The age-herald., 1898-08-14
SHELL STRUCK
 SAN FRANCISCO Commodore HoWe|Ps sF|agshipMt With Warm Reception WAS TOO NEAR MORRO s SGUNS The SpaniardS Opened Fire on Blockadlr = 1uadron. 
  LUCKILY NO5 2 WAS INJURED | S Although tn mmodore's Quarters
 Wec.s@. dly Wrecked. | OUR SHIP SWIFTLY REITERATED Shells Fell All Around the Vessels, But
  Only One Went True to the Mark-Spaniards Had
 the Range.
Although tb mmodore's Quarters
 Weo.s: .dIy Wrecked.
OUR SHIP SWIFTLY REITERATED

Key West, Aug. 13-9 D. m.-The flagship San Francisco, the monitor Miantonomah and the auxiliary yacht Sylvia were fred upon by the Havana batteries shortly bs- fore o'clock yesterday morning.
 One 10 or 12 inch shell struck the San Francisco's stern she turned to get out of range and tore a hole about a foot in diameter, completely wrecking Commodore Howelrs quarters and smashing his book. case to fragments. Nobody was injured, and, being under orders not to attack the batteries, the ships retreated as fast as their engines would carry them.
 The flagship and the Sylvia lay parallel to each other not more than mile from Moro castle, and separated from each other by a distance of from three-eighths .-'"-auarter of a mtle. The Miantono- DrlIn Ohi+-+ three-auarters of a mile to the Tea. A II were In range of the Spanish batteries and ...s- - 1iips5s'- tion was too strong to be resisted. While the ships of the Havana blockade squadron have been keeping at a distance of six miles more during daylight, they have been accustomed to draw in, much closer at night. The Moro castle light has burned steadily throughout, servinE as a good beacon for the American ships. Thursday evening the warships of the squadron immediately off Hayana we're the San Francisco. Sylvia and the Miantopo7 moh and with nightfall they dfev in closer to the shore than ever before and took po- sitons as before stated. All night the ships rode at their stations with lights out ac- cording to blockade regulations Another twelve hours of dreary duty had been passed with the same unvarylng monotony and what happened soon afterwards was unexpected and unwelcome.
 Puff of Smoke
 The first glimmer of dawn was breaking through the eastern skies when without an instant's warning, the lookout on the flagship saw jet of smoke puff from one of Morro's big guns. Almost before he could pull himself together sufficiently i'd make report of the incident ten and twelve inch shells were screaming all around the ship.
 The Spaniards had the range and appar. entity were grimly in earnest in their last efforts to wreak injury on their too mighty enemy. It was, however, almost as flu. tile an effort as in every preceding strug. gle Shells fell between the San Francisco and Sylvia,s some fell short and a few went over them. The flagship signalled the Syi. via to get out of range without delay and both ships swung round and made for the sea- It was then that a shell struck the San Francisco's stern and sent its frag- ments into the after cabin, wreclSing Com. modore Howells library. The commodore was on deck with Captain Leary when the shell struck.
 The Miantonomoh was in less danger than the other two ships, being further out to sea, but when the firing commenced they all moved out about three miles, Here the men on the flagship were speedily put to work patching a ragged hole wi oh a shell had torn in the San Franciscos stern. The damage was found to be triaing
 The shells fired were from ten to twelve inches and there were exactly twenty-two fired. As they fell around the ships one of the Sylvia's men stood calmly on the deck of the yacht, watch in hand, and counted them. Morro castle fired several, but how many is not known. The others came from two sand batteries east of Moro. The fr- ing lasted twenty minutes.
 Another Surprise
 The one-sided engagement was scarcely ended when the men of the Sylvia were treated to another surprise The little yacht gunboat, which manned by the New York naval reserves, reached the blockad- ing station only two weeks ago, and this was their first war experience. They had hardly recovered from the jingle of It when the flagship called the vessel over and Cap- tain Bellers was given a packet of private documents. which he was ordered to take into Havana under a flag of truce.
 Without wasting words, the white flag was ordered hoisted over the Sylvia, and shc steamed toward the guns which had just given her such noisy greeting. As the Sylvia approached to within mile of Morro the character of the flag float ing from her foremast was discerned and the castle signalled: "What is your pur- pose?'
 To this the Sylvia answered.: "We have papers to deliver"
 
 and for some little time the gunboat rock ed on the waters almost under the still smoking cannon of the enemy, uncertain whether or not an extra shell or two migat not send her to the bottom the next mo- ment. Presently, however. a Spanish gun- boat drew out of the harbor and came
 
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