The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-19
TWO WEEKS TO KEY WEST
At Times II Seemed as II Port
Would Never Be Reached.
SUICIDE OF CAPTAIN HARDING

crews. The crews, in bringing their
Spanish bullets. and, buffeted about by
hostile winds, drifted helplessly about
in strange seas until weli-nigh hopeless
OF ever reaching shore. Both prizes
were under the British flag. bound from
Kingston for Manzanillo with food sup
piles. on the Three Bellies were Cap
tain Il. J. Harding. an Engiishman,
and a crew of FIVE three OF them Je-
maiea negroes. The Pilgrim carried
a Dutch captain and four seamen of the
same class. The captures were effected
without difficulty.
Captain Harding was depressed over
the capture and drank heavily until
Lieutenant -Biount stopped his liquor
On the. evening of July 3. when about
six miles south of Key Romano, Captain
Harding suddenly leaped overheard
asern. The Pilgrim put out a small
boat and caught him, but he struggled
desperately and capsized the boat. One
OF the marines held him up on the over
turned boat and he was taken on board
they reached the deck. II is thought
that he took dose OF laudanum before
jumping into the sea. There happened
TO be a church of England prayer book
on board, and the next morning Lieu.
tenant Blount read the service, and the
captain was buried at sea-
This dismal duty was hardly COM
pleted when they sighted two small
schooners near Key Romano. Neither
Of the prizes was flying flag, but both
were evidently recognized by the strang-
ers as expected blockade runners from
Jamaica, for one of the schooners put
out small boat TO pilot them in. As
il approached Lieutenant Blount was
running up an American flag to the fore
peak, but he had some difficulty in
breaking it out so that when the small
boat was within 100 yards of the
schooner the two men who were aboard
II were still ignorant of the fact that
they were running near to an enemy.
Then Lieutenant Blount shouted: Are
you Spaniards?' As one of the two,
with proud gesture answered Mo
no Espagnol," the stars and stripes
whereupon both occupants of the small
boat cried in dismay: "Americanos,
caramba," and plunged into the sea.
Whether or not they reached shore is
an open question. Lieutenant Blount
and his men went on and captured the
nearest schooner, which proved to be
the Conception. The other ran of into
shoal water and escaped. The Con-
cepcion 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 another chap.
ter OF misfortunes.
Violent tropical squalls burst upon
them the same day and continued al
most necessarily. They had no charts
aboard and only a map of the world
torn from a 25-cent guide book TO help
them as they fioundered about in the
seas--three little vessels, none bigger
than catboat. In the course of the
day the wind and waves played such
havoc with the Conception that they
ring the money. and set her adrift
Gunner's Mate Hatton, who had gone
aboard her. was the last to leave, and he
was compelled to tie a rope around
himself and Jump overheard. the men
on the Three Bellies pulling him over TO
her. The little boat staggered along
until Wednesday morning, when D
storm OF unusual violence fell on them
of Cape Antonio.
Unable to make any progress and
expecting almost momentariiy to found
err, they lay there all day. Late In the
afternoon as they bumped helplessly
about in the sea, body of Spanish
rfiemen on shore opened fire. The
only arms on the two prize vessels were
the weapons OF the marines, four rifles
and nine revolvers, so no attempt was
made TO return the fire. Just before
nightfall Is OF the Spanish rinemep
pushed off in a small boat toward the
Three Bellies and drew as close as 300
or 400 yards, pouring vicious fire at
the schooner's men. The bullets whis-
tied all around. riddling the sails
and some going clear through the
schooner and sloop. One bullet passed
through the cabin within two feet OF
Lieutenant Blount There was little
negro at the wheel OF the Three Bellies
but In spite OF the flying rife balls he
never deserted his post, remarIing TO
Lieutenant Biount: Guess i might
as well die now as any other time" In
fact all the negroes showed spirit and
sided with the Americans. Fortunately
for the storm-bound men. night drove
the spaniards back TO the shore, and
early the next morning the vino
changed and carried the two prizes on.
Taking chances on their course being
the right one. they sailed on. when. ak
final blow their water gave out. on
Rebeccs shoal. the sight Of strange
schooner flying an American flag re-
stored their lost courage. Che was the
II. NJ. Hopkins. from Baltimore for
New Orleans. with coal. and had been
delayed by head winds.
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