The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-20
CAPTAIN LEAPED OVERHEARD.
Strange Adventures of the Dixie, Tbre'
Bells and Pilgrim.

Stfanke adventures OF the D1N1t, IDTte
Bells and Pilgrim.
Key West, Fla, July 19.-The schoon-
er Three Bells and the sioop Pilgrim,
captured by the ~gunboat Dixie near
Manzanillo on July 6, have arrived here
under prize crews. consisting of Lieut..
s. M. Blount and Gunner's Mate ]. h.
Hatton, with four marines each. Mar
ryat never imagined a more grotesqus
tale of marine adventure than was ex-
perienoed by these men in bringing
their spells to port. Both prizes were
under the British flag bound from
Kingston, Jamaica, for M~ansanillo.
with food supplies. On the Three Bells
was Capt. Z. j. Harding, an English
man, and a crew of five and three Ja-
maica negroes. The Pilgrim carried a
Dutch captain and four seamen OF the
same class.
The captures were effected without
difficulty, and Blount and Hatton,
neither of whom had ever been at Key
West, began the journey there. Cap
tain Harding was much depressed over
the capture and drank heavily until
Lieutenant Blount stopped his liquor.
on the evening of July 3, when o
six miles south of Key Romano, Cap
tain Harding suddenly leaped over
board. The Pilgrim put out q small
boa 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
the Pilgrim, but he was dead when they
reached the deck. He was buried at
sea.
This dismal duty was hardly accom-
plished when they sighted two small
schooners near Key Romano. The
prizes were evidently recognized by the
as expected blockade unners
from Jamaica, for one of the schooners
put put on 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 the
small BOAT was within ten yards OF
the schooner before the two men who
were aboard it were aware that they
were running near to the enemy. Both
occupants of the boat plunged into the
sea. Whether or not they reached
shore is an open question. Lieutenant
Blount and his men went on the
schooner, which proved to DE the con,
cepcion. The other ran on into shoal
water and escaped. The Conception
was well loaded with wine. fish and
other provisions.
They took her in tow and then began
a chapter of misfortunes. Violent tropl-
cal squalls burst upon them the same
day and continued almost necessarily
I until last nlRnl lhCy nv
aboard and only a map OF the Worio
torn from a 25-cent guide, to help then
as they ~foundered about in he seas
three little vessels, none much biggei
than a cat boat.
In the course of the day the wind anc
waves had played V with the Con
cepcion and they sent her adrift. TIT
little boats staggered along untl
Wednesday morning. when a storm o.
unusual violence fell upon them off Cap
Antonio. Unable to make any progress
and expecting almost m~omentar1ly u
founder they lay there all day. Late
in the afternoon, as they jumped abou
i'm the heavy sea. they were fired upoi
by Spanish infantry on shore.
The only arms on the two prize YES
sells were the weapons of marines, min
revolvers, so no attempt was made I
return the fire. just before nightfal
Is of the Spanish rifemen pushed of IL
a small boat toward the Three Bells an
drew as close as 300 or 400 yards, pour
ing a vicious fire at the schooners men
The bullets whistled all around, riddlinl
the sails n some going clear througI
the schooner and sloop. One bulle
passed though the cabin within W lee
of Lieutenant Blount.
There was a little negro boy at TN
wheel of the Three Bells, but in spite G
the flying rife balls, he never deser,e
his post. In fact, all the negroes showe
spirit and sided with the Americans
Fortunately for the storm-bound mel
night drove the Spaniards back to tn
shore and early the next morning tn
wind changed and carried the two prize
on. They sailed on, when, as a hnf
: blow, their water gave out. on Rebel
! ca shoal, a schooner flying the America
flag gave the prize crews a barrel {
water. some tobacco and set ther
; straight on their course, and, weathe
; worn and weak, the crews sailed Int
the harbor of Key West after nearly
fortnight's of the most thrilling exper
ences that any of them had ever e'
perienced.