Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-23
SMELLING CONTINUED FOR PANAMA CANAL
German Warships Renew At
 . tack on San Carlos.
TWELVE VENEZUELANS ARE KILLED

Commander of Fort Says More Than
 1,6OO Shells Were Fired-Strange
 Action of Germany Calls Forth
 a General Disapprobation..
 MARACAIBO. Venezuela, Jan. 23.- The bombardment of Fort San Carlos by the German cruisers Vineta, Pan- ther and Fake which was continued Wednesday afternoon until 6 o'clock was resumed again at daybreak. The first shells were hurled at the fort at 4 o'clock at long range. At 6 o'clock the Panther, being of light draft, closed in and again became actively engaged. The fort replied. At 8 a. m. the en- gagement was proceeding as fiercely as ever. ,.1. ~.. .
 Twelve dead and fifteen badly wounded Venezuelan soldiers were counted in the fort at z o'clock Wednes- day night by a press correspondent.
 The Panther left her position close in to Fort San Carlos which she took up earlier in the day Wednesday after noon at o'clock and joined the Falke. This ship was half mile outside the bar and about five miles from the fort.
 At o'clock the correspondent in rowboat approached 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 8 until 6 o'clock. The Vineta and the Falke were close together and nearer the fort than the Panther. The first two vessels at range of four and a half miles poured in continuous rain of shell upon the fort and only stopped firing with the advent of dusk at o'clock. At this hour the German vessels retired seaward, after having made a second intellectual attempt to land troops in the village of San Carlos, situated at the base of the fort
 At ' o'clock Wednesday afternoon the correspondent, who was accompa- nied by government telegrapher bear ing a telegram 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 evi- dences of the fierce engagement.
 Twelve dead Venezuelan soldiers were counted behind the ramparts, and fifteen other men, seriously wounded, were lying on low platform. The fort is literally covered with pieces of bro- ken shells. 1t was seen that a great many of the German shells had not exploded. e'
 The magazine had very narrow es- cape, two shells having come within an ace of penetrating 1t. The walls of the fort which face toward the ens trance of the lake suffered particularly and were greatly damaged. It is esti- mated by the connmandant, General Bello, that the German ships fired more than 1,6OO shells at Fort San Carlos.
 Although the damage inflicted upon 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 pow CT guns. The village of San Carlos suf fered greatly. The aim of the German gunners appears to have been inaccu- rate, 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 those vessels was not returned, as they kept out of reach of the Venezuelan ar tillery. The Vineta and Falke are of too great draft to cross the bar. The Panther alone can do this, and this fact explains why the last mentioned cruiser was the only one to come in close to the fort. - .->----~...