The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-05-20

oSeAASs
Juan de Puerto Rico, May II. via st.
Thomas. Danish West Indies, May IL.
The forts of San Juan de Puerto
Rico were bombarded by part Of Rear
Admiral SIMPSONS feet this morning.
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 with
drew the feet. and. heading for Key
West, he said:
II am satisfied with the mornings
work. I could have taken San Juan
but have no force to hold it. l only
wanted to administer punishment.
This has been done. came for, the
Spanish, feet and not for San Juan"
The men killed were Seaman Frank
Widemark. of the New York and the
gunner's mate of the Amphitorite. The
latter died of the extreme heat. OF
the injured men three were on board
the Iowa and four on board the New
York. The American ships were I'M
injured. The engagement began Mt
5:15 a. M. and ended at S:15 a. ~ The
enemy's batteries were 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. Amphi-
trite. Detroit. Montgomery. Wampa-
tuck and Porter The enemy's
Firing Was Heavy.
but wild, and the Iowa and 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. 1t is impossible to
judge the amount of damage done to
the buildings and forts They ap-
peared to be riddlcd with shot, but
the Spaniards were plucky. The after
turrett of the Amplitude got out Of
order temporarily during the engage
ment. 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
l'crter and Wampatuck also stayed
out of range. The smoke hung over
everything. spelling the aim of the
gunners and making it impossible to
tell where our SLOTS struck. The Of
ficers and men of all the ships be-
haved With GOODNESS and bravery.
The shots flew thick and fast over all
our ships. The men of the Iowa who
We're hurt during the action were in
jured by splinters thrown from an
cight-inch shell which came through
a boat into the superstructure and
scattered fragments in all directions
The shots course was finally ended on
an iron plate an inch thick. Moro
battery, on the eastward arm of the
harbor. was the
Principal Point of attack.
Rear Admiral Sampson and Capt
Evans were Oh the lower bridge of the
Iowa and had a narrow escape from
flying splinters. 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
We're delivered. Clouds of durt
showed where the shells struck, but
the smoke hung over everything. The
shells screaching overhead and drop
ping around showed that the Span
iards still stuck to their guns.
AT o'clock in the morning all hands
were called on the Iowa and few
final touches in cleaning ship We're
made and at general quarters"
sounded. The men were eager for the
fight The tug Wampatuck went
ahead and anchored her small boat
to the westward showing ten fathoms,
but there was not sign of life from
the fort. which stood boldly against
the sky on the eastern hills, hiding the
town. The Detroit steamed far to
the eastward, opposite Valtern. The
Iowa headed straight for the shore.
Suddenly her helm few over, bringing
the starboard battery to the near
Notifications. At SIG the Iowa's for
ward twelve-inch guns Numbered out
at the sleeping hills and for fourteen
minutes she poured
starbonrsi lIrondsides
on the coast. Meanwhile the Indiana,
the New York and other ships repeat
ed the dose from the rear. The Iowa
turned and came back to the Wampa-
TICKS boat and again led the column,
the forts replying after concentrating
on the detroit, which was out 700
yards away from the batteries on the
eastward arm of the harbor. Thrice
the column passed from the entrance