The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-19
Thrilling Experience of the Officers
in Charge and Their Handful
of Marine Assistants.
HELPLESS ON STRANGE SEAS
AND BUFFETED ABOUT BY WINDS IN
. THE ENEMY'S WATERS.
Suicide of the Captain Of One of the
Ships-EncOunter with Body
of Spanish Rifemen.


Three Bells and the sloop Pilgrim, captured
by the gunboat Dixie near Manzanillo, on
July 6, arrived here to-day under prize
crews consisting of Lieutenant S. NJ BIount
and Gunners Mate ]. K. Hatton with four
marines each. Marryat never imagined
more grotesque tale of marine adventure
than was experienced by those men in
bringing their spoils to port. They encoun-
tered suicide and Spanish bullets, and, buff
feted about by hostile winds, drifted help
less 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
zanillo, with food supplies. On the Three
Bells was Capt. E. j. Harding, an English
man, and a crew of five and three ia
maica negroes. The Pilgrim carried
Dutch captain and four seamen of the same
class. The captures were effected without
difhculty, and Blount and Hatton, neither
of whom had ever been at Key West be-
gan the journey here. Captain Harding
was much depressed over his capture and
drank heavily until Lieutenant Blount
stopped his liquor. !
On the evening of July 81 when about six
miles south of Key Romano, Captain Hard
ing suddenly leaped overheard astern. The
Pilgrim put out small boat and caught
him. but he struggled desperately and cap
sized the boat. One of the marines held him
up on 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 dose of laudanum before jumping
into the sea. There happened to be 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 was fly
ing flag, but both were evidently recog-
nized by the strangers as expected blockade
runners from Jamaica, for one of the
schoonerS put out 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 it out so that when the small
boat was within one hundred yards of the
schooner the two men who were aboard it
were stih ignorant of the fact that they
were running near to the enemy.
Then Lieutenant Blount shouted, Are
you Spaniards?'
answered, Me Espagnol, the stars and
stripes broke forth from the fore of the
Tnree Bells, WhereupOn both occupants of
the small boat cried in dismay. Amer
icanos! Caramba!' and plunged into the sea.
Whether or not they reached shore is an
open question. Lieutenant Blount and his
men went on in and captured the little
schooner, which proved to be the Concep-
cion. 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
or small coins, aggregatlng about $50, a
large number of Mauser bullets and other
cartridges, but only one shotgun They
took her in tow and then began chapter
of mStfortunes.
Violent tropical SQUALLS burst upon them
the same day and continued almost inces-
sanity until last night. They had no charts
aboard and only map of world torn
from a 25-cent guide book to help them
they foundered about in the seas-three
little vessels, none much bigger than cat
boat
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. Gunners' Mate Hatton, who had
gone aboard her, was the last to leave and
he was compelled to tie a rope around him
the = fP@ss Bs sS RqIns hi him 2
staggered along until Wednesday morning,
when a storm of unusual violence fell on
them off Cape Antonio. Unable to make
any progress and expecting almost mo-
mentarily to founder, they lay there all
day. But this was trivial to what followed.
Late in the afternoon, as they bumped help
rifemen on shore opened fire. The only
arms the two prize vessels were the
weapons of the marines, nine reviewers, so
no attempt was made to return the fire.
Just before nghtfall fifteen of the Span
ish riflemen pushed off in a small boat to-
wards the Three Bells and drew as close as
300 or 400 yards, pouring a vicious fire at
the schooners men. The bullets whistled
all around. Kidding the sails and some going
clear through the schooner and sloop. One
bullet passed through the cabin within two
feet of Lieut.. Blount. There was little ne
gro boy at the wheel of the Three Bells,
but in spite of the flying rifle balls he never
deserted his post, remarking to Lieutenant
Bount Guess l 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
carly the next morning the wind changed,
carrying the two prizes Taking chances
on their course being the right. one, they
sailed on, when, final blow, their water
gave out.
Yesterday off Rebecca shoal the sight of
a strange schooner flying an American flag
restored their lost courage. She was the
four-master r. NJ. Hopkins, from Balti-
more. for New Orleans, with coal and had
been delayed by head winds. She gave the
prize crews a barrel of water, some tobacco
and 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 expert
enced.