New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-13

provinces Of Cuba. and that gunooats were u us
ing along the eastern coast in order TO prevent
the landing Of filibusters.
In consequence Of this took particular pains
to keep off my ordinary course. About ':lo .he
Spaniard set his colors at the mizzen peak. and l
set at the jackstaH over the taHraii anu
dlpped them three times He set his again and
again I set ours and dipped them, simply as a
matter of extra courtesy. let the colors fly for
a while, and then took them In. The Spanlard
kept on following IN course then suddenly
waved and fred blank shot At the same time
the smoke began TO pour from his funnel, and
the water to pile up about his bows, showing that
he was going at full speed. little while after
ward he began to fire steadily. sending three solid
shot but they all went wild and fell short of US.
The chief officer remarked that II they had been
firing at ANYTHING else on earth they might have
hit US.
no REASON FOR STOPPING.
"I couldn't see any reason why he could stop
me on the high seas II II had been one Of our
men-of-war 7 might have stopped. as he might
have wanted to send some mail, or would have
stopped II he had been in distress always. But
if he wanted to talk with powder and shot, he'd
have 10 catch us first lie waved each time he
fired so as to get us In range. He had no bow
chaser.
"If had been within one marine length OF
shore | would have stopped my ship But
wasn't. and he had no right to stop me. we
were going along at our'usual speed or thirteen
knots when we met the gunboat, and we Kept II
up Although he fired up. he couldn't make more
than about eleven and one-half knots, and we
slowly dropped him Gstern.
II suppose he wanted to show the authority
and prestige Of n Spanish warship. but time Is
and ha
waste on gunboats Any one with half the eye
Of a seaman could see that this was an ordinary
passenger steamer with awnings spread fore and
aft lust going along about our business. He set
no signals until we were far away that we
couldn't read them. II may be that the snip was
a new one on that station One thing that makes
II look that way was that the snip was painted
black. and her bottom seemed very clean. They
always paint their ships that station white
The gunboat which fired on us was about the
size OF the Yorktown of our Navy. one OF 'he
solid shots the Spaniard fired came within
quarter of a mile of us. The last saw OF the
gunboat the black smoke was rolling from her
tunnels"
WHERE THE GJNBOAT WAS CONSIGNED
one Of the officers Of the Aanca said that
when the gunboat beg'n TO fire ne said to the
captain: There is that Spanish gunboat hring
on us: 10 which the captain replied that 'he
Spanish gunboat might proceed without de-
lay to the internal regions, and ordered the snip
to be kept on her course.
The purser of the Alllanca. W. H. Churchi!l'
said that nearly all the people on the steamer
were up and about the decks when the Spanish
gurboat was sighted He said the American en-
sign was hoisted and dipped twice as salute
10 the Spanish vessel He thought that one Oh
the shots fired fell about an eighth or niIe
from the steamer, and the other TWO Gouiu pe
plainly they struck the water Inc sho,
ina, zane nearest was a good line shot. and
would have played havoc with the Aiiahca II
It had struck her. All the officers OF the vessei
yesterday expressed their indignation AT the ac,
ton OF the Spanish gunboat, and corrooorated
the captains story of the affair -.
At the Office OF the Panama Railroad. when
coupanv operates the Columbian line, EDWARD
\ Drake the secretary Of the corporation, SAID
we have made no representations TO the oroV-
ernment regarding the firing on our steamer
The letter OF Captain Crossman states the case
The captain IS quite sure OF his rights IN the
premises but he though, It best to get iormal
statement from the Secretary or state we
shall do nothing further al present IL We
make any representatons Il VIII be IN the nature
of a communication from General Newton sup
Elementary to Captain Crossmans letter we
an ali continue q send ships oyer the usual
course and have no doubt but that the Govern
ment will protect us. We had steamer sail
from here for Colon yesterday. She VIII go
through the Windward fassase' nope "i'nout
mo'estttiOn
THE SPANISH CoNst'L CONFIDENT.
rh. Spanish Consul. Antonio Baldasano. when
Informed by n Tribune reporter of the firing on
the Allianca said: Il have no doubt that the
captain Of the Spanish gunboat knew what he
v,s about and that If he fred on the Allianca
he WAS quite within the province OF his duty
All our naval officers are well versed In inter
national law and would not violate It,.
In shipping circles the news or the hring on
the Allianca was the one subject of conversa-
lion i'm the afternoon. II ships flying the Ameri-
can flag cannot ply between the United states
and the ports of the West indies and central
and South America without being hred on oy
Spnnish men of war the situation becomes serl-
Gus ON her last trip 10 this port the Ward
Line steamer Santiago was escorted out OF the
harbor OF Santiago de Cuba by spanish man
of-war. which kept close TO her until she was
three miles on shore.
The officers OF the Allianca are James \.
Crossman captain Benjamin Corning. first Off
Ger: T. w Russell. second officer; n w Now
bray third officer: w. H. Churchill, purser; \. ;.
Jussen. assistant purser: DR.. f.. /" kingman'
surgeon AMI W. \. Moriarty, chief engineer
Captain Crossman was captain OF the steamer
Vigilancia I'm the now defunct United States and
Brazil Mail steamship Company. He was cap
tain OF the America when she went down to Bra
I'll In the service Of that Government while Mello
and Da Cana were conducting their naval re-
belion The Alanca belonged To the detunct
Rrazn Mail line. and. with the other vessels or
the line IL now owned by the standard on COM
parry being chartered to the Columbian Line
MIR. GRESHAM NOT READY TO TALK.
rE IS WAITING FOR a DETAILED REPORT FROM
CAPTAIN CROSS MAN-sPAIN WILL BE