The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-03-16
Chief Officer of the AIliancia
Talks of the Attack
HE SALUTED THE SPANIARD
Dipping of the American Flag Answered
With Shot
The 0unboat Gave Chase and Fired at the Mat
Steamer--The Yankee Swift
Vessel

New York, March 15.-Although Seno
Muraga, the Spanish Minister at Wash
ington, says that the story of a Spanish
sman of war having fired on the Alliances
OF the Columbian line, looks like sea ser
pent story, the officers of the ship whel
seen this afternoon by the Associated
Press correspondent were very emphatic
in their denunciation of the attack.
The first officer, Benjamin Corning
who was in charge of the ship, described
the attack made ON the American steam
er by the Spanish man of war saying
1T does not matter what the Spanish
Minister may think about it, but can tel
you this is no fish story.
The Alliancia was about six leagues of
the shore at $3.50 on the morning o.
March Sth. | was not the officer of the
deck, as Mr.. Russell was on the bridge
and the Captain was looking around.
When about three miles off we hoisted oul
ensign, and dipped it three times and
the oncoming steamer answered it with a
similar salute. Shortly afterwards
re ,ognized her as a Spanish man of war.
We kept on our course, which was little
further off land than usual. being fully
three leagues from the shore.
g l was standing aft when we saluted
ship opened fire on us. The first three
shots were evidently blanks, as l saw no
shell touch the water. -
First Officer Corning warmed up as he
detailed the story of the firing, and said I:
Now, mind you, we did not slow up;
not bit. We kept on our way. After fir
ing the three blank shots the Spanish
boat was in our wake, about three miles
off, and she hauled to the leeward, so as
TO let her guns bear on us. Then she fired
three shots at inervals of a quarter of an
hour. Two of the shells dropped 400 yards
on our starboard quarter. and they land
ed the third a similar distance on our
port quarter. We kept going and we soon
showed the Spanish skipper clean pair
of heels.
In less than an hour after the fusillade
we lost sight of the Spaniard. and she
seemed to be sulking at not being able
to bring lis to standtstill. There is no
truth in the statement that on our future
voyages we are going to be armed, as
there is no necessity for our doing so, for
we can run away from any Spanish war
ship afioat.
AN officer OF the Atlas steamship
Ailsa has made an assertion that that
steamer had us in sight from early morn
ing on the day of the outrage until SUM-
down. This is erroneous, for whe wen had
outstripped the Spanish warship we could
only see the smoke OF Jne AllSa, as Sne
was hull down, not even spar to be
seen. This was 8 30 a. m. and we only
discerned her identity as we passed her
at 8 80 o'clock in the evening, when we
were going in Fortune Inlet. "
Second Officer Russell and Third Officer
Mobray each detailed the occurrences
corroboratng the statement of Officer
Corning, but giving no new facts.
New York, March 15.-Captain Cross
man of the steamship Alliancia left the
steamer today complaining of illness.
1t was said at the offices of the Panama
Railway Company that the ultimatum of
Secretary Gresham demanding an apology
of Spain was probably the official answer
to Captain Crossman's affidavit, and that
a dispatch sent to Mr.. Gresham by the
President of the company Wednesday
evening informed the Secretary of State
that ten of the company's vessels passed
through Windward passage monthly; that
one would be off Cape Maysia north
bound tomorrow and an other pass there
Sunday, and that regard for life and
urged the adoption of some i'm
mediate measure to compel Spain to pre-
vent any additional outrages.