Connecticut western news., 1897-05-13
OUR FLAG INSULTED.
NlcARAeuAN euNeoAT FIRES ON AN
 AMERICAN STEAMSHIP.


  Consular Representative of tho United
 states at Puerto Cortez said to Hay.
 Been shot to peAth-Ths Rover Wa.
 the ship Fired On.
 New Orleans, May i2.-An lnslsnin- cant little gunboat of one of the Gen. tral American republics has put upon the American government a decided af- front. A steamship flying the Ameri- can flag was fired on twice by the gun boat. and chance alone prevented the solid shot from striking her amidships.
 The insult to the flag occurred on the 9th inst. four miles from Puerto cortez. and the fruit steamship Rover was the vessel fired upon. The Rover reached her dock here last night. and the story is told by Captain Reed, her command CT. a gentleman who is well known here and whose veracity ls unauestioned.
 Several days ago news was received here of the conversion into a gunboat of the steam tug Lucy B., owned by the Niceraguan government. Two cannon constituted her equipment. and the ves- gel was manned by 50 banana cutters. whom chance and the will of the Mica raEuan government had suddenly trans formed into men-of-warsmen.
 The Rover left this city on April 3s and reached Puerto Cortez on the morn- ing of the eth inst. Knowing that the port was In state of war. Captain Reed decided not to anchor. and re- mained under steering headway or shore till he could be boarded by the customs officers He saw that the town was in a state of ferment-that is, in- k .E.... N . t..
 and that trouble of some kind was talk ing place.
 Knowing that the government forces were still In possession of omoa, seven miles off, he determined to quit Puerto Corte1 and go to that safer point The Rover had been headed for omoa. and had travelled about four miles of the distance, when Captain Reed noticed the Lucy B. making for his vessel. with the evident intention of heading her on. He instructed his engineer 10 stand by to stop the Rover's engines at the nrpt signal and awaited developments, in- tending to lay by the Lucy R. and get from her officers an idea of the trouble at Puerto Cortez.
 Rover Fired on Twice. Suddenly, when the Lucy B. was over half a mile from the Rover. she was seen to fire a solid shot across the Row CTS bow. At once the signal to stop the engines was received, but before the or der could be executed another pun of smoke from the Lucy B. told of the fir- ing of the second shot, which was aim cd a little better, the shot rieocheting along the water and striking finally about se feet from the Rover. which by thls time had come to a dead stop. The American vessel was ordered to drop her anchor and soon after was
 boarded by General J. F. Reyes. rep
 resenting the Nicaraguan government and six of his followers He demanded to see the ships papers, and, though | Captain Reed was mad enough. he de- | cided to keep his temper. The papers
 were exhibited. and then the Nicara- xuan began to make s search of the vessel on the alleged ground that she
 was carrying contreband of war. Find | ing nothing. Reyes permitted the Row CT to proceed. Captain Reed says that | he protested vigorously against his ship being fired on and pointed to the Amer | ican flag. which was flying from his | masthead. General Reyes replied that he ought to consider himself lucky that he (Reyes) did not sink the Row
 err and added that Reed could protest | as much as he pleased, ar it made no | difference to him.
 At Omoa Captain Reed found several hundred troops preparing to advance | on Puerto Cortcx. He heard firing at | the latter port and ventured within three miles of the harbor and by the aid | of marine glasses saw that a pitched
 battle was in progress.
 He saw the Lucy R. In an apparently
 disabled condition, the pilothouse and upper works having besR shot away. On | her way to this city the Rover met three sloops and a schooner, all of which were loaded with men and sailing for Spanish Honduras, evidently bent on aiding in the revolution. At omoa it was reported that American Consul AL | ger had been killed at Puerto Cortex.
 but no verification or particulars could be learned.