The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-07
The Lafayette Prevented Entering
Havana HarbOr.
RELEASE OF VESSEL WAS ORDERED.
Orders Which Failed to Reach the Fleet 1ad been
Sent Instructing Officers to the Lafay-
cite to Enter and Leave the t1arbor

removed by tho prompt release OF the Vessei
on notice Of her capture reaching the state
department. The explanation FOR TINS IS
given In the statement which follows, ana
which was itsSed from the White House
tonight:
"The Lafayette was released in pursu-
ancc 10 orders (which we're issued by the
department previous TO her seizure, hut
which had rot been received by the com
mandlng officers Of the vessels that made
he capture. The facts are that on April
20 tbs French embassy made an nformal
inquiry az to whether the Lafayette, when
left 81 Nazalre France for Vera Cruz by
way Of Havana before war was declared
or information of the blockade received.
would be allowed TO land at Havana GER
tain passengers. her mail bags and the
baggage of the consul general OF France
snd to take some French passengers OF
board An assurance was given that II iHia
privilege should be granted the steamer
would be forbidden by the French consul
to land goods,
, THE matter was duly considered ana IL
was decided that without regard to the
strict law Of blockade and as an act oil
| courtesy the request Of the Ftcnrh GOV
| eminent should be acceded &c. ordcra
were accordingly sent on the "a day OF
May. When information was received or
| the onpturc of the steamer and her beng
| brought TO Key West. orders were given
| to the captors with instructions TO release
| the steamer and see that the orders were
| duly delivered SO that they he cnrfie' INTO
effect. No demand was made either by or
on behalf Of tho French government, d.
rectiy or indirectly for the stcomer's re
| lease
"Thc Wilmington VIII escort the La'oy
| cite 20 Havana tonight"
or the l5S passengers on board the Ia
| fayette seventy eight are for Havana,
nearly all being young Spaniards who
| say they are going TO Cuba to engage IN
mercantile pursuits. When surprise was
| displayed that such was their misSion AZ
| this time they merely shrugged their shout
| dcrs and youchsafed no lurthcr oNplAua
| tlon.
one Cuban was aboard who was return
Ing TO Join the army. He was banishcd
| from the Island seven months ago but
| came within the terms of General Blaneo 4
| nrmisticc just before The war began. lie
was oycrioyed when told that he would b.
taken with the regular United States
troops when they moved The local junta
took him ih charge and he leaves for
| Tampa tonight,
| The United States authorities who eX-
nmiucd the Lafayette today sny TINT 50
| far AZ the ships manifest shows she car
rics no contraband OF war, but with such
an immense cargo II WAS impossible to
| make thorough inspection. They saw
nothing In the nature Of arms or ammunl-
ton on board. Her release constitutes the
frst official act Of Commodore Watson In
his new command OF hr division of Ad-
| miral Snmpson's fleet lle arrived on the
Olvettc today and immediately went on
board the Cincinnati whore hr holHtel bi,
flag. The ships in The harbor doomed a
commodore salute Of eleven guns tn 9
afternoon. The customary net Of courtesy
TO now commanding officer had II dis
ircsslnG offcc, on the Latayettes pnsscn
eers- They We're dining at the time and
suddenly found themselves In The midst Of
panic. The Snanlards yelled that the
enemy had opened fire and they scampercd
nhout the decks to nrd places OF shelter
, Some Of them burst frRntically into III.
captains cabin, whore h., waa al Dime,
with his visitors. and begged the Amer
teams to save their lives. One Mexican NO.
man. wife OF Spaniard who was seiqr
with spasm when the Annapolis held ur
The Lafayette yesterday, duplicated tho
performance when the salute was fred and
Tor some time 1t was feared her Ike wa,
~ danger
Commodore Seay arrived on the Mascntt,
today While nothing official can be lenrne,
Us TO whether he viii take command a
l the second division Of the neet II IA s,it
on good authority that his consignment Il
to assume control OF the naval station.
The reports from the blockade TODAY mr.,
, 'hat mo situation II unchanged TIL
smarter cruisers are still lined m with TN
Eunboat Annapolis acting ns n,gahin