The San Francisco call. [volume], April 29, 1898, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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VOLUME LXXXIII.-NO. 150.
MANY KILLED AT MATANZAS
THE CITY ALMOST RUINED
BY THE AMERICAN GUNS
Engagement at the Mouth oF Matanzas Bay on Wednesday Last Between the American War Vessels New York,
lincinnati and Puritan and the Spanish Forts on Both Sides of the Entrance, in Which the Latter
Were Entirely Silenced, With a Loss of 100 Men.
HAD ORDERS TO
RETURN THE FIRE
OF SPAIN'S GUNS
Rear-Admiral Sampson Knew
What He Was Doing When He
Silenced the Batteries at
Matanzas.
NEW YORK, April 28.— A Washington special to the Herald says:
Hostile shots from American gun 3 will hereafter reply to the barring
of Spanish weapons mounted on the fortifications of Cuban ports
other than Havana. It was in accordance with instructions giving
him discretionary authority to return the fire of Spanish batteries
that Rear-Amiral Sampson bombarded yesterday the fortifications of
Matanzas. These instructions were formulated by the Naval War Board
and approved by Secretary Long.
Spain can blame herself for the destruction of the Matanzas bat
teries. Had the guns at that point not fired upon the torpedo-boat
Foote while she was steaming along the coast the bombardment might
never have occurred.
Rear-Admiral Sampson reported several days ago that the Foote
was fired on by a masked battery. The Cincinnati, hearing the boom
of guns, went at once to her aid, but Captain Chester, believing the or
ders of the department did not permit him to return the fire, simply
directed the Foote to get out oi range.
Bear-Admiral Sampson's report was at once referred to the War
Board, which gave him this:
"With the exception of those in Havana you are
given discretionary authority to return the fire of
any Spanish batteries. Keep your vessels out of
range of Havana guns until further orders."
Secretary Long announced at the close of office hours this after
noon that he had received no official report from Sampson. The Her
ald's magnificent description of the bombardment was received with
the greatest interest by American authorities, and in lieu of official re-
ports was regarded as most interesting.
It as the expectation of the department thai. Rear-Amiral Sampson
telegraph to-night or to-morrow, and his report will be at once
laid before the War Board. The intelligence officers on board the ships
which participated in the fighting will be required to give in a3 much
detail as possible the result of the bombardment, in order that the
War Board may determine its effect upon the plan they are preparing.
Profound ignorance is professed by the authorities as to the rea
son of Admiral Sampson's reconnoissance in Matanzas harbor, but they
say he must have desired to retaliate for the firing on the Foote and
also to destroy the batteries which were being erected for the protection
of the port-
THE FIRST BATTLE OF THE WAR.
The San Francisco Call
SHAFTER WILL
LEAD AN ARMY
OF OCCUPATION
Fifteen Thousand American Reg
ulars Will Be Landed in Cuba
Next Week, Probably at
NEW YORK, April 28.— A Washington special to the Herald
says : Brigadier-General William R. Shafter armed in Washington
last night and spent the day in consultation with officials of the War
and Navy Departments with regard to the expedition which he is to
lead to Cuba as soon as possible. It has been determined to land
next week a body of 15,000 regulars at a port to be decided
upon as available from the point of view of naval and military expe
diency.
It has been understood until to-day that the port to be selected
would be Bah/a Honda or one of the other harbors to the eastward of
Havana and outside the trocha.
The Herald's news of the reduction of the batteries at Matanzas
by Admiral Sampson's fleet may, however, materially affect the plans
of the War Department, and the possibility of Matanzas being made
the base of the first land operations was considerably discussed here
to-day.
The troops to compose this expedition will be the four regiments
now at New Orleans under command of Colonel Overshine, the infan
try brigade under Colonel Van Horn at Chickamauga and General Wade's
command at Tampa.
The port at which these troops will be embarked is not yet de
cided upon, but General Wade's division will undoubtedly set out di
rectly from Tampa and the other forces will be transported from either
New Orleans, Mobile or Pensacola.
General Shaffer will garrison the ports on the northern coast of
Cuba as fast as they are reduced, and will establish communication
with the insurgents under Generals Maceo and Gomez. He will also
take with him a large and efficient force of commissaries, who will
arrange for the transportation and distribution of supplies to the re
concentrados.
SAN FRANCISCO, FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 1898.
Matanzas.
ALL CUBA NOW
IS AT THE MERCY
OF SAMPSON'S FLEET
All Who Can Get Away Leaving Manila
Before the Coming of Dewey's
Squadron.
General Shatter Will Lead the Army of Occupa
tion That Is to Be Thrown Into the
Pearl of the Antilles Next
Week.
Copyright, 1898, by James Gordon Bennett.
HAVANA (via Kingston, Jamaica), April 28. — The
shelling of Matanzas yesterday by the American squadron
caused much damage to the city. Many were killed
and wounded. One-quarter of the town is said to be
ruined.
THE EXODUS FROIJE PHILIPPINES.
WASHINGTON, April 28— The Navy Department does not ex
pect news from Admiral Dewey and the Pacific squadron before
Saturday.
LONDON, April 29.. — The Hongkong correspondent of the Daily Mail, telegraphing
Thursday, says : "There are no advices from Manila as to the whereabouts of the Amer
ican fleet. Large sums are being paid by people anxious to leave Manila.
'The strictly neutral attitude hitherto observed by the public toward the Hispano-
American dispute has been changed by the absurd proclamation of the Governor of the
Philippines, and public opinion is now favorable to the United States.
"The China Mail says : 'The proclamation will go far to alienate the last vestiges of
sympathy for the Spaniards,' and the Daily Press says : 'English sympathy is naturally
on the side of America.' "
According to a dispatch from Singapore to the Daily Mail the French steamer
Saigon and the Spanish steamer Espano have arrived there from Manila, both crowded
with refugees.
THE GUNS OF SAMPSON'S FLEET
FIRED AT MATANZAS' BATTERIES
WERE HEARD AROUND THE WORLD
Copyrighted, IS9B, by James Gordon Bennett.
ON BOARD the Herald-Call
dispatch-boat Somers N. Smith,
Key West., Fla., April 28.— That
rare and almost unheard-of thing,
an exclusive report of bombard
ment, has been accomplished by
the Herald-Call without any ef
fort of an unusual character on
the part of its war correspond
ents.
The Herald-Call's cMs
patch boat Somers N.
Smith is sharing with the
lucky ships of the fleet the
honors of the day.
The navy is delighted that the
Herald has scored so handsomely,
because the Herald is the navy's
favorite newspaper, and wherever
naval officers have gone to-day
the Herald's correspondents have
been congratulated on their mag
nificent "beat."
It was not luck that gave the
Herald-Call this long lead of all
contemporaries. It was merely
the pursuit of a systematic plan of
campaign.
While rivals called in their
pickets from the blockading fleet
the Herald-Call continued all ef
forts, despite the discomforts that
the hellish commotion in the gulf
stream causes occupants of small
boats, and the day the Matanzas
batteries were peppered saw both
of the Herald-Call's dispatch
boats with the fleet.
One boat, the Albert F. De'vey,
came into Key West to bring the
routine news and get coal, while
the Somers N. Smith, the pride
of the Pensacola pilots, whose
boat she is, remained on guard.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
When the flagship went
to Matanzas the Somers
N. Smith followed her.
The correspondents on board
had no intimation from the ad
miral or any one else that he
contemplated firing a shot that
would be heard around the world.
1 had a long conversation with
Admiral Sampson just before the
flagship started, and no hint fell
from his lips that the powerful
blockade might be broken.
So that it was a fair fiela for
all newspapers, and the Herald
was lucky enough to be in at the
death.
After the engagement the Her
ald-Call boat offered to bring in
the admiral's dispatches, and
waited with the flagship tor let
ters from all the ships engaged,
and for Richard Harding Davis*