The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-25
BLOODLESS VICTORY
OFF HAVANA HARBOR


Continued from page IL
row escape than falls to the lot of a
merchantmen.
The Pedro was taken to Key West,
the New York returned TO the re-
mainder of the fleet, and all the vessels
lay to and drifted all night outside OF
Havana harbor Torpedo boats and
one Of the cruisers did patrol duty III
the vicinity of the fiotilla, but no
vessel Of any kind approached the men
of-war.
WITNESSED FROM HAVANA.
That shots had been fired by the
New York and that one steamer had
been seized and that another had been
stopped must have been known IN
Havana very soon after the occurrence,
for the whole affair could be witnessed
witnessed from the shore. However.
none of the vessels were close enough
to the city Of Havana itself to know
what demonstrations the events
caused there.
This was the second seizure of the
day, the first being the seizure of the
Spanish steamship Buenaventura,
which the fleet of warships met early
in the morning, soon after they had left
their anchorage at Key West. The
Steamer WAS SOIIlG OISkdilCS OhlolhC u
Havana barbor at the time she was
stopped and Admiral Sampson signalled
to the Nashville, which brought her to,
to escort her to port, which was done
FISHING SMACK RELEASED.
A third seizure occurred this morn
ing q few miles west of the entrance to
Havana harbor. 1t was a small
schooner, apparently a fishing craft.
and she was captured by the Cfncln-
natl. The cruiser towed her to the
flagship, and her captain made salts
factory explanation to Admiral Samp-
son, who released the vessel.
Shortly before noon today the tor
pedo boat Porter captured a Spanish
coasting schooner, Mathildo, which
the Dauntless towed into Key West to-
night.
TO BLOCKADE MATANZAS.
At 10 o'clock this morning the mon
itcr Puritan, the cruiser Cincinnati, the
gunboats Machias, Nashville Castine
and Newport and the torpedo boats
Foote and Winslow left the squadron
to blockade MatanZas, Mariel and Car
denas They formed separate divisions,
and after they had passed out of sight
the remainder of the fleet took up
regular formation, having drifted some
Is miles from MORO castle. The gen.
Captain Evans, not quite certain of
the position he was entitled to take
with the Iowa, caught up abreast of
the flagship and shouted through the
meGaphone: How near may l go?"
Rear Admiral Sampson, who was stand
ing on the after bridge, replied: las
near as you can without drawing the
fire of the batteries" "Al right"
Captain Evans shouted back in tones
that expressed the keenest disappoint-
ment. The Iowa then went ahead.
CINCINNATI GAVE CHASE.
About half an hour after the squad
ron was well under way the cruiser
Cincinnati was soon on the eastern hor-
lion, smoke pouring from her tunnels.
She had been headed for Matanzas and
evidently had turned back to chase
some vessel. The object of her pursuit
was soon made out, standing well in
toward the coast. The flagship, the
cruiser Marblehead and the gunboat
Wilmington Immediately turned out of
the course to head the warship off. The
remainder of the squadron proceeded
TO the westward. Smoke poured from
our ships. The flagship was making IS
knots. the whole vessel throbbing with
the vibration of her twin screws. The
little Wilmington steamed up in splen-
did style, and the fast cruiser Marble
head kept nearly abreast. The for
midable trio bore down upon the war
ship. Then a shout went up: She is
a Spaniard.''
THOUGHT TO BE VIZCAYA.
For the next ten minutes the excite
ment was terrific. The distance which
separated the vessels rendered it i'm
possible to make out the warship's iden-
tity. She was thought to be the Viz
Yana. The men at the guns shouted
with glee. The stokers off dutyscheered
vociferously and begged to be allowed
to go on deck to help shoot at the first
armed enemy met. The officers crowd
ed on the quarter deck as elated as the
men, though under better control. The
bugler blew general quarters and all
hands flew to their posts. Down came
the shroudS with a rattle. Life lines
vanished from the deck. Rear Admit
raj Sampson. standing on the bridge,
said deliberately to Captain Chadwick:
Yes, the OqUendo or the Vizcaya,"
and then added: Il should like to bag
them BOTH
Then 1t was seen that the chase was
flying an Italian flag. But this was no
proof that behind her still invisible
guns Spaniards were not concealed
ready to shoot under advantage or sub
terfuge. All the guns on the New
York's port side and in the forward and
after turrets were. trained on the stran- |
ger. few minutes later, when about
1,500 yards separated the New York
from her target, the American flag was
run up by the warship, and then it
was known she was not a Spaniard.
SALUTE.
A puff of smoke issued from her sides
and the boom OF a gun sounded across |
the water. 1t was only a salute. but
at first many on board thought Rear
Admiral Sampson had been deceived. |
But she fired Is guns as a salute, which Z,
was returned by the flagship, which
also flew an Italian flag. The stranger !
was then made out to be the Giovanni !
Bausan, a powerful cruiser. Without
further formalities, she pursued her
course and entered Havana harbor |