Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-04-27
INTENSELY INTERESTING.
War Developments Follow Each
Other In Rapid Succession.
News Summarized From Various Sources
MORO Castle Opens Fire On an American
warship-New York Captures Prize
Several Spanish Merchantmen Taken
Big Naval Battle Looked For.

warship-New York Captures Prize
Several Spanish Merchantmen Taken
Big Naval Battle Looked For.
The first gun on the Spanish side
was fired last Friday night at II
o'clock. 1t came from MORO Castle
and the target was the flagship New
York, of The American squadron. The
New York was signalling to the othel
ships of the feet. 1t was about five
miles distant from Moro. One of the
big guns of the castle doomed and En-
sign J. r. Eddie, who was officer Of
the deck, carried the Information tc
CAPTAIN Chadwick with the suggestion
that perhaps it would be just as well
for the New York to stop signalling
eNo necessity for that" the captain
replied, and glancing in the direction
of the castle for an instant, he turned
on his neel and went to his quarters
IF the guns of the castle were really
firing at the New York all of the shot
fell short.
The ships of the blockading fleet
before Havana are the Maytower
Iowa, Newport, Detroit, Marblehead
Indiana, New York and Wilmington
with the torpedo boat Porter attend
ing the flagship.
The New York captured prize on
Friday afternoon. While about hall
way between Havana and Matauzas.
she sighted large Spanish steamer
and gave chase. The steamer tried to
get away but it was no good. She
was soon overtaken and shot from
an S.inch gun across her bows brought
her to. She proved to be the Pedro,
of Bilboa, with cargo valued at
about $15O,0OO. Prize ships, with
their cargoes, are divided between the
government, the officers and men. In
this case the government will get one
half, the admiral one-twentieth, the
captain one one-hundredth, and the
men get equal shares of the balance.
The share of the men amounts TO
about $3.50 each.
An unusually exciting event occur
red during Sunday afternoon. 1t was
shortly after squadron had left to
blockade Matanzas. Presently the
Cincinnati was seen to defect from
her course and head toward distant
steamer. The increased volume of
smoke from the stacks of the Cincin-
natl indicated that she was putting on
more steam. The New York, the
Marblehead and the gunboat Whining
ton started for the stranger. "She is
a Spaniard," the men said to each
other, and the men were jubilant.
Admiral Sampson gave it as his opin-
ion that the stranger was either the
Oquendo or the Vizcaya. The call to
quarters was sounded and everything
was gotten in readiness for action.
The New York was steaming along at
her very best speed, something like 20
miles an hour. 1t was noticed that
the war vessel was flying the Italian
flag; but that did not necessarily sig
Nifty anything. By the time the New
York got all of her guns trained on
the stranger, the separating distance
was only about 1900 yards. Then
there was a puff of smoke and a gun
doomed from the supposed enemy.
Some of the men thought it was a
hostile shot but the officers interpre-
ted it as salute, for IA more-15 guns
in all-were fired. The New York
ran up the Italian flag and returned
the salute. 1t developed shortly after
ward that the supposed enemy was
the Glorvani Bansan, one of the most
powerful cruisers in the Italian navy.
The Americans were very much disap-
pointed. The Italian pursued her
course and entered Havana harbor.
The New York Journal, of Sunday,
has story which purports to give the
real reason why no assault will be
made on Havana for the present. Ma
val officers, so goes the story, are
agreed that within the next few days
there must, of necessity, be a terrific
naval battle in Cuban waters. The
Spaniards will make terrible effort to
break the blockade. 1t is necessary,
therefore, that the American ships
take no risks except against Spanish
ships. 1t is thought that there will be
landing of American marines some
where close to Havana, soon-proba-
bly, by Saturday-as preliminary to
establishing communication with the
army of General Gomez. The Jour
nal claims this to be authentic; but in
view of the fact that the war depart,
ment is not now advertising its inten-
tions, the reader will have to form his
own conclusions.
SUNDAYS BLOCKADE DEVELOPMENTS.
The Associated Press papers OF
Tuesday morning contained the fol-
lowing dispatch, written at MatanZas
and sent from Key West on Monday
morning at 7.42 o'clock:
The United States torpedo boat
Foote, Lieutenant w. l.. Rodgers com
manding, has the honor of having
been the target for the first shots fred
by the Spaniards at the American flag
during the war just begun. The firing
occurred between 5 and 6 o'clock on
Saturday afternoon, while the torpedo
boat was taking soundings in the har-
DOT OI MalanLas. Sue was Witulu IoO
or 800 yards of the shore. Suddenly
a Spanish masked battery on the east
side of the harbor and not very far
distant from the Foote, fired three
shots at the torpedo boat. They all
went wide of the mark and the Foote
returned leisurely to the Cincinnati
where she reported the result of hel
soundings and then announced that
she had been fired upon. The Cincin.