New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-23
ADVENTURES WITH PRIZES.
HOW TWO VESSELS WERE BROUGHT INTO
KEY WEST STRANGE EXPERIENCES
UNDERGONE

UNDERGONE.
Key West. Fla. July 2c-The schooner Three
Bells and the sloop Pilgrim. captured by the gum
boat Dixie near Manzanlo on July ). arrived here
Monday under prize crews consisting Of Lieuten-
ant 3 NJ Blount and Gunners Mate !. *. Hatton
with four marines each Marryat never ina gined a
more srotesque tale II marine misadventuro than
experienced by those in bringing their
sppils to port. They encountered suicide and Span
sh bullets. and. buneted by hostile winds drifted
helplessly about in strange seas. until well nigh
hopeless OF ever reaching shore
Both prizes were under the British nag. bound
from Kingston Jamaica. for Manzano, with food
supplies. on the Three Bells Captain +. j.
Harding. an Englishman and crew Of five three
Of them Jamaica negroes. The Pilgrim carried'a
Dutch captain and four seamen OF the same class
Tho captures effected without difficulty. and
Blount and Hatton neither 81 whom haG ever been
at Key West began the journey here Captain
Harding much depressed over the capture. and
drank heavily until Lieutenant Blount stopped his
liquor.
on tho evening Of July .. when about six miles
south OF Key Romano Captain Harding suddenly
.eaped overheard astern. The Pilgrim put out r.
small boat and caught him. but he struggled des-
peratey and capszed the boat One Of the marines
held him up the verturred boat and he was
taken on board the Pilgrim But he was dead
when they reached the deck. 1t is thought that he
took n dose OF audanum before jumping into tho
sea. There happened to be a Church OF England
prayer-book on board and the next morning Sun
dayc Lieutenant Blount read the service. and the
dead captain buried at
This dismal duty hardly completed when
they sighted two small schooners near Key Ro-
mano. Neither OF the prizes was flying n flag. but
both were evidently recognized by the strangers
expected blockade runners from Jamaica for one
OF the schooners put out small boat 70 pilot them
in. As It approa ched Lieutenant Blount
ming up an American flag TO the forepeak, but he
had some difficulty in breaking 1t out, so that when
the small boat within a hundred yards OF the
schooner the men who were aboard 1t werc
still ignorant Of the fact that they were running
near TO an enemy Then Lieutenant Blount shout
ed. Are you Spaniards?"
As Of the two with a proud gesture answered,
mo mo Espagno' tho Stars and Stripes broke
from tho zorro OF the Three Bells whereupon both
occupants Of the small boat cried In dsmay. Amer
icanos. Caramba." and plunged into the sea.
Whether or not they reached shore is a open ques-
ton
Lieutenant Blount and his went on In and
captured the nearest schooner which proved 10 be
the Conception. The other ran of into shoal water
and escaped. The Conception was well loaded with
Ash wine and other provisions. while scattered over
her decks were bags Of small coins aggregatng
about $50 large number OF Mauser bullets and
Other cartridges. but only one shotgun.
They took her in tow. and then began another
chapter Of misfortunes Violent tropical squalls
burs; upon them the same day and continued almost
necessarily until last night. They had no charts
aboard and only map OF the world torn from A
twcnty-hve-cent suidebook to help them as they
noundered about In the seas-three little vessels.
much bigger than catboat.
In the OF the day the wind and waves had
played such havoc with the Conception that they
decided TO abandon her. and after transferring the
money. they set her adrIft. Gunncr's Mate Hatton.
who had gone aboard her. was the last 10 leave.
and n cOrnpelled o tie a around himself
and Jump overheard. the men on the Three Bells
pulling him over to her.
morning. when a storm OF unusual violence fell on
them of Cape Antonio. Unable 70 make any prog
they lay. there all day. But this was trivial 10
what followed. Late in the afternoon. rs they
ish rihemen on shore opened IRE The only arms
on the two prize vessels were the weapons OF the
IRE ''''
JUST before nishfall fifteen Of the Spanish rife
Bells and drew close three hundred or four
hundred yards. pouring Vicious IRE az the
Kidding the sails. and some going clear through
the schooner and sloop One bullet passed through
There Was little negro boy az the wheel 81 the
Three Bells but IN spite of the flying rife balls. he
Blount
Guess 7 might rs well d.. now as any other
IN fact all the negroes showed spirit. and sided
Nth the AmsrcaTs fcru9aely iSr IL The storm
shore. and early the next morning the wind changed
and saIrled tho two prizes on ,.,, 49,. .,u,.
nnr they sailed on Nhen az . anal blow Their
as S lost c 'Hs Hs o
master r. NJ Hopkins from Baltimore Tor New;
orleans with coal. and had been delayed by head
Winds. She gave the prize crews a barrel OF water
2m ana ana sa sna yS them vsn hen
drew into kcy West Harbor after the worst fort-
nisht any Of the crews had ever experienced.