The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-03
Several Shots Fired at the CristObal
Colon and One Shell Exploded
Fairly on the IrOncIad.
SPANIARDS POOR MARKSMEN
NOT ONE OF THE AMERICAN VESSELS
HIT DURING THE FIGHT.
Several of the Shore Batteries Badly
glish-Built Cruiser New Orleans.
Copyright, 1898, by the Associated press.)

1
Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press)
| PORT ANTONIO, Jamaica, June 2-The
press dispatch boat Dandy has arrived here
with details of the fight at Santiago de
Cuba. The squadron commanded by Commo-
dore Schley attacked the batteries at SAINT
iago de Cuba Tuesday afternoon and also
engaged the ships of Admiral Cervera,
which were lying in the harbor. The Span
ish flagship Cristobal Colon was struck
twice by shells fired from the Massachu-
setts and the Spanish batteries were badly
damaged by the fire of the United States
cruiser New Orleans. The Spaniards fired
about 300 shots and the Americans fired
about one-fourth that number. No Ameri-
can vessel was hit and no one board the
American ships was injured. The Spanish
loss was not heavy.
Il For an hour Tuesday afternoon the Massa-
chusetts, Iowa, New Orleans and Vixen, of
Commodore schleys squadron. exchanged
shots with the Spanish fleet under Admiral
Cervera and with the land batteries guard
ing the harbor of Santiago de Cuba, behind
| which the Spanish fleet is hiding. The
gagement is the first which has occurred
between the two naval forces and was but
| a prelude to serious work in the latter part
of the week. No attempt was made by the
American commander to bring a general
engagement. it being his desire to locate
the batteries on the hills above the harbor
and to determine the position of the Spanish
forts
Shortly before 10 o'clock Commodore
Schley left the Brooklyn for the Massachu-
setts, on board of which battle ship he re-
manned during the fighting. AT 1 o'clock
the signal to form column was hoisted on
| Orleans.
Iowa and Vixen fell in in the order named.
The Massachusetts steamed slowly until
about five miles west of the harbor entrance
when she turned in toward the shore, and,
when about 5000 yards off she turned again
and bore down on the harbor, the New Or
leans being close up and the Iowa half
mile behind
WELL DIRECTED SHOT.
The flagship gradually increased her speed
and was soon running through the water at
the rate of ten knots an hour. She drew
closer and closer to the batteries and to
the anxious watchers on the other ships it
seemed that she would never open fire.
When, however, she had passed the harbor
entrance by five hundred yards, great
cloud of white and yellow smoke burst from
the two 13-inch guns in her after turret and
two shells arose over the hill, one of them
striking the Spanish flagship Cristobal Colon
full and fair as she lay at ner anchorage
and the other falling close alongside. The
two guns on the forward turret were then
fired and her shells exploding threw up
great jets of spray close to the Colon.
All the shore batteries took up the chal-
lenge and began a rapid fire on the Massa-
chusetts. But she was soon beyond their
range and the batteries thereupon turned
their guns on the New Orleans. This cruiser
had been directed to pay attention to the
batteries and to draw their fire as much as
possible, and she obeyed her instructions to
the letter. Her first shot located a large
battery on the hill above the Morro. 1t flew
straight into the fort and must have caused
much damage, as a great cloud of dust and
debris rose as the shell burst. A couple
more shots sent part of the walls of Moro
flying into the air, and then the New Or
leans confined herself to the batteries her
fire being rapid and extremely accurate.
Every shot she fired made trouble for Spain.
The Iowa came next, and, IKE the Massa-
chusetts devoted her attention to the ships
lying within the harbor. Her twelve-inch
shells made the water fly all around that
part of the harbor in which the Cristobal
Colon lay. The latter however, was not Sc
riously damaged, and kept up her fire till
long after the American ships steamed out
of range.
After the Iowa came the little Vixen,
which apparently had no business in fight
where battle ships were engaged. But she
scudded along after the Iowa. like fox
terrier following mastiff, and when at the
proper point she let fly with her one six
FOUNDER and glided away proudly conscious
of having done her best
VIGOROUS REPLY BY SPANIARDS.
After the Vixen had passed the forts the
Massachusetts turned again to the west
ward, followed by the other ships in the
same order, with the exception of the Vixen,
formerly the yacht Josephine which was
ordered to keep out of trouble. The iron
clads bore down on the harbor once more.
The flagship kept in until less than four
thousand yards from the shore, and then
her shells again began to heave up the wa
ters Of Santiago harbor. This time the shore
batteries We're better prepared, and the
Spaniards replied TO the war ships fire in
energetic fashion. But nearly all the shots
from the batteries fell short. Then came
the New Orleans once more, her long, black
guns doing fearful work and tearing up the
ground all around the batteries in the most
savage manner. The Spaniards dropped
shells close to the Iowa she came for the
second time. sending stream OF shells into
the harbor she did so
The Spanish ships, with the exception OF
the Cristobal Colon, were behind the hills
and could not see the enemy, who threw
shells around them with such rapidity that
they knew he was somewhere on the other
side OF the hill, and then hopefully raised the
muzzles of their guns and banged away.
The result was what might have been ex-
pected. Their IRE tore the bosom OF the