of the gray of the dawn
there fared from the halyards of the
flagship New York that signal which
is to make the war with Spain mem
orable among the battling of mankind:
Remember the Maine" Then the
stiffness was shattered by mighty
sound. 1t was one of the great 70
inch guns on the Iowa which began
the bombardment. Then the Indiana
opened from it's forward turret with
13-inch projectile.
The walls of Moro seemed to go
into vapor where the immense projec-
tiles struck. The castle soon made
reply, but the firing indicated panic
within the Notifications. On steamed
SIMPSONS feet, the monitors Puritan
and Terror creeping nearer in shore,
their low, free board presenting
small target for the forts, and their 10
and 12-inch guns doing tremendous
execution against the Notifications.
MORO fired but three shots from her
heavy guns.
There were but seven shots fired
from the big guns of the American
squadron. These left Moro Castle a
crumbling ruin. Her guns were mute,
her gunners xii ed or in fight. Then
began the attack on the land batteries
and the Notifications about the gov
ernment buildings and the palace.
Here the cruisers did effective service,
and soon the postoffice and palace of
the governor were tumbling about the
ears of the officials, the guns dis
mounted or abandoned, wreck, ruin
and death everywhere.
The Spaniards pluckily served their
guns as long as there was any hope,
But their fire was slow and wild. Not
a single American ship was harmed.
But at the last accounts the
city itself had not surrendered, though
1t was completely at Admiral Samp-
sons mercy. 1t had been deserted by
the merchants and non-combatants
The foreign consuls had followed the
refugees into the country, and the
troops were reported panic-stricken.
The volunteers had fed, but Governor
Macias stuck to his post giving orders,
and asserting that he would die before
he would surrender.
The Spanish cruiser Rita was cap
tured by the United States auxiliary
cruiser Yale, which took her crew on
board.
Later Account.
The forts of San. Juan de Porto
Rico were bombarded by part of Rear
Admiral SIMPSONS fleet Friday morn
ing. The enemy's loss is believed to
be heavy. The American loss is two
men killed and seven men injured
After three hours firing the admiral
withdrew the fleet and heading for
Key West, he said 81 am satisfied
with the mornings work. could
have taken San Juan but have no
force to hold it. 1 only wanted to ad-
minister punishment. This has been
done. I came for the Spanish fleet
and not for San Juan. The men killed
we're Seaman Frank Widemark, of
New York gunner's mate of the
Amphitrite. 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.
All the above-named were injured
by the bursting of shells. The Amer
lean ships were uninjured. The en-
gagement began at 5:l5 and ended at
8:15 a. m.
The enemy's batteries were not ST.
lenced. The town in the rear of the
fortificatioss probably suffered.
The ships taking part in the action
were the Iowa, Indiana, New York,
Terror, Amphitrite, Detroit, Mont
gomery, Wampatuck and Porter.
s..;,.s oss at Mnnila.