The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-16
REPLY TO ,IURUAGA.
Officers of the AIlianca Confirm Cdp-
tain Crossman.s story

NEW YORK, March 15-Although Senor
Muruaga, the Spanish minister at Wash
ington, says that the story of Spanish
man-of-war having fired on the AlIianca
of the Colombian line, looks like sea
serpent story, the officers of the ship when
seen this afternoon by a reporter were
very emphatic in their denunciations of the
attack. First Officer Benjamin Corning.
who was in charge of the Ship described
the attack made on the American steamer
by the Spanish man-of-war. 'It does not
matter" said he, what the Spanish min
lister may think, but | can tell you this
is no fish story. The Allianca was about
three leagues off shore at $3.50 on the morn
ing of March s, and Cape Maysi was abeam
I was not the officer on deck, as Mr.. Rus
sell was on the bridge the captain was
looking around. 1 was attending to the
cleaning up of the ship and the men We're
swabbing the decks when my attention was
attracted to a ship heading out from the
land. When she was about three miles off
we hoisted our ensign and dipped it three
times and the oncoming steamer answered
with a similar salute. Shortly afterward 1
recognized her to be Spanish man-of-war
as she was flying the national colors. We
kept on our course, however, which was a .
little further off land than usual, being
fully three leagues from the shore I was
standing aft when we signaled, and was
very much surprised when the war ship
opened fire on us The first three shots
We're evidently blanks, as l saw no shells
touch the water.
First officer Corning warmed up as he
detailed the story of the firing and said:
Nov, mind you, we did not SLOW up; not
bit. but we kept right on our way After
firing the three blanks the Spanish boat
was was h in oar wake ike ba9 about t three m miles OFF
as to get her guns to bear on us. Then she
fired three shots at intervals of a quarter
four hundred yards our starboard quar-
ter, and the third one similar distance
did not like the missiles. and we soon
showed the Spanish skipper clean pair of
hee IN m less st tnah ah an an tho houS afteF tne
she sesmed to be sulking at not being able
to bring us TO standstill
There is no truth in the statement pub
lished in some newspapers that on our
future voyages we are going to be armed,
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
morning on the day of the outrage until
sundown. This is erroneous for after we
could only see the smoke of the Ailsa as
she was hull down, not even spar to be
seen. This was $3.50 a. M. and we only
$50 in the evening when we were going
by Fortune island
following account of the occurrence: I'VE
were coming up rapidly with Cape Maysi,
the land, apparently heading out towards
us. We We're then we'll off shore. AS We
went along / noticed the oncoming steamer
kept shifting her course triie as If to
intercept us and ! notified Captain Cross
man of that fact. He came UP the
bridge and we concluded the steamer was
Spanish gunboat our course at that time
was north by northeast. The Spanlard
kept standing up toward the ship, but we
attention q
hoisted her flag. We then returned the
SALUTE by p d,pping ;nd our nag Tag three times, The
we hauled our flag down. but as the Span
lard again dipped his ensign We responded
flag three times going steadily along about
our Business the ship making good
following in our wake, being nearly three
miles astern of us, but coming lively
as he f e9S he uasng ny the the smoke pouring
| pitching into the seas. After the gunboat
| had been in pursuit of US for about three
| quarters OF an hour / noticed her yaw of.
Then l saw the flash of gun and the re-
| port soon reached our ears. A few min
| utes later this maneuver was repeated, and
| the Spaniard sent three solfd shots afer US
| at intervals of about five minutes. They all
| struck within "A quarter of mile of the
Allianca, dropping astern, two on the star
board quarter and one on the port could
| not tell at the time whether the Spaniard
meant to hit us whether he merely
| trying to scare us off shore. When the first
gun was nred IL was snOfIly alter O'CLOCK.
Third Officer Mowbray said: II saw the
| three shots that the Spanard fired after Hs,
| the first OF which was a fair line shot
! and all OF them struck within quarter or
| a mile of vessel. They were very good
! shots, indeed-if they had gone far enough.
| 1t occurred TO me at the time that the
| Spanish officers really wanted us to stop:
| 1t more for rhe purpose OF varying the
monotony of their life, with the added mo-
| tive of drinking a bottle two OF wine
! with us and getting some fresh meat ana
| ice, which is rarity with them. and they
! were aware that We always carried good
| the possible results o. the affair struck me
| and then | realized that II was much
1 thought. 1 relieved MIR. Russell at ) a. M,
| and when ! went on the bridge the gunhoat
WAS well astern. but still coming after us.
Shortly after this the Captain asked me II
| we were still dropping the Spaniard. l re-
piled in the affirmative. About 4. m. the
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