The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-03-15
SPANIARDS' BAD BREAK
Gresham Informed of the Firing
on the Alliance.
CAPTAIN CROSSMAN'S LETTER.
The Spanish Gunboat Had No Right 70
Fire on the American Vessel. Accord
ing To His Explanation such Action
Ju>tifiabIe Only During War

WASHINGTON. March l3. - 4 report
has reached the state department OF the
pursuit of and firing at the American
ship Allianca. off the Cuban coast, by a
SDauish warvesSel The officials pos
itively decline to pass Judgment III
the matter The questions involved are
those touching the right OF search cf
merchant We sSels upon the nigh seas
and on this subject there Is and always
has been great difference OF OPINION
and practice among nations.
In the first place the right OF sedrcn
is strictly belhgerent right, which
means that II cannot usually be used IN
times of peace. In the present case
there has been no declaration OF war by
Spain. no recognition of the belllgerency
of the insurgents and no notice 20 our
government Of the existence OF 4 DlOck-
ade of the Cuban ports by the spanish
naval vessels. Consequently our mer-
chant ships are bound t. assume that
there Is no state OF war ana thaI IheIe
are no belligerents.
The imDressiou here is that the Span
iards had heard Of the fitting out of fill
clustering expeditions IN Central Amer
lea with arms supplied from the United
States, and that III this case they had
reason to suspect that the tlllbustererS
of supplies would be landed by the
American steamship at some pom,
on the Cuban coast. 1t Is admltte
here that the Spanish cruiser mad
the right to satisfy herself IS
to the nationality of the steam
shin. and according to the prlncI-
pies of international law, she III ght
have Signalled and even have safely
gone so far aS to have fired shot across
the bows of the steamship. bat further
than this the cruiser, 1t Is said. was net
justified III doing
Secretary Gresham has received the
letter OF Captain !. A Cros-man, cap
tain of the Allianca. explaining the IN
cident The letter III substance says.
The American mailsteamer AlEanca,
under my command, while on her home
ward -bO1nd voyage from Colon. K G,
to New York, was on the morning Of
March :. Of the coast of Cuba AT $50
O'Clock barkentine rugged steamer was
sighted under the land, steamIEg dl-
rectly for Us. At I:Ij she set her colOrs
proving to be Il Spanish gunboat | i'm
mediately ordered the American ensign
hCisted on the AlIiauca and Saluted the
Spaniards. which salute was duly re
turned by her. / then saIuted once
more and supposed the matter was at
an end.
But. about five minutes later the
Spaniards fred blank cartridge and a
few minutes later another one, followed
shortly afterd by three solid shots. all
of which fell short Gf the Allianca. but
showing very cOnclusively that the
Spaniard was firing at us 1t being
fully six miles off shore and on the high
seas. paid no further attention to the
Spaniards, but kept my course. The
Spaniards kept up the chase. although
gradually dropping astern, for fully p
miles
Il desire to know if the Spaniard has
any right to fire on my ship. with the
possible chance of endangering the
lives of the passengers and crew under
my charge, or 10 compel me TO heave TO
as lie probably intended. respectfully
ask for information on that subject a
did not and do not propose TO
heave to, thereby losing time on my
voyage. to oUllge the Spanish guuboats
d any other. except III case Of distress '