Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-19
ADVENTURES OF THE DIXIE
Extraordinary Marine Perils Encountered
by the Little Gunboat.
Capture of Two Prizes-A Captain's
Sufcfde-Hurrfcanes
Lost at Sea,

KEY WEST, Fla, July 19-The schooner
Three Bells and the sloop Pilgrim, captured
by the gunboat Dixie near Manzanillo on
July g. arrived here yesterday under prize
crews consisting of Lieut.. S. M. Biount and
Gunners' Mate J. L. Hatton, with four
marines each
Marryat never imagined a more grotesque
tale OF marine misadventure than was ex-
perienced by those men in bringing their
spoils to port. They encountered suicide
and Spanish bullets and buffeted about by
hostile winds drifted helplessly about in
strange seas until we'll nigh hopeless of
ever reaching shore.
Both prizes were under the British flag.
bound from Kingston, Jamaica, for Man
zanlllo, with food supplies. On the Three
Bells was Captain E. J. Harding an En-
glishman, and a crew of five and three
Jamaica negroes. The Pilgrim carried a
Dutch captain and four seamen of the same
class.
The captures were effected without diff
f1culty and Blount and Hatton, neither of
whom had ever been at Key West began
the journey here. Captain Harding was
much depressed over the capture and drank
heavily until Lieut. Blount stopped his
Liquor.
Captains Suicide.
On the evening of July 8, when about six
miles south of Key Romano, Captain Hard
ing suddenly leaped overheard astern. The
Pilgrim put out a small boat and caught
him, but he struggled desperately and cap
sized the boat One of the marines held
him upon the overturned boat, and he was
taken on board the Pilgrim, but he was
dead when they reached the deck. 1t is
thought that he took a dose of laudanum
before jumping into the sea. There hap
pened to be a Church of England prayer
book on board, and next morning, Sunday
Lieutenant Blount read the service, and
the dead captain was buried at sea.
This dismal duty was hardly completed
when they sighted two small schooners
near Key Romano. Neither of the prizes
flying a flag, but both were evidently
recognized by the strangers as expected
blockade runners from Jamaica, for one of
the schooners put out a small boat to
pilot them in. AS it approached Lieutenant
Blount was running up an American flag
to the forepeak, but he had some difficulty
In breaking 1t out, so that when the small
boat was within ten yards of the schooner
the two men who were aboard it were still
ignorant of the fact that they We're run
ming near to an enemy. Then Lieutenant
Blount shouted: Are you Spaniards?'
AS one OF the two, with proud gesture,
answered, Me Espagnol, the stars and
stripes broke from the fore of the Three
Bells, whereupon both occupants of the
small boat cried in dismay "Americanos,
caramba," and plunged into the sea-
open question.
Captured the Schooner.
Lieutenant Blount and his men went on
in and captured the nearest schooner,
which proved to be the Conception. The
other ran off into shoal water and escaped
The Conception was well loaded with fish,
wine and other provisions, while scattered
over her decks were. bags of small coins,
aggregating about $50, a large number of
Mauser bullets and other cartridges. but
only one shotgun.
They took her in tow and then began a
chapter of misfortunes. Violent tropical
squalls burst upon them the same day and
continued almost necessarily until last
night. They had no charts aboard and
only map of the world torn from %
cent guide book to help them as they
hCundered about in the seas-three little
vessels, none much bigger than catboat
In the course of the day the wind and
waves had played havoc with the Concep-
cion, and they decided to abandon her. and
after transferring the money they set her
adrift. Gunner S-mate Hatton, who had
gone aboard her, was the last to leave, and
he was compelled to tie rope around him
self and Jump overheard the men on the
Three Bells pulling him over to her The
little boats staggered along until Wednes-
day morning, when a storm of unusual vio-
lence fell on them off Cape Antonio.
The Climax of Trouble.
Unable to make any progress, and ex-
pecting almost momentarily to founder,
they lay there all day. But this was trivial
to what followed. Late in the afternoon
as they bumped help:essly about the sea,
a body of Spanish riiemen on shore OPEN
ed fire. The only arms on the two prize
vessels We're the Weapons of the marines,
lime revolvers, SO no attempt was made TO
return the fra.
Just before nightfall fifteen of the Span
ish rif1emen pushed oft in a small boat to-
ward the Three Bells and drew as close as
300 or 400 yards, pouring vicious fire at
the schooner'a men. The bullets whistled
all around, Kidding the sails, and some GO
ing clear through the schooner and sloop.
One bullet passed through the cabin within
two feet of Lieut.. Blcunt.
There was little negro boy at the wheel
of the Three Bells, but in spite of the fly
ing rifle balIS he never deserted his post,
remarking to Lieut.. Blount: Guess 1
might as we'll die now as any other time
In fact, all the negroes showed spirit
and sided with the Americans. Fortunate
ly for the storm-bound men. night drove
the SpaHiards back to the shore, and early
the next morning the wind changed and
carried the two prizes on.
Taking chances on their course being the
right one. they sailed on. when, as a final
blow, their water gave out. Sunday off
Rebecca Shoal the sight of strange
tEetr lost courage. She was the four
master 2. NJ Hopkins from Baltimore for
New Orleans with coal, and had been de-
layed by head winds She gave the prize
q chart and set them straight on their
course, and. weary and weather-worn,
they drew into Key West harbor after the
worst fortnight any Of the crews had ever
experienced.