The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-04-25
THE BL0CKADING FLEET
Continued from First Page.

,'AN'N
sharp report of a six-pounder.
Pedro Come to In Heavy Sea.
There was no mistaking it's meaning.
The steamer stopped it's engines i'm
and flung around in the
heavy sea which was running. The
next move came promptly. A large
white boat was lowered from the New
York filled with sailors and marines, all
fully armed and in charge of an officer.
The prize proved to be the Pedro of
about 1000 tons. She was apparently in
ballast or had light cargo. The sun
was sinking below the horizon, when
the prize crew from the New York
climbed over the side of the Pedro and
a few minutes later the Spanish ensign
was hauled down.
A German Steamer.
While this was transpiring the out
lines of another steamer were seen
several miles to the westward. Dusk
was gathering and it was impossible
at that distance to distinguish her ma
tionality, but the New York put out
for her as soon as she had cast loose
the whaleboat containing the prize
crew for the Pedro. The New York
then fired another blank shot of warn
ing to "heave-to" in the direction of
the second vessel and upon gaining
proper distance, the New York fired a
second shot, this time across the bows
of the second steamer and the latter
hove-to at once. Upon investigation it
was seen that she was a German
steamer that had just left Havana and
she was allowed to proceed. The Pedro
was taken to Key West, the New
York returned to the remainder of the
fleet and all the vessels lay to and
drifted all night outside of Havana
harbor. Torpedo boats and one of the
of the fleet all night, but no vessel of
any kind approached the men-of-war.
Witnessed From tho shore.
That shots had been fired by the New
York and that one steamer had been
seized and that another had been stop
ped must have been known in Havana
very soon after the occurrence, for the
whole affair could be witnessed from
the shore. However, none of the ves-
sells was close enough to the city of
Havana itself to know what demon
strations the events caused there. This
was the second seizure of the day, the
first beng that of the Spanish steamer
Buena Venture, which the fleet of
warships met early in the morning soon
after they had left their anchorage at
Key West. The steamer was some
distance outside of Havana harbor at
the time she was stopped and Admiral
Sampson signalled the Nashville which
1>,>n11 cr1,f hnr tn hnt. IN ,nyst
which was done.
A Third Seizure.
A third seizure occurred this morning
a few miles west of the entrance to Ha-
vana harbor. 1t was small schooner,
apparently fishing craft. and she was
captured by the Cincinnati. The cruis-
er towed her to the flagship and her
captain made satisfactory explanation
to Rear Admiral Sampson, who releas-
ed the vessel. Shortly before noon yes
terday the torpedo boat Porter captur-
ed a Spanish coasting schooner, Ma
thilde, which the Dauntless towed into
Key West last night. The New York,
with the torpedo boat Porter in close
attendance, was lying about five or ten
miles off Havana when the smoke Of a
SlCdHiGt was ocSi a lew liiitSo. W tiC
eastward. The flagship and the Porter
started for her, but when they drew
near they found that she was the Ital-
ian man-of-war Bausan, bound for Ha-
vana. The italian ran the American
colors up to the masthead and fired a
rear admiral's salute of Fifteen guns,
| it being the first salute Admiral Samp-
son has received from a foreign war
ship since his appointment to this rank
| The New York returned the salute and
as the firing occurred only q few miles
| off shore the incident probably created
CONSERVATION in Havana. Just as this
ceremony was completed two schooners
were sighted in shore from where the
| New York and the italian lay, and the
| flagship signalled the Porter to go after
them. The torpedo boat glided over the
water at very rapid rate and passed
almost under the bows of the Bausan
on her capture Of the Mathilde. AS she
ran, the Porter fired shots from hel
six-pounder across the bows of both
schooners One of them came about
Immediately, but she proved to be a
fishing boat and was released.
| Mathilde Obstinate.
| But the Mathilde was more obstinate
and probably did not appreciate being
stopped by what looked like a toy-boat
or else she failed to understand what
the Porter wanted her to do. But wher
| two more shots were fired from the tor.
pedo boat the Mahtilde came about ant
the Porter ran alongside and Informed
her that she was seized by the United
States and promptly took her in tow
and started off to the flagship with
her.
Londed with Rum.
The Mathilde was loaded with barrels
of rum and the Porter had considerable
difficulty in dragging the heavy vesse
through the water. But she finally
brought her prize alongside the flagship
and by this time she had hoisted the
stars and stripes above the Spanish flas
| at the Mathilde's masthead Nearl,
the entire crew of the New York as
sembled on the deck, and as the Porter
came up with her prize they gave he
a great cheering. The Dauntless wa.
about ready to leave for Key West ant
Admiral Sampson asked the dispatcl
! boat to tow the prize to that port fol
him, which was done, prize crew
from the New York being placed OF
board the Mathilde There was stron,
wind blowing and a heavy sea runnins
IL