Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-01-29
FORT BOMBARDED.
German Warships Shell San
Carlos, Venezuela.
Fort Is Badly yDamaged-TyveIve Vene-
zuelan Soldiers Killed and Fifteen
Others Seriously Wounded
Village of San Carlos Par
TALLY Destroyed.


warships, supposed to be the Panth-
er, Vineta and Fake, began shelling
Fort San Carlos at 10:3O o'clock
Wednesday morning. The fort re
turned the fire.
At 1 o'clock in the afternoon an
explosion occurred apparently in the
fort and cloud of smoke covered
part of the ramparts. A number of
Indian fishermen were intercepted
fleeing from the direction Of the fort
in their dugout canoes. They report
ed that the smoke seen was from the
burning village of San Carlos, which
had been shelled 10y the German ships
and was in flames.
Maracaibo, Jan. 23.-The bombard:
ment OF Fort San Carlos by the Ger
man cruisers Vineta, Panther and
Fake was resumed Thursday at day
break. The first shells were hurled
at the fort at o'clock, at long range.
At o'clock the Panther, being of
light draught, closed in and again be-
came actively engaged The fort re-
Piled. At o'clock the engagement
was proceeding as tiercely as on
Wednesday.
The Panther left her position close
to Fort~San Carlos, which she took
up earlier in the day, Wednesday
afternoon at o'clock and joined the
Fake. This ship was half a mile
outside the bar and about five miles
from the fort. At o'clock the cor
respondent of the Associated Press,
In rowboat, approached one side of
the fort, out of range, and from this
point witnessed the long range fire
of the cruisers, which was continued
from 3 until 6 o'clock The Vineta
and the Fake were close together
and nearer the fort than the Panther.
The first two vessels at a range of
four and half miles poured con-
tinuous rain of shell on the fort and
only stopped firing at dusk. At this
hour the German vessels retired sea-
ward, after having made second in
etfectual attempt to land troops at
the village of San Carlos. situated at
the base of the fort. At o'clock
the correspondent, accompanied by a
government telegrapher bearing tel
egram from President Castro to the
commandant 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 q
fierce engagement.
Twelve dead Venezuelan soldiers
were counted behind the ramparts
and Is other men, seriously wounded,
were lying on low platform. The
fort is literally covered with pieces
of broken shell. 1t was seen that a
great many of the German shells had
not exploded The magazine had
very narrow escape, two shells hav-
ing come within an ace of penetrating
it. The walls of the fort which face
towards the entrance of the lake suf-
fered and were greatly diminished.
1t is estimated by the commandant,
Gen. Bello, that the German ships
fired more than 1000 shells at San
Carlos.
Some of the artillery on the fort
has been destroyed by the German
fire, but there are still five guns that
can be used.
Although the damage inflicted on
the fort by the sustained fire of the
German cruisers is very great, it is
not all that could be expected from
such a continuous fire from modern
high power guns. The village of San
Carlos suffered greatly. The aim of
the German gunners appears to have
been inaccurate, for more than 60
per cent. of their shells exploded in
the village before reaching the fort.
The cannon mounted at San Carlos
have not sufficient range to reach the
Fake and the Vineta, so the fire from
these vessels was not returned, as
they kept out of reach of the Ven
ezuelan artillery.
Berlin, Jan. 24.-Commodore Sche-
der, commander Of the German fleet
In Venezuelan waters, officially re-
ports the bombardment of Fort San
Carlos from Maracaibo under date of
January 81 as follows:
"On the 18th inst, while the
Panther was passing the Maracaibo
bar, she was unexpectedly attacked
by Fort San Carlos, which opened
heavy fire on her. To this the Panth-
er replied and cannonade was ex-
changed for half an hour. Owing to
the difficulties of navigation the
Panther then deSisted.
in order to exact an immediate
punishment for this attack, the more
so as the Venezuelan government had
proclaimed 1t victory, | bombarded
the fort with the Vineta IN the .ist
and destroyed it,"
Maracaibo, Jan. 24.-At 2 o'clock
Friday afternoon Fort San Carlos
was in the possession of the govern
ment forces and the bombardment
by the German warships was still go-
ing on.
There has been no material change
in the situation. The gunboat Panth-
er was the only vessel to come inside
the bar.
Communication with the fort is very
difficult. Great excitement prevails
in Maracaibo.
They Draw the Color Line.
Washington, Jan. 23.-rhe nomina-
tion Of DR.. w +, Crum colored. to