the new earthworks near
Morro Castle. Orders had been given that no shots should be thrown into El
Morro, because of the fact that Lieutenant Hobson and his crew were
imprisoned there.

The fleet continued the bombardment without moving from the stations
originally taken. It was the _Iowa_ which opened the action with a 12-inch
shell, and the skill of the gunners was shown by the shower of stone which
spouted up from the base of the Estrella battery. As if this shot was the
signal agreed upon, the other vessels of the fleet opened fire, the enemy
answering promptly but ineffectively.

Very quickly were the shore-batteries silenced by the _Brooklyn_ and the
_Texas_. Estrella Fort was soon on fire; the Catalina battery gave up the
struggle in less than an hour, and the _Vixen_ and _Suwanee_ engaged with
some light inshore works, speedily reducing them to ruins. Until nine
o'clock the bombardment continued without interruption, and then the
American fire ceased until the ships could be turned, in order that their
port batteries might be brought into play.

One hour more, that is to say, until ten o'clock, this terrible rain of
iron was sent from the fleet to the shore, and then on the flag-ship was
hoisted the signal: "Cease firing."

The American fleet withdrew absolutely uninjured,--not a ship had been hit
by the Spaniards nor a man wounded.

On board the Spanish ship _Reina Mercedes_, a lieutenant and five seamen
had been killed, and seventeen wounded; the vessel was set on fire no less
than three times, and otherwise seriously damaged by the missiles. Near
about Morro Castle, although none of the American guns were aimed at that
structure, two were killed and four wounded, while on Smith Cay great
havoc was wrought.

Admiral Cervera made the following report to his government:

"Six American vessels have bombarded the fortifications at Santiago and
along the adjacent coast.

"Six were killed and seventeen were wounded on board the _Reina Mercedes_;
three officers were killed and an officer and seventeen men were wounded
among the troops.

"The Americans fired fifteen hundred shells of different calibres. The
damage inflicted upon the batteries of La Socapa and Morro Castle were
unimportant. The barracks at Morro Castle suffered damage.

"The enemy had noticeable losses."

_June 8._ Nearly, if not quite, twenty-seven thousand men were embarked at
Tampa for Santiago on the eighth of June, under the command o