The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-08-20
HAVANA SHELLS WARSH|PS
MORO FIRES ON BL0CKADERs
Our Ships Were Under Orders Not to
Attack, and Fled Fast for Safety
San Francisco Was Damaged
Silvia Went Back.

Key West, Aug. l5.-The flagship San
Francisco, the monitor Miantonomah and
the auxiliary yacht Silvia were fired upon
by the Havana batteries shortly before
o'clock Saturday morning. One 10 and
two l2-inch shells struck the San Fran
ciscos stern as she was turning TO get
out of range, and tore a hole about
foot in diameter, completely wrecking
Commodore Howells quarters and
smashing his book case into fragments.
No one was injured, and being under or
ders not to attack the batteries, the ships
departed as fast as their engines would
carry them.
The flagship and the Silvia lay parallel
TO each other, not more than mile from
Moro castle, and separated from each
other by between three eighths and three
quarters of a mile. The Miantonomah
lay about three-quarters of a mile to the
rear OF the others. All were within range
of the Spanish batteries, and the tempta-
ton was too strong for the Spaniards 10
resist.
MORO Opened Fire.
The first glimmer of dawn was break
ing through the eastern skies when, with
out an instant's warning, the lookout on
the flagship saw jet OF smoke puff from
one of Morro's big guns. Almost before
he could pull himself together sufficiently
10 make report of the incident 10 and
l2-inch shells were screaming all around.
The Spaniards had the range and appar-
emily were grimly in earnest in their
last efforts to wreak injury on their too
mighty foe. Shells fell between the San
Francisco and Silvia; some fell short, a
few went over them. The flagship sig
nailed the Silvia to get out of range with
out delay, and both ships swung around
and made for the sea.
San Francisco Was Struck.
1t was then that the shell struck the
San Francisco's stern. Commodore Howell
was on deck with Captain Leary when the
shell struck. With the utmost speed the
fleet moved out about three miles. Here
the men on the flagship patched up the
ragged hole in the vessels stern. All the
shells fired at the vessel fell around the
ships. One of the Silvias men stood
calmly on the deck of the yacht watch in
hand and counted them. Moro castle
fired several of the missiles, but how
many is not known. The others came from
two sand batteries near Moro. The firing
lasted 20 minutes.
Silvia Went Back Again.
The one-sided engagement had scarcely
ended wnen the men of the Silvia were
treated to another surprise. The little
yacht gunboat is manned by the New
,,,il,tio haI no y
recovered from the excitement when the
flagship called the vessel over and Cap
tain Boilers was given packet OF private
documents which he was ordered to take
into Havana under flag of truce. The
white flag was hoisted over the Silvia and
she steamed towards the guns which had
Just given her such noisy greeting. AS
the Silvia approached to within a mile
OF MORO the character of the flag floating
from her foremost was discerned and the
castle signalled: "What is your purpose?'
To this the Silvia answered: I'VE have
papers to deliver"
MORO did not resume the converse
tion, and for some little time the gunboat
rocked on the waters, almost under the
still smoking cannon of the enemy. Pres
emily, however, Spanish gunboat drew
out of the harbor and came close to the
Silvia. 1t was the Martin y Pinzon, ant
carried much stronger battery than the
American ship. The customary forma
salutations were exchanged and Lieuten
ant w. G. Ford, the executive officer o
1he Silvia, boarded the Pinzon and de
1ivered the documents. The ceremony
occupied no more time than the physica
act involved. The American officer re
turned to his ship and the vessels went OF
sheir respectiye WAYS