The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-25
CAPTURE OF THE PEDRO.
New York Showed Great Speed in
It's First Chase.

New York Showed Great Speed in
It's First Chase.
The scene of this opening event of
what may prove to be the prolonged
hostilities between the government CT
the United States and Spain was just
Off the. coast Of Cuba. The shot was
fired across the bow of the Spanish
steamer Pedro, Of Bilbao, outward
bound from Havana. She hove to i'm
mediately, and in the course of an
hour a prize crew from the flagship
was in charge Of her, and she was on
her way to Key West.
The capture Of the Pedro occurred at
o'clock on Friday afternoon, in view
of the Associated Press dispatch boat
Dauntless, which was the nearest ves-
sci to the New York at the time.
An hour before, the fleet, with the
Mayfiower and the torpedo boats, was
proceeding at nine-knot speed from
Key West to the Cuban coast. The
vessels then were about twenty miles
north Of Havana. A haze hung over
the southern horizon, and the faintest
outline of the shore could be seen at
intervals.
Suddenly the New York quickened
her speed and went alongside the May
flower and the leading torpedo boat.
She halted a moment and signaled
some instructions to the remainder Of
the fleet, and then drew away from
the others and started along in a
southwesterly direction. Faster and
faster she went and longer grew the
distance between her and the other
ships. Black smoke poured from her
tunnels, and she appeared to be trying
to equal her twenty-tWo-knot record,
made on the trial trip. At first it was
supposed she was making for the en-
trance Of Havana harbor with the in
tention of lying outside and sending
beats ashore with some formal commu-
nication to the authorities, possibly
giving them twenty-four hours no
tice Of bombardment.
The Dauntless also crowded on
steam, and she sped after the New
Yorw at once. After twenty minutes
fast run, the remainder of the fleet
was left far behind.
It soon became apparent that the
New York was heading to the east
ward of Moro castle, and the real OBJ
ject in her chase became discernible
against the dark background of low
hills on the coast. The lookout in the
tops Of her military masts had sighted
the Spanish colors flying from a Span
ish steamer, which had just left Ha-
vana harbor. Those on board the
steamer must have seen the New York
overhauling, but they made no pre-
tense of stopping.
The chase continued for nearly an
hour, and by that time the New York
had passed the steamer and stopped
about half a mile off her port bow.
In another moment there was a puff
Of smoke from the side of the New
York, followed by a sharp report Of
six-pounder. The shot passed over
the bows Of the steamer and threw up
a great spray when it struck the
water.
There was no mistaking it's meaning.
The steamer stopped it's engines imme-
diately, and swung around in the
heavy sea which was running. The
next move came promptly. A large
whaleboat was lowered from the New
York, filled with sailors and marines all
fully armed and in charge of an officer
The prize proved to be the Pedro, of
about 1000 tons. She was apparently
In ballast or had light cargo.
The sun was just sinking below the
horizon when the prize crew from the
New York climbed over the side Of the
Pedro, and a few minutes later the
Spanish ensign was hauled down.
While this was transpiring the out
eral miles to the westward. Dusk was
gathering, and it was impossible at
that distance to distinguish her nation
atty; but the New York put out for her
as soon as she had cast loose the
whaleboat containing the prize crew
for the Pedro.
The New York then fired another
blank shot of warning to "heave to-
in the direction of the second vessel
sighted by the flagship, and upon gain
ing proper distance the New York fired
a second shot, this time across the
bows Of the second steamer. and the
latter hove to at once.
Upon investigation 1t was learned
that she was a German steamer that
had just left Havana, and she was al
lowed to proceed.
The Pedro was taken to Key West.
the New York returned to the remain
der of the fleet, and all the vessels lay
to and drifted all night outside Of Ha-
vana harbor. Torpedo boats and one Of
the cruisers did patrol duty in the VI
cinity Of the fleet all night, but no ves-
sci Of any kind approached the men-of-
war.
That shot should be fired by the New
York and that one steamer had been
seized and that another had been
stopped must have been known in Ha-
vana soon after the occurrences, for
the whole affair could be witnessed
from the shore. However, none of the
vessels was close enough to the city of
Havana itself to know what demon
STATIONS the events caused there.
This was the second seizure of the
6aU ho firct ho of fJ,o fo1,