Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-06-16
STORM OF METAL.
Simpsons Fleet Bombards Santi-
ago de Cuba.
The Forts are Badly Shattered and "A Span
ish Cruiser Comes In For Large
Share of Attention - Spaniards
Suffered Considerable Loss
Land Attack by Cubans.

Land atLaCk IuDanS.
On Board the Dispatch Boat Dandy,
off Santiago de Cuba, via Kingston,
Jane S.-The American fleet formed in
double column six miles off Moro
castle at 6 o'clock Monday morning
aud steamed slowly 5000 yards off
shore, the Brooklyn leading, followed
by the MarbIehead, Texas and Massa-
chusetts, and turned westward. The
second line, the New York leading.
with the New Orleans, Yankee, Iowa
and Oregon following, turned east
ward.
Suddenly the Iowa fired a 12-inch
shell which struck the base of Estrella
battery and tore up the works. In
stantly firing began from both Rear
Admiral SIMPSONS and Commodore
Schley's columns, and torrent of
shells from the ships fell upon the
Spanish works. The Spaniards re-
piled promptly, but their artillery
work was of a very poor quality, and
most of their shots went wide.
The Brooklyn and Texas caused
great havoc among the Spanish shore
batteries, quickly silencing them.
While the larger ships were engaging
the heavy batteries, the Suwanee and
Vixen closed with the small in-shore
battery opposite them, raining rapid
fire shots upon it and quickly placing
the battery out of the fight.
The Brooklyn closed to 500 yards
and then the destruction caused by
her guns and those of the Marblehead
and Texas was awful. In few min
utes the woodwork of Estrella fort
L
silenced, firing no more during the en-
gagement. Eastward, the New York
and New Orleans silenced the Cavo
battery in quick order and then
shelled the earthworks located higher
up.
Shortly after nine the firing ceased,
the warships turning in order to per-
init the use of the port batteries. The
firing then became long reverberat-
ing crash of thunder and the shells
tore up the Spanish batteries with ter
rible effect. Fire broke out in the
Catalina fort and silenced the Span
ish guns.
New York, June S.-A special from
Cape Haytien, describing the lombard
ment of Santiago de Cuba on Monday,
saws that the forts about the harboP
are now a mass of ruins. The MORO
is shapeless pile of ruined masonry
and dismantled guns, and the Estrella
battery is utterly ruined. This result,
the dispatch says, was the work of ten
American ironclads. Scarcely yard
of the coast escaped the deadly can
nonading. At Port Aguadores, the
fort recently constructed by Col
Ordonez, the famous artillery expert
was blown to dust and Col. Ordonez
was badly wounded. Two other artil-
lery officers were also wounded. Two
infantry lieutenants and 2l privates
are reported fatally wounded.
Later in the day the American ships
moved closer toward the mouth of the
harbor, where the old cruiser Reina
Mercedes had been discerned attempt
ing to place explosives about the hull
of the Merrimac to blow her to pieces
and clear the channel. a 13-inch shell
from the Oregon landed squarely
abaft her pilot house and tore all her
upper works to shreds.
Her "second commodore" five of her
sailors and a marine were killed. A
second lieutenant of the Reina Mer-
cedes and 16 of her seamen were SER
iously wounded.
A perfect shower of shell and shot
fell upon and around the old cruiser
and she was so badly damaged that
her crew abandoned her and sought
the shore for safety.
About noon landing party of
American marines near Daiquiri was
attacked by the Spanish infantry and
d squad of cavalry.
The insurgents were posted in the
neighborhood and with the aid of the
marines successfully took up a poSi-
ton, holding it and later making it a
base from which they operated. The
Spanish force was defeated with heavy
loss and driven back toward Santiago,
leaving their wounded behind them.
The Americans are now entrenched
near Daiquiri and are landing heavy
guns, preparatory to moving them
toward Santiago and laying siege to
the city.
1t is further reported here that the
Cuban forces attacked Santiago de
Cuba by land, during the American
bonn bardment, iHtlicting heavy losses
,on the garrison