The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-16
THE OFFICERS TALK.
THEY SAY THERE Is No SEA SER
n Irr,

IHEY SAY THERE is NO SEA SER
PENT STORY ABOUT IT.
NEW YORK, March 15.-Although
Senior Murugua, the Spanish Minister at
Washington, says that the story of a
Spanish man-of-war having fired on the
Alliance of the Colombian line looks like a
sea serpent story. The officers of the ship
when seen this afternoon by the Associated
Press reporter were very emphatic in their
denunciations of the attack.
The 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, saying:
at does not matter what the Spanish
Minister may think about it, but can tell
you this is no fish story. The Alliance
was about six leagues off the shore at 5 80
o'clock on the morning of March 8. 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 our ensign and dipped it
three times and the oncoming steamer an
swered with a similar salute. Shortly
afterward l recognized her to be Spanish
man-of-war. except on our course, which
was little farther off land than usual, be-
ing fully three leagues from the shore.
II was standing aft when we signaled
and was very much surprised when the
warship opened fire on us. The first three
shots were evidently blanks, as 1 saw no
shells touch the water"
First Officer Corning warmed up as he
detailed the story of the firing, and said
Now mind you, we did not slow up; not a
bit. We kept right on our way. After
firing the three blank shots the Spanish
boat was in our wake, about three miles
off and she hauled her hold to the leeward
SO as to bring her guns TO bear on US,
when she fired three shots at intervals OF
quarter of an hour. Two OF the shells
dropped 400 yards on our starboard quarter
and they landed the third similar dis
tance on our port quarter. Wekept going,
and we soon showed the Spanish skipper
a clean pair of heels.
sin 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 US to a standstill. There is no truth
i'll the statement that on our future voy-
ages we are going to be armed, as there is
no necessity for our doing Sc, for we can
run away from any Spanish warship afoat.
can officer Of the Atlas steamship Ailsa
has made an assertion that that steamer
had rs in sight from early morning on the
day of the outrage until sundown. This is
| erroneous, for when we had outstripped
the Spanish warship we could only see the
smoke of the Ailsa, as she was hull down,
not even a spar to be seen. This was 80
A NJ, and we only discerned her identity
as we passed her at $50 P. NJ. on the even
ing when we were going in Fortune Inlet -
Second Officer Russell and Third Officer
Mobray each detailed the occurrences, cor
roborating the statement of Officer Corn
ing, but giving no new facts.
Captain Crossman of the steamship AL
lianca left the steamer to-day, complain
ing of illness. 1t is said at the offices of
the Panama Railway Company the ulti-
matum of Secretary Gresham, demanding
an apology of Spain, was probably the Off
cial answer to Captain Crossman' affidavit,
and that dispatch sent to Mr.. Gresham
by the president of the company Wednes-
day evening informed the Secretary of
State that ten of the eompany's vessels
passed through the Windward Passage
monthly: that one would be off Cape
Maysia northbound tomorrow, and an
other pass there Sunday, and that regard
for life and property urged the adoption of
some immediate measure to compel Spain
to prevent any additional outrages.