The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-09

Copyrighted, 1898. by the Associated Press.
KEY WEST, May 8.-Only poor marks
manship on the part of the Spaniards
saved the vieksburg and the cutter Nor
rill from destruction In Havana harbor
yesterday morning. For over half an hour
they were under The fire Of the guns Of the
Santa Clara water batteries, but both
escaped without material injury. althoug h
shrapnei from eight-ineh guns exploded
al about thein. and both now show the
scars OF the Spanish bullets.
The WHY Spaniards had arranged a trap
TO send a couple of our ships to the bot
tom. They haited II as q man would bait
q trap. A small schooner was sent out
from Havana harbor shortly before day.
light yesterday morning tQ draw some Of
the Americans into the ambuscade. The
ruse worked like a charm. The yicks-
blrg and the Morrill,, In the heat OF the
chase and In their contempt for Spanish
gunnery. walked straight into the trap
that had been set for them. Had the
Spaniards possessed their souls In pa
tience but five minutes longer not even the
bad gun practice would have saved our
ships and this morning two more OF our
vessels would lie at the bottom within two
lengths OF the Maine.
Friday morning the yicksburg and the
ADrriu. crasiSing -.aae west af Moro.
castle. were fired upon by the big guns OF
the Cojimar batteries. Two shots were
fired at the yicksburg and one at the Nor
i'll. Both fell short, and both vessels,
without returning the fire. steamed cut of
range. IL would have been folly to do
otherwise. But yesterday morning the
Spaniards had better luck. The schooner
they had sent cut before daylight. ran OF
to the eastward, hugging the shore, with
tho wind on her starboard quarter About
three miles east of the entrance of the
harbor she came over on the port tack.
A light haze fringed the horizon, and she
was not discovered until three niles or
shore, when the Mayfiower made her out
and signaled the vicksburg and Morrill,.
Capt. Smith, of the Morrill,, and Com
mander Tilley. of the vcksburg, immeds-
ateiy slapped on all steam and started in
pursuit. The schooner instantly put abou;
and ran for Moro castle before the wind.
In doing SO she would. according to the
we'll conceived Spanish plot, lead the two
American warsh.ps directly under the
guns OF the Santa Clara batteries These
works are a short mile west of Moro and
are part of the defenses OF the harbor.
There are two batteries. one at the shore.
which mas been recently thrown up Of sand
and mortar. with wide embrasures for
eight-inch guns and the other on the
crest OF the rocky eminence which juts
out into the gulf. The upper battery
mounts modern ;en-inch and twelve-inch
krupp guns, behind a six-foot stone para
pct in front Of which are twenty feet az
earthwork ard a betting OF railroad iron.
The battery is considered the most for
mldable of Havana's defenses, except
Moro castle. IL IS masked and has not
been absolutely located by the American
warshlps- Ii Is probably due 10 the fact
that the Snaniards did no: desire TO ex
pose Us position that the ylcksbairg ard
Morrill, are now aiioat
The NORTH and Vickshurz were ahaut
SAX miles from the schooner when the
chase began. They steamed after her at
fuI speed, the Morrill, leading, untn with
IN a mila and ha'f OF the Santa Clara
hattesies, Commander Smith. al the
EicSsburg, Was The frat 10 realize the
danger into whscs. the reckless oursuir
had ed them. He concluded IL was time
10 ha-t. and sent a shot across the bow
of the schooner. The Spanish skipper IN
stantly brought his vessel ahoat. but
while she was san rolling in the trough
Of the sea. with her sas.s flaming an
eight-inch shranne4 shell came hurting
through the air from the water battery.
q mile and a half away. Ii passed over
the Morrill,. between the pilot house and
hhe smekestack, ard exploded .ess than
hfty feet on the port quarter. The shot
ratified against her side. II was a close
call. Two more shots followed In quick
succession. both shrapaei One burst
close under the starboaFd quarter filing
the engine room with the smoke OF the
explosion. and the other. like the first,
passed over ard exploded just beyond
The spanish gaaaess had the range and
;beir time fuses wefs accurately ses. The
crews OF oosa ships werc ~ their guas