The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-23
FIRE WAS FIERCE
uoy GERMAN SHIPS AND VENEZU-
ELAN FORT BATTLED.
FIGHT NOT YET FINISHED.
yENEZUELANS PROMISE TO SINK
THE PANTHER.

Vineta and FaIke Were at Long
uouce and the Panther Close In.
cuuuers' Aim Not GOOd-Five of
the Guns of the Fort Remain serv-
iceabIe - Twelve Dead and Fiji
Teen wounded in the Fort.
Maracaibo, Jan. 22.-The lombard
,,ent of Fort San Carlos by the Ger
nan cruisers Vineta, Panther and
Falke was continued yesterday after
moon until O'Clock. 1t was resumed
this morning at daybreak.
Seven or eight shells were hurled at
the fort at long range. They all fell
short. At o'clock the Panther, being
Of light draught, closed in and again
became actively engaged. The tort
replied. At o'clock the engagement
was proceeding as fiercely as yester-
day.
twelve dead and fifteen badly
wounded Venezuelan soldiers were
counted in the fort at Z o'clock last
rioht nv the correspondent of the AS
ISOLATED Press.
The correspondent left the fort lot
the mainland at o'clock this morning
The Panther left her position close
in 70 Fort San Carlos, which she took
IN earlier in the day, Wednesday att
Arnoon at o'clock, and joined the
Fake. This ship was half a mile
outside before the bar and about 11ve
miles from the fort.
Fired from Long Range.
At o'clock the correspondent OF
the Associated Press, in rowboat'
onnroached one side of the fort, out
of range, and from this point Witness
ed the long range fire of the German
cruisers. which was continued from
o'clock until 6 O'Clock. The Vineta and
the Fake were close together ana
nearer the fort than the Panther.
The first two vessels, at range Oh
four and a half miles, poured In
continuous rain of shell upon the fort
and only stopped firing with the ad-
vent of dusk at o'clock. AT TINS
hour. the German vessels retired sea-
ward. after. having made a second IN
effectuaI attempt to land troops in the
village of San Carlos. situated at the
base of the fort.
Att o'clock Wednesday afternoon the
correspondent, who was accompanied
by government telegrapher, bearing
a telegram from President Castro TO
the commandment of San Carlos, landed
on the island and entered the fort. The
walls of the fort are terribly battered,
and there were many evidences of the
fierce engagement. Twelve dead Ven
ezuelan soldiers were counted behind
the ramparts and fifteen other men, Sc
riously wounded. were lying on low
platform.
Damage Not What Was Expected.
The fort is literally covered with
pieces of broken shells. 1t was seen
that a great many of the German shells
had not exploded. The magazine had
very narrow escape, two shells having
come within an ace of penetrating 1t.
The walls of the fort, which face to-
wards the entrance of the lake. suf-
fered particularly and were greatly
damaged.
1t is estimated by the commandant,
Gen. Bello, that the German ships fired
more than 1000 shells at Fort San Car
los.
Although the damage inflicted upon
the fort by the united fire of the Ger
man cruisers is very great, it is not
all that could be expected from such a
continuous fire from modern high pow
er Guns. The village of San Carlos
suffered greatly. The aim of the Ger
man gunners appears to have been in
accurate, for more than so per cent. of
their shells exploded in the village be-
fore reaching the fort.
The cannon mounted at San Carlos
have not sufficient range to. reach the
Falke and the Vineta, so the fire from
these vessels was not returned, as they
Kept out of reach of the Venezuelan
artillery. The Vineta and Fake are
OF too great draught to cross the bar.
Inc Panther alone can do this, and
this fact explains why the last men
TONED cruiser was the only one to
come in close to the fort.
BeIIo Keeps His Courage.
Some of the artillery of the fort was
destroyed by the German fire, but
there are still five guns that can be
used. Gen. Bello is a soldier of re-
Inarkable courage and daring. He has
SHOWN great bravery and is in no way
inundated. He will not abandon the
i'r1 but will resist as long as it is
possible for him to do so. He says
mat on Jan. II, the occasion of the
niSl COMMANDMENT, the Panther fired
upon him first without reason and
without provocation.
The report that the biggest of the
tnree attacking vessels was either an
L"sIsh or an italian ship is untrue.
- Is known that all three vessels are
German.
Inc Venezuelan gunboat Miranda is
~ Lake Maracaibo. 1t was doubtless
'"e intention of the Panther, in try
,''s 10 pass the fort and get into the
-'Ae' to capture this vessel. The pas
age over the bar that leads into the
axe Is narrow and the fort commands
y, Gen. Bello is confident that he can
A'iN the Panther. if she attempts to
SCI by with the fire of the five guns
mat remain to him.
"ednesday night passed without in
NAAElt, and