, 1898-07-13
FLEET DID ITS work
SAMPSON FEELS THAT HE COULD
SMASH THE CITY WITH HIS
GUNS ALONE.
Solution Of 4 Difficult Ord
nance Problem by the Wig-Wag-
Shells Take 22A Seconds to Travel
From the Guns on the Ships to the
City.

Off Aguadores, July II, 2 p. m, via
Kingston, Jamaica, July 1.-THE Unit
ed States navy has the following prob
lem presented to it: What is the best
manner of effectaliy ~bombarding a
city distant tour Inc one-half miles,
and concealed from view by a range Of
hills $50 feet hight at it's lowest part?
The problem has been satisfactorily
solved. SO, If the army hereafter never
fired a shot and merely guarded the
roads, the navy could make Santiago
untenable, If indeed it did no destroy
it in a few days.
Sunday and today the sea was calmer
than usual, so the opportunity for good
practice was afforded.
In pursuance to General Skaters re-
quest, Commodore Schley, Rear Ad-
miral Sampson being absent at Guan>
tanamo, at 3 O'Clock on Sunday after
noon ranged the Brooklyn, Indiana and
the Texas within 500 yards Of the
shore, at a ponit almost due south OF
the city of Santiago, distant a little
over four and one-half miles. The
ships were about a mile apart. The
army signal men were on the beach OPP
posite the ships and also on the ores;
Of a hill overlooking both the ships and
the city. These men wig-wagged the
results of each shot. telling the gunners
IL the shell was aimed too high or too
low, or not in line.
Sundays practice was good, but it
was better today. when the firing was
opened by the New York, which re-
turned from Guantanamo during the
night.
The New York, Brooklyn and Indi-
ana we're the ships which participated
in the Smelling this morning. Each
shot was carefully calculated and the
wig-wag signaled from the shore to
the ships, where each shell fell. and no
titled the gunners if they had the prop
er elevation.
The ships ran out their big guns on
the side opposite the firing, in order to
secure the desired list to port or to
starboard.
General Shafter signaled about noon
that some Of the shells fell in the bay
and some in the city. The latter do not
appear to dc great damage
Comment on this subject was chang
ed Immediately by a message saying:
1.-THE last shot struck st. Nicholas
church where powder was stored, blow
ing up same and doing great damage
The bombardment closed for the day
at / p. m. at General Skaters request,
as he was about to send a flag of truce
into the city, in order to demand its
surrender for the third and last time.
The whole proceeding was business
like in the extreme. The ordinary av-
ocations on ship board went on, punct-
uated at intervals Of five minutes by
the roar of big guns. the scream OF
p~rojectiles and the echoes from the
mountains in the a Of MORO Castle.
plainly visible to the westward and
having the bombardfng ships we'll in
range. But not a gun was fired by the
Spaniards.
The effect Of the shells when they
did hit can easily be imagined, when
it is known that each Of them carries
$50 pounds Of explosives and travels
1926 feet per second. Whenever a missile
lands at a distance of four and a half
miles from the muzzle to the city it oc-
cupies 22A seconds in its flight. Four
shells, during the bombardment today,
ignited fires in different parts Of the
city, proving the feasibility Of burn
ing the place by using the guns OF the
feet alone.
Death must have come to many In
the city by reason of the Smelling.