Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-07-19
ADVENTURES OF TWO PRIZE CREWS
IN REACHING KEY WEST.
GAME NEAR NOT GETTING IN
SUICIDE, WAR, STORMS AND WATER
FAMINE ENCOUNTERED.
Prizes Were n Sloop and a Schooner
Captured on ManxanillO ind
Started OF to Port
Without Charts OF
Sailors.

KEY WEST, FLA, July 1S.-The schoon-
er Three Bells and the sloop Pilgrim, cap
tured by the gunboat Dixie near Manza-
| uillo on July g. arrived here to-day under
| prize crews consisting of Lieutenant S.
NJ. Blount and Gunner's Mate ]. X. Hatton.
with four marines each.
Marryat never imagined more gro
| tesque tale of marine misadventure than
was experienced by these men in bringing
their spoils to port. They encountered sui
eide and Spanish bullets. and, buffeted
about by hostile winds. drifted helplessly
| about in strange seas until well 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 Captain E. ]. Harding. an Eng
| lishman. and a crew of five. and three
Jamaica negroes. The Pilgrim carried a
Dutch captain and four seamen Of the
same class.
The captures were effected without diff
Guilty and Blourt and Hatton, neither of
| whom had ever seen Key West, began the
journey here. Captain Harding was much
depressed over the capture and drank
heavily until Lieutenant Blount stopped
his liquor.
On the evening of July 9, when about six
miles south of Key Romano, Captain
Harding suddenly leaped overheard. astern.
The Pilgrim put out small boat and
caught him. but he struggled desperately
and capsized 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 a dose of laudanum
before jumping into the sea.
There happened to be n Church of Eng
land prayer book on board and next morn
ing, 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 flying a flag, but both We're evidently
recognized by the strangers expected
blockade runners from Jamaica. for one Of
the schoonerS put out 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 it out, so that when the small
boat was within ten yards of the schooner
the two men who We're aboard it were still
ignorant of the fact that they were rum
ming near the enemy. Then Lieutenant
Blount shouted
Are you Spaniards?"
As one of the two, with proud gesture.
answered, Me Espanol.' the stars and
stripes broke from the fore of the Three
Bells, whereupon both occupants of the
small boat cried in dsmay. "Americanos,
Whether or not they reached shore is an
open question.
Lieutenant Blount and his men went on
in and captured the nearest schooner,
which proved to be the Conception. 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 of small coins
aSgregating about $50, large number Of
Mauser bullets and other cartridges, but
only one shotgun.
They took her in tow, and then began
| chapter of misfortunes. Violent tropical
squalls burst upon them the same day
and continued almost incessantly until
last night. They had no charts aboard
and only map of the world torn from
% cent guide book to help them as they
f'oundered about in the seas-three little
vessels. none much bigger than a catboat
In the course of the day the wind and
waves had played havoc with the Con-
cepcion. and they decided to abandon her,
and after transferring the money they sent
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 Bells pulling him over to her.
The little boats staggered along until
Wednesday morning, when a storm of un-
usual violence fell upon them OF Cape
Antonio.
Unable to make any progress and ex-
pecting almost momentarily to founder,
they lay there all day. But this was triv-
ial to what followed Late in the after
noon. as they bumped helplessly about the
sea. body of Spanish rifiemen on shore
opened fire. The only arms on the two
prize vessels were the weapons of the
marines, nine revolvers. so no attempt
was made TO return the fire. Just before
nishtfall. fifteen of the Spanish riflemen
pushed off in a small boat toward the
Three Bells and drew as close as 800 or
400 yards. pouring vicious fire at the
schooner's men.
The bullets whistled all around. riddling
the sails and some going clear through the
schooner and sloop. One bullet passed
through the cabin. within two feet of Lieu
tenant Blount. There was little negro
boy at the wheel of the Three Bells. but.
in spite of the flying rife balls. he never
| deserted his post. remarking 10 Lieutenant
Blount:
Guess I might as well die row as any
other time" In fact. all the negroes show
ed 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 wind
changed and carried the two prizes on.
Taking chances on their course being the
right one. they sailed on when. as final
blow, their water gave out. Yesterday OF
Rebecca shoal the sight of strange
schooner flying an American flag restored
their courage. She was the four-masted
R. N. Hopkins. from Baltimore, for New
Orleans. with coal, and had been delayed
by head winds. She gave the prize crews
n barrel of water. some tobacco and a
chart and set them straight on their course.
and, weary and weather worn, they drew
| into Key West harbor after the worst fort
night any of the crews had ever expert
enced.
| FRENCH SHIP TO BE FIRST.
Cruiser Rigault de GenOuilly VIII Sa.