Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1898-06-22
SUPE GUNNERY.
How the Americans Handled the
Work at Santiago

"A dispatch from the Associated Press
boat Dauntless off Santiago de Cuba.
draws the following graphic picture OF
the work of the American gunners in de-
molishing the forts near Santiago:
A careful inspection of the fortifica-
tons along the crest of the hills defend
ing Santiago harbor, since the lombard
ment Thursday morning, shows that the
American gunners spread wreck and
ruin everywhere. Some of the batteries
were demolished beyond repair. The
thick as swallows around a chimney for
hours after the firing ceased, furnished
grueSOme evidence of the fatality among
the Spanish soldiers. Hundreds of troop
could be seen from the ships, digging in
mounds of earth, piled by the explosion
OF the proJectiies from the heavy guns.
for bodies, while their heads were famed
by the wings of the black scavengers of
the battlefield. There were two spots.
one on the east and the other on the west
of the harbor entrance, which were de-
nuded of the foliage. The hill tops seem
literally blown away. These marked the
places where the observation-disclosures
charges of %guncotton, blown by the We
suvius, landed.
But the most OmiDOuS token of death
flew from MORO Castle. The saffron flag
of Spain was haIf-masted for several
hours. The significance of this is not
known. 1t is not customary to half
mast flags, but possibly some Spanish
leader was killed ~ the heavy fire of our
guns, though some officers of the squad
ron believe that the flag was half-masted
as a notification to the Americans that
Lieutenant Hobson and his brave men
were dead. If sucn is the case they must
have been wantonly murdered. The
Spanish might seek to lay their death to
the Ombardment, but not a shot from
the Americans strack the fortress. Nei-
thef Admiral Sampson or Commodore
Schley believe that Lieutenant Hobson
and his party have been killed, We have
seventeen prisoners, taken at Guanta-
namo, including a lieutenant, besides a
number in the United States. for repris-
ais or exchange.
VS. NN iItitt t'illDI dilLtl It'll
among the Spanish troops during the
hombardment. Officers could be seen.
with drawn swords, driving the men to
the guns, but even then they could not
be forced to stay so long as our fire was
directed at them. Fifteen minutes night
work of the Nesuvius had shattered their
nerves.
1t is believed by some that the 12-inch
projectile fired from the Texas, which
was reported to have exploded the pow
der magazines in one of the Western
batteries, did not fall in the battery, but
went beyond and blew up one of the
ships in the harbor.
A dramatic incident of the bombard-
ment was the act of a Spanish officer. who
bravely ran along the parapet under a
heavy fire, encouraging his men to stand
their ground. Shot and shell rained
about him, and after one terrible explo-
sion he was seen no more and the parpa-
pet had disappeared. He could not have
escaped death.
From the fOretop of the BROOKLYN. $500
yards distant, the men in the grounds
couiu be uoticeu, out q minute later dust
and flying debris would take their places.
and when the smoke raised only a spot
of red earth could be een,-gun and
gunners had been swept away. 1t was
the most deadly and destructive bonn
bardment of the war thus far. Scarcely a
shot from the big guns OF the squadron
went astray. The aim of our gunners
superb, and not only We're the coast
forts annihilated, but the batteries on
Cayo Smith, up the harbor, We're destroy
ed. Had all the ships used smokeless
powder, as did the New Orleans, there
would remain 10 signs of guns or forth
cations to indicate that there had ever
been any d~efenses there.
There were no causalties on our f1eet.
though u ships held a fixed position,
h half-stripped ships gunners never
worked with more enthusiasm.
: |. Guooephain SHIRT