The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-19
SUNK BY A WAR SHIPS SHOT.
WILD STORY OF ANOTHER OUT
RAGE orr CUBA.

AeEN|ANG IN OAAlNAal AEtAs-N a.
Washington-The Captain OF the
Alliance Denies That He Lowered
Launch on Cuba.
Havana. March 1S-The commander of
the Spanish cruiser Condo de Venadito
reports that on March s. while cruising
off the eastern coast Of the island. he
sighted steamer heading for Point Mast
The steamers course was to the north
east. The cruiser hoisted flag and the
steamer replied by raising an English flag.
The cruiser signalled the steamer to stop.
but without effect As the steamer pro-
ceeded at full speed the cruiser first fired
two blank shots and then two solid shots.
The commander says he did not desire to
hit the steamer. but merely to cause her to
heave to. He asserts that the steamer
was but one and a half miles OF the
Cuban coast when the firing occurred.
The authorities have ordered that a full
inquiry be made into the commanders
acts. Judging from Capt. CHEESEMAN'S
story nobody can doubt that the steamer
in question was the Anianaca. which was
fired on by a Spanish cruiser on March s.
Nothing has been heard here to confirm
the rumor that the gunboat Alsedo has
sunk an American schooner. The ruTnor
is regarded as utterly unfounded in fact.
New York, March ia special dis
patch to the Herald from Key West, Fla,
says: Passengers on the steamer which
arrived from Havana Saturday night
brought news Of reports in circulation
there Of further depredations by Spanish
cruisers on American vessels along the
Cuban coast. The latest report is to the
effect that the Spanish gunboat Arcedo
fired into and sunk an American schooner
off Puerto del Padre. 1t is reported that
the crew of the vessel, numbering sixteen
persons, persisted with it. 1t is not known
whether the schooner had arms or carried
an expedition for the Cubans.
1t is reported O. in Havana that the
schooner had sailed from Key West.
Inquiries, however, failed to show that
any boat is missing or unreported except
those engaged IN legitimate trade. Many
sailed recently for West Indian ports with
fruit cargoes.
Puerto del Padre is a point on the
northeast coast Of Cuba, In latitude q II
north, longitude 16 AZ west. 1t has a long
anu narrow entrance ana aUOruS an GN
cellent anchorage"
When a reporter called on Capt Cross
man of the steamer Alliance this fore
noon and showed him a dispatch from
Tampa, Fla, telling how the passengers
on the steamer Olivette, from Havana
had heard that there was a semi-official
report current there that steam launch
had been seen leaving the Alliance by the
Spanish war vessel, the captain said en-
phatically: 1T is an Internal lie. / have
no steam launch and never had one. neither
did ] see steam launch on my trip from
Colon. IL the Spanish people have seen
steam launch as reported. they certainly
would have seen the gunboat that fired
on us and would, of course have known
what gunboat it was, but they pretend
not to know what Spanish war vessel
fired on us. In my opinion they certainly
do know what vessel was stationed on the
east coat of the island OF Cuba and, of
course, that is the vessel that chased us.
1t is a contemplate lie, for Spanish officials
to say that we lowered a steam launch
or received a steam launch or any other
kind of launch from the shore of Cuba"
The Ward Line steamer Seguranca,
Capt. Hoffman, which arrived to-day
from Havana, brings no news of the
Alliance affair. Some of the passengers
had heard Of the firing by cable from New
York, but there was apparently but lit
tie credence placed in the stories of Span
ish insult and outrage. There was moth
ing to be learned in regard to the re-
ported sinking Of an American schooner
and the loss of sixteen lives.
One of the passengers stated that the
province of Santiago de Cuba was still
in state of partial instruction and that
insignificant skirmishes were common be-
tween the mobs and the soldiers.
Washington. March lS.-Ramon Will
liams, United States consul general at
Havana, telegraphed the state depart
ment to-day that the Spanish government
had acceded to the contention of this gov
| ernment that Sanguilly. a naturalized
American citizen arrested IN Cuba as a
! revolutionist shall be tried by a civil
tribunal and not by court martial. The
| United States contended that according
to our treaty with Spain, American cit
I liens accused of implication in revolu-
tionary plots shall be tried by the civil
courts if they are captured without arms.
on their persons. Sanguilly is accused
! by the revolutionists of being a spy and
they have threatened to deal hardly with
him If he is set at liberty.
For few hours to-day matters con-
nected with the Spanish incident were in
a most ambiguous state. Early this morn
ing one of the confidential officials Of the
state department gave out what was char
acterized as IAN authoritative denial of
]
had made answer to Secretary Gresham
protest and demand for an apology in
connection with the alleged indignsty
offered the Alliance Just before ! O'Clock
however. Secretary Gresham told a re-
porter that he would neither affirm nor
deny the story that Spain had replied.
and he went on to say that he had made
no statement that would indicate that
an answer had been received. These re-
marks by Secretary Gresham place the
first denial in a new light and leave the
matter in a state of uncertainty so far as
the public IS concerned.
After the denial had been made this
morning and before Secretary Gresham
had made his statement, officials of the de-
partment said it was not strange that no
answer had been received from the Span
ish government. They explained that the
department did not expect an answer so
early, despite Secretary Gresham's de-
mand for prompt" redress, for the rea-
son that It would take some time to as
certain the facts in the matter from the
Spanish point of view. To quote one OF
those who talked Of the matter, 1T is a
long way from Madrid to Havana and
from Havana to Cape Maysi, and thence
back to Havana, and from Havana to