Evening journal., 1903-01-23
GERMANY FIRING
SAN CARLOS STILL
Three Gunboats Keep Up
Fierce Attack on Vene-
zuelan Port N
Twelve DEAD FIFTEEN INJURED
Walls Of Fort Are Terribly Battered
BY Fire From German Cruisers.
castro's Soldiers Have Five Guns
Left, and are Making Gallant Defense

Left, and arc Making Gallant Defense
Maacaibo, Jan. 23.-rhe lombard
ment Of fCrt san Carries by the Ger
man cruisers Nlneta, Panther and
Fake was continued yesterday after
noon until 6 o'clock. IL was resumed
yesterday morning at daybreak. Seven
or eight shells were hurled at the fort
at o'clock at long range They all
foil short. AT O'Clock the Panther. be-
ing OF light draught, closed in and
again bocame actively engaged. The
fort replied AT s o'clock the engage
ment was proceeding as flercely as on
Wednesday.
Twelve/dead and 10 badly wounded
Venezuelan soldiers were counted In
the fort at o'clock Wednesday night
by the correspondent of the Associated
Press.
The Panther left her position close
into Fort San Carlos, which she took
up earlier in the day, Wednesday af-
ternoon at 3 o'clock and Joined the
Fake. This ship was half a mile out
side the bar and about five miles from
the fort.
At 3 o'clock the correspondent of the
Associated Press, in rowboat, APP
preached one side of the fort, out OF
range, and from this point witnessed
the long range fire of the German
cruisers. which was continued from
until G o'clock. The Vineta and the
Fake were close together and nearer
the fort than the Panther.
The first two vessels. at a range oI
four and q half miles, poured in n con
tinuous rain of shells upon the fort
and only stopped firing with the ad
vent Of dusk at 6 o'clock. At thil
hour the German vessels retired sea
ward, after having made n second in
eifectual attempt to land troops in tn
village OF San Carlos, situated at thl
base of the fort.
At 2 o'clock Wednesday Afternoon
the correspondent, who was accom-
panied by a government telegraphei
bearing a telegram from President
Castro to the commandant of San Car
los. landed on the island and entered
the fort The walls of the fort are
terribly battered, and there We're many
evidences of the fierce engagement
Twelve dead Venezuelan soldiers were
counted behind the ramparts, and II
other men, seriously wounded, were
lying on a low platform.
The fort is literally covered will
pieces of broken shells. IL was seeI
that a great many OF the German shells
had not exploded. The magazine ha,
a very narrow escape, two shells hav
ing come within an ace of penetrating
It, Tho walls of the fort which fac
towards the entrance Of the lake suf
fered particularly and were great,
damaged.
Although the damage inflicted upoi
the fort by the sustained fire of tn
German cruisers Is very great, it 4
not all that could be expected from
such a continuous fire from moderl
high power guns. The village Of Sal
Carlos suffered greatly. The aim o
the German gunners appears TO hay
been inaccurate. for more than 60 pc
cent. of their shells exploded in tn
village before reaching the fort.
Some of the artillery in the fort ha
been destroyed by the German fire, bu
there are still five guns that can b
used.
General Bello is confident that h
can sink the Panther if she attempt
to get by with the fire of the five gun
that remain to him.
A fisherman from the village OF Sa
Carlos has arrived here in a cano
with his family. Two of this man
children were killed by shells from tn
German cruisers. He reports tina
more than % Indian fishermen hav
been killed or wounded at San Ca
los. The fishermen there are helpless
Wednesday night there was a popl
lar demonstration on the streets {
this town The people paraded, bu
there were no words of hatred OF il
suits as they passed the Germa
stores, which are numerous in MARI
caibo.