Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-05-14
DREW The YANKEES
into A TRAP
Gunboats vicksburg and MorreII
Move Under the Guns Of
a Spanish Fort.
RECKLESS PURSUIT OF A SHIP
Only the Poor Workmanship of the
S~paniards Saved Them
From Destruction.
SHELLS BURST ALL AROUND THEM

Boat Draw out of Range but Littlt
Damaged but They Have Sew
erai Very Close
Calls.
Key West, May 10.--Only poor marks
mansbip"upon the part of Spanish gun
ners. saved the Nicksburg and the cut
ter Morrill, from destruction off Havana
Saturday morning. For over half an
hour they were under the fire of the
guns of the Santa Clara batteries, but
both escaped without material injury
although shrapnel shots from s-inch
guns exploded all about them and both
now show the pitted sears of the Span
ish bullets. The willy Spaniards had
arranged a trap to send a couple of ouI
shops to the bottom. 4 small schooner
was sent out from Havana harbol
shortly before daylight Saturday
morning to draw some of the Ameri.
cans into the ambuscade. The ruse
worked like a charm. The Nicksburg
and the Morrill,, in the heat Of the
chase and in their contempt for Span.
ish gunnery, sailed straight into the
trap that had been set for them. Had
the Spaniards possessed their souls IL
patience but five minutes longer, not
even the bad gun practice would have
saved u ships, and two more Of our
vessels would lie at the bottom within
two lengths of the wreck Of the i'll
fatcd Maine.
Friday evening the Nicksburg and
the Morrill,, cruising TO the west OF
MORO castle, were fred upon by the
big guns Of the COjimar batteries. Two
shots were fired at the Nicksburg and
n at the Morrill,. Both fell short and
both vessels, without returning the
fire, steamed vi Of range. But Satur,
day morning the Spaniards had better
luck. The schooner they had sent of
before daylight ran off to the east,
ward, hugging the shore. \ light haze
fringcd the horizon and She was not
discovered until three miles off shore,
when the Mayhowcr made her out and
signalcd the Morrill, and Nicksburg.
Sailed Right Into the Trap.
Captain Smith OF the Morrill, and
Commander Lilly Of the Nicksburg,
Immediately slapped ON all steam and
started in pursuit. The schooner in
stantly put about aud ran for MORO
Castle before the wind. On doing SO
she would, according TO the well con.
ceiyed Spanish plot, lead the two Amer,
lean warships directly under the guns
of the Santa Clara batteries. These
works are a short mile west Of MorrO
and are a part of the defenses Of the
harbor. There are two batteries, Onc
at the shore, which has been recently
thrown up of sand and mortar, with
wide embraSures for S-inCh guns, and
the other on the crest Of the rocky emf
hence which iutS out into the waters
Of the gulf at the point. The upper
battery mounts modern 10-inCh and -
inch Krupp guns behind a siX-foOt
stone parapet, i'm front Of which are
twenty feet of earthwork and a belt,
ing of railroad iron. This battery is
considered the most formidable of Ha.
vana's d~efenses, except MORO castle,
IL is masked and has not been absolute
~ located by the American warships.
1t is probably due to The fact hat the
Spaniards did not desire to expose its
| position that the NickSburg and Nor
rill are now afoat. The MJrt'l! and
NickSburg were about six miles from
the schooner when the shooting began.
They steamed after her at full speed,
the Morrill, leading until within Il mile
and n half Of the Santa Clara batteries.
Commander Smith of the Nicksburg
was the first to realize the danger into
which the reckless pursuit had led
them. He concluded that it was time
to haul Off and sent Il shot across the
bow of the schooner. The Spanish
skipper instantly brought his vessel
about, but while she was still rolling in
the trough Of the sea with her sails
tapping an S-inch shrapnel shell came
hurting through the air from the wa.
ter battery a mile and a half away. II
passed over the Morrill, between the
pilot house and the smokestack and
exploded less than fifty feet on the
port quarter. The small shot ratified
| against her side. 1t was a close call
Two more shots followed in quick sue
cession. both %shrapncl. One burst close
under the starboard quarter, filling the
engine room with smoke OF the cNplo'
sion of the shell, and the other. Xix,
the first, passed over and exploded just
beyond. The Spanish gunncrs had the
range and their time fuses were accu.
ratelv set. The crews of both ships
were ut their guns. Lieutenant Craig
who wa in charge of the bow 4-incl
rapid fire u Of the Morrill,, asked for
and obtained permission to return the
fire. At the first shot the Nicksburg
which was in the wake of the Morrill,
slightly in shore, Sheered of and
passed to the windward under the Nor
rill's stern.
\ Very Close Shave.
Ir the meantime Captain Smith also puI
his helm to port, and was non too soon
for as the Morrill, stood off a solid S-incf
| shot grazed her starboard quarter anC
kicked up tons of water as II struck 1
wave 100 yards beyond. Captain Smith
| said afterwards This was undoubtedly al
S-inch armor piercing projectile. and thai
il would have passed through the Morrili's
boilers had she not changed her course II
the nick Of time.
All the guns Of the water battery were
now at work. one of them cut the Jacobs
ladder of the Vicksburg adrift, n anoth'
er carried away a portion OF the rigging
AS the Morrill, and the Vicksburg steame,
| away their aft guns were used but only I
| few shots were fired. The MONTHS 6-incl
4 Bullet Its Own Doctor.
PHILADELPHIA Record: In spite Of the ter
rible Increase in the destructiveness OF