Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-05-16
BLANCO'S TRICK FAILED
Endeavored to Trap Light American Gunboat'
Under Moro Castle.
BUT COMMANDER LILLY WAS AWAKE,
The Pretended scheme to Run the Block
adc Did Not Over-Tempt the Amer
lean Commander.

VIA Key west, AiHy los-lNfoPs ''s"'N'
1898, by the Associated Press.l-Capt'
Blanco, two hours before shutdown to-
night, attempted to execute a ruse'
which, II successful would have cleared
the front OF Havana OF six ships on
that blockadng station. Unable TO
come out and do battle. he adopted
the tactics of the spider and cunninSly
planned to draw the prey Into his net
but though clever and pretty scheme
ms an original proposition.it was prac-
tically n repetition of the trick OF
which the gunboat Vicksburg and
the little converted revenue cutter
Morrill, were last week decoyed by
fishing smack under the big Krupp
guns of Santa Clara batteries.
Thanks to bad gunnery, both snips
on that occasion managed TO get out Oh
range without being sunk, though some
of the shells burst close aboard ana
the Vicksburg's ladder was cut
adrift. The wary are never caught
twice in the same trap,
Late this afternoon the SHIPS on the
Havana station were dumbfounded 10
see two ships q steam out of Havana
harbor and head east. Dense smoke
was streaming like black ribbons from
their stacks and n glance showed that
they were under full head OF steam.
BY aid of glasses Commander LiiIy Oh
the Maynower, which was flying the
pennant, made out the larger yessei
of the two. which was about 2oo teet
long and about 4, 500 tons displacement,
to he the Alfonso XII, and the small
err one to be the lie Gazpi both OF
which were known to be bottled up III
Havana harbor.
At first he supposed that they were
taking advantage OF the absence of the
heavy firing ships and were making
bonafide run for the open sea. AS su,
perior officer. he signaled the other
ships on the station, the NicRspurg
Wasp, Tecumseh and Osceola, when
were moving in, to form column
with gunboats on the right HANK
The little squadron moved In obliquely
toward the fleeing Spaniards. keeplns
up IL running fire as they went. Inc
Alfonso and her escort circleo m
shore about five miles below, and after
running In for half an hour headed IN
for MORO castle. Our gunboats ana
thick skinned vessels OF the mosquito
fleet did not follow them In.
Commander Lilly says that the WHY
Spanish rtise was to draw them IN uh-
der the fire OF the heavy batteries
where the Spanish artillery officers
could plot out the exact range with
their telemeters and pot them. SO the
return was made In line ahead parailei
with the shore. Commander Lilly mad
not been mistaken. As his ships came
abreast of the Santa Clara battery the
big guns opened and fired thirteen
shells at distance OF about five miles.
Vhe range was badly Judged. as mori
than half the shells overshot the mark
and others fell short, some much as
mile.
The Associated Press dispatch boat
Kate Spencer witnessed the action.
which lasted over an hour AS spec
tacle the greatest master of stagecraft
could not have evolved finer setting
The sun dyed the Cuban hills roya
purple, against which Havana's white
walls cleaned like alabaSter. Morro's
gray towers stood out against the blue
waters of the Gulf. while directly be-
hind sprung a broad band of the rain
bow woven through dense gray clouds
until lost at the zenith. The big Al
fonso and her convoy steamed swiftly
from the dark shadows of the harbor''
mouth. and, turning sharply east. rar
along the coast as though to Sill
through the Gordon Of blockade.
1t was bold trick and not Mt frs
transparent, although the folly of /
created a suspicion. as there was M
hope of ultimate escape and no objec
In escaping the Maynower, which
standing well like cat with n mouse
gave a slight start. then swinging he
engines and tiny squadron Into line
dashed In to cut them OFF. The Span
ish boats crowded on steam and stoot
along the coast as long as they dare
give zest TO the chase. The Mayfowe
signalled her escorts. CLOSE in am
charge"
Seeing the bait had apparently bee
taken, the Spaniards veered back
bringing their stern so as to bear o.
the Americans, and doubled back TO
Moro. II was a beautiful running fir
viewed from where the Kate Spence
lay, seven miles off Moro castle. Lit
tie puffs of white smoke burst from tn
sides Of the gunboats and occasionall
the explosion OF u shell in the air. lik
spark Of fire, could be discerned wit
the aid OF glasses. The flash of tn
Spaniards guns was plainly visbl,
but their reports were dun and indis
tinct.
Two shells of the Vicksburg burst |
the rigging of the Alfonso and some {
II came down, but II was of cours
impossible to know whether any fata
tiles occurred. The American fire wa
much more accurate than the Spanish
as every shell of the latter fell shoi
of their purpose. The Spaniards WEI
n mile on Moro and our ships WEI
fully four miles further out, whe
flame leaped from the batteries of II
Santa Clara forts and clouds of smoh
drifted up the coast. Half n minut
later duh. heavy roar of deep gu
came like deep diapason of an orEa
1t was from one of the 12-inch KrupI
mounted there, and n $50 pound pre-
1ectile plunged Into the water half
mile inside of the American lin
throwing up tower of white spray.
ricochetted and struck again half
mile outside.
The mask was now OF. Maddene
by the failure of their plot, the spar
iards continued to fire. In all thirtet
4, shots We're fired, but not one struC
within 200 yards of one OF our ships
As soon as the battery opened, Con
mander Lilly slgnaled and his he
stood off shore. Captain Mckenzie, {
the bridge OF the Vicksburg, watcht
the fall OF the shells. but he considert
1t useless to waste ammunition at thi
distance. He appeased the desire
the men at the guns. however, by le
ting go final broadside at the SPANS
ships, In u chance hope of makir
them pay for their daring before thu
gained the harbor, but they steamed
under Morro's guns untouched, and
they disappeared fired Sc veral shot
Several shots We're sent after them
that moment by tho Annapo'' viii,
dropped inside the harbor hab
creating CONSERVATION among res
gunboats ON the water front.
At the close Of the action. Just
shutdown, the Associated Press dl
patch boat Kate Spencer. ran up alon
side of the Vlcksburg, Her men, MAJ
of them stripped TO their trousers al
pistol belts, We're still at the guns. tt
ntFt "a o.