In Eighteen Minutes

The first week of the war closed with the first engagement in which three American ships, the eruisers New York and Cincinnati and the monitor Puritan silenced the batteries of Matanzas in just 18 minutes. Matanzas is the second city of Cuba and is about sixty miles trom Havana. The fortifications here were beipg greatly strengthened by the Spaniards and when the three vessels of our navy on Monday steamed within range of the shore batteries, while reconnoitering in force for the purpose of locating the Spanish defenses, the batteries at Point Rubal Caya and Point Maya guarding the harbor, opened fke upon them. The New York replied, firing her forward 8-inch gun on the port side. She steamed boldly in between the batteries, and soon blazed away with both broadsides at them. The range was quickly reduced from four miles td a m;le and a quarter and at the closer range every shot from the men of war took effect with apparently great effect. The last shot from the Puritan evidently entirely demolished the last Spanish gun flred. The ships fired 86 shots and the Spanish 25. Not one of the Spanish shots hit a ship, so not an American was injured. The Spanish admit a loss of 160 killed. The battle took place about 1 o'clock yesterday af ternoon. It was short and decisive. The batteries were silenced in 18 minutes. : The last shot fired by the Spanish carne from Point Kubal Caya. The Puritan replied with one of her 12-inch guns. This shell struck the battery with wonderful accuracy and blew up a portion of it. Af ter waiting in vaiD for the Spanish to renew the engagement the ships withdrevv, leaving both batteries in Tuins. The taking oï prizes by the Key West lleet still continúes, the steamer Guido with 60.000 specie on board was captured by the Terror yesterday. The Panama with four 14-pound guns was captured by the little Mangrove. Over a dozen Spanish steamers have now been captured, while but one American vessel, the Saranac, is known to have been captured by the Spanish. ltis belieyed that 5,000 regular l'. S, troops will be landed early next week at Matanzas or some other Cuban point for the purpose of landing supplies, both food, guus and ainmunition for the Cubans. It is expected that the first great naval battle will oco.ur at the Phillipine Islands, near Manilla, Admiral üewey having lef t Hong Kong with four crusiers and two gun boats for the Phillipine [slands, where two Spanish crusiers and a dozen small gunboats await him. The natives of the island are in revolt anti if Manilla, fall before Dewey's guns the Spanish have lost the Phillipine Islauds, which with Cuba, constitute their two richest colonies. Two American powder milis have been blown up, one in Calirornia and the other in New Jersey. Suspicious characters had been noticed near them. The latest dispatches this morning state that the Spanish flotilla left the Cape Yerde Islands this morning at 8:30 under sealed orders for an uuknown destination. It is also stated that the Spanish fleet has left the Phillipine Islauds to avoid the fleet of Admiral üewev. If this is true Dewey will storm Manilla. A special News dispatch from Key West this morning speaking of the battle of Mantanzas says: Panic reigns supreme in Mantanzas and the terriñed inhabitants of that unhappy city are fleeingto the interior by hundreds. It was believed by the haughty and arrogant Spaniards that the Puritan, New York and Cincinnati would be easy prey for the shore batteries which were confidently supposed to be invincible to attack from the sea. It was a terrible awakening for them, for only ruins, desolation and death now mark the spot. The Spanish gunners were dismayed by their absolute failure to land a shot, and poor as they are as marksmen they becaine worse as the battle progressed. Uncle Sam's men sent every shell straight to its target. In Havana Capt.-Gen. Blanco is working himself into a fever in trying to minimize the signal victory in order not to alarm the troops. He says it is an inconsequential success at best and only temporary. ' The batteries were rendered utterly useless, the emplacement of one haying been blown clean out, and there is not the remotest possibility of its being remounted. Notwithstanding the frenzied efforts of Blanco to prevent the truth from becoming known it is spreading like wildfire. A reign of terror for Americans in San Juan, Porto Rico, hasbegun on account of Spanish outrages. A telephone message frotn Island liake last evening reported the Ann Arbor boys as all well and in good condition. The army officers to niuster the men into the regular volunteer service have not yet arrived in the camp.