Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-05-18
PORTO RICO B0MBARDMENT
Detailed Authentic Account --Samp-
son Disappointed in Not Finding
Spanish Fleet There May IL.
spaniards Asleep When Bombardment Com
menced-Great Damage to Spanish
Fortifcations.

! Copyright Associated Press)-Ol
board the Associated Press dispatcl
boat Dauntless, Key West, Fla, May
1s.-The Dauntless, dispatch boat q
the Associated Press arrived here this
morning and brought the first detailed
account of the bombardment of Sar
Juan de Porto Rico, by a portion of the
fleet under the command of Rear Admira
Sampson, on May ~. -@~
The American battleships sustained
only trivia! injury and lost but one mar
| killed. After the engagement the
north end of Moro castle was in ruins,
the Cabras island fort slenced, and the
San Carlos battery damaged. No shots
We're aimed at the city. 1t is not known
whether any damage was done there or
not. The Spaniards at St. Thomas
claim the school house was struck and
the master and pupils killed. This is
not thought likely as the bombardment
took place early in the morning and the
school children We're probably not in the
building.
The plans of the Notifications furn-
ishcd the feet were misleading, miscal-
cnlations having been made by those
who drew the plans; Early on the morn
ing of May IL, SIMPSONS ships APP
preached San juan, the American con-
sui at Cape Haytien having informed
the admiral that he had heard a report
that l3 Spanish ships had been seen
heading for Porto Rico.
The attack on the forts was planned
SO the warships could be in position to
meet the Spanish vessels should they
emerge from the harbor The princi-
pal object in view was to destroy the
Spanish ships. The feet assembled off
San Juan about 3 o'clock Thursday
morning and prepared for battle.
Rear Admiral Sampson transferred
his flag to the Iowa. The attack lasted
three hours. Although it was known at
San Juan that the American feet was
near, soldiers in the forts and the people
of the town were fast asleep when our
warships approached.
The fleet steamed majestically into the
harbOr and opened a tremendous fire on
the Notifications. Three times the war
ships made the circuit outlined in the
official plan. The forts withstood the
first round, but the Montgomery, from
her station near Fort Canuelo, wrought
great destruction. With their glasses
the officers of the Montgomery could see
the occupants of the forts jumping over
the walls and running away The De-
troit, which was nearest to Moro, had
to train her guns at high angle Her
shots directed at the north side of Moro,
cut deep burrows in the face OF the forti-
fcations. The Iowa, leading the fleet.
delivered her deadly missiles with great
accuracy upon Morro's northern walls.
The rest of the fleet fired in order, first
on Moro, then on San Carlos, according
to position.
On the second round the Spanish gun
ners were thoroughly awakened and
stood by their guns bravely, keeping up
a furious but aimless fire. A feeling of
deep disappointment spread through the
fleet when the scouts reported the har-
Dor to be clear of Spanish warships.
AT the end of the third round the
monitor Terror failed to understand the
order to withdraw and engaged Moro
castle alone for half an hour