Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-27
May Be Destroyed.


before being published.
May Be Destroyed.
The first official report of the bonn
bardment of Fort San Carlos arrived
mander Fake dated Willemstad, Isle
of Cuarcoa January %, saying that he
had received information from Mara
caibo that Fort San Carlos had been
shelled and set on fire by the Vineta
destroyed.
Panther Fired First.
The Lokal Anzeiger says it has re-
ceiyed information to the effect that
Commodore Scheder reports that Fort
San Carlos was fired on by the Pan
Their first as the cruiser was feeling its
way into the inner harbor of the chan
mel.
Has Not Surrendered.
Caracas, Jan. 23.-The report that
the German warship Panther has en-
tered Lake. Maracaibo and that the
Venezuela cruiser Miradna has sur
rendered to her, is believed to be with
out foundation.
Story of the Bombardment.
Maracaibo, Jan. pa correspond
ent who visited the fort just after the
warships had retired describes the
bombardment and lrs effect as follows:
1.-The German ships appeared off
San Carlos early Wednesday morning
and open fire on the fort at long
range. At first the Panther came
close in, but at 8 o'clock in the after,
noon retired to the position occupied
by the Vineta and the Fake. The
three warships were then firing at a
range of four and one-half miles. All
o'clock they retired, after having
made a second Intellectual attempt tc
land marines on the village OF San
Carlos.
"At Z o'clock Wednesday evening
accompanied by government teleg
rapher bearing telegram from Presi
dent Castro to the commandant of Sar
Carlos, landed on the island and en-
tered the fort. The walls of the fort
are terribly battered and there were
many evidences of the fierce engage
ment.
Calls on Militia.
Maracaibo, Venezuela, Jan. 90
President Aranguren of the state o.
Maracaibo has by decree called tt
arms all citizens from 16 to 60 year!
of age belonging to the militia, in or
der to resist the possible landing O
German forces at Lake Maracaibo
About 500 men Immediately answered
the call.
Hopes for Settlement.
In the reichstag today Foreign Sec
rotary Won Richthofen expressed TIL,
hope that the Venezuelan difficultie
would soon be settled. He said: 9TH
negotiations at Washington, it il
hoped, will show an early result, ren
dering it possible to raise the block
ade. AS long as the blockade exists
however, respect for it must be en-
forced. Action against Maracaib,
was taken for this purpose"
Twelve Venezuelans Dead.
twelve dead Venezuelan soldier
were counted behind the ramparts, AN
fifteen other men, seriously wounde
were lying on low platform.
''The fort is literally covered wit
pieces of broken shells. 1t was see
p IlldL u great Ildly GSIludll SuellS I'D
not exploded The magazine had
narrow escape, two shells having com
within an ace of penetrating it. TIL
walls II the fort which face toward
the, eAtrance of the lake suffered pa
tic 3arly and were greatly damaged.
1T is estimated by the commander
Gen. Bello, that the German ships fire
more than 1000 shells at Fort Sa
Carlos.
Cruisers Damaged.
although the damage inflicted upo
the fort by the sustained fire of til
German cruisers is very great. it
not all that could be expected fro
such a continuous fire from model
high power guns. The village of Sa
Carlos suffered greatly The aim of II
German gunners appears to have bee
inaccurate for more than 60 per Gel
of their shells exploded in the villas
s before reaching the fort.
The cannon mounted at San Carlt
have not sufficient range to reach IL
Fake and Vineta, SO the fire fro
these vessels was not returned,
they kept out of reach of the Ven
zuelan artillery. The Vineta and FAN
are OF too great draft to cross the ba
The Panther alone can do this. al