The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-05-10
Led IntO Danger BY
Il Spanish Trick
ASmaII Spanish Boat Sent out to Bait the Americans ana
Entice Them Under the Spanish Guns when a
Torrent of Shells From the Battery Fell
All About Them.
WILD SHOOTING SAVED THEM
If the Spanish Gumners Could Have Aimed Correctly These
Two Boats Would Have Joined the Maine on the Bot
tom of Havana 1arbor--A Lesson that Will be a Vall-
able One.

der the Morrill's stern.
In the meantime Captain Smith, also
put his helm to port, and was none too
soon, for rs the Morrill, stood off, 4
SolId eight inch shot graZed her %staro1Hrd
quarter and kicked uD tons of water as
it struck Il wave one hundred yards be-
yond. Captain Smith said aftcrward thar
this was undoubtedly an eight inch ar
NOR piercing projcctilc and that it would
have passed through the Morrill'S boil
crS had he not changed her course III
the nick Of time.
All the guns of the water battery We're
now at work. One of them cut the
Jacobs ladder of the Nicksburg adrift
and another carried away Il portion Of
the rigging. AS the Morrill, and the
NickSburk steamed away. their aft guns
were used. but only a few shots We're
fired. The Morrill's six inch gun was
elevated for four thousand yards and
strucl, the earthwork repeatedly. The
Vicksbure fired but three shots from
her six Founder. The Spaniards con-
tinueG TO fish out and shell for twenty
minutes. but the shots were ineffective.
Some of them were so wild that they
, aroused he American laddicS to jeers.
The Spaniards only ceased firing when
the Morrill, and Nicksburg were com
Idctely out Of range.
II all the Spanish gunners had beer
suffering from strabismus. their practice
could not bayn haan worSo
The officers of both the Morrill, and
Nicksburg frankly admit their OWL
recklessness. and the narrow escape OF
their vessels from destruction. They
are firmly convinced that the pursuit
of the schooner was 4 neatly planned
trick. which almost proved successful.
If anyone of the shots had struck the
thin skin Of either vessel it would have
offered no more resistance than Il piece
Of paper to Il rife ball.
The accurate range of the first few
shots is accounted for by the fact tina
the Spanish officers had ample time t.
make observations The bearings Of
the two vessels were probably taken will
Il range finder at the Santa Clara bat
terry. and as this battery is probably
connected by wire with MORO, they were
enabled to take bearings from bOtl
points. and by labOriOuS calculations they
fixed the positions Of the vessels. Will
such opportunities for observations i
would have been no great trick for al
American gunner to drop 4 shell dow
the smoke stack of a vessel.
As soon as the ships sheered off, afte,
the first fire. the Spanish gunners los
the range and their practice became lu
dicrous. If they had waited five minu
tpS longer before OOOOjn0 fire. C1Ot1iJ
Smith says. it would nave been we'll nigl
impossible to have missed the target.
Later in the day tho Morril capturc'
the Spanish schooner Espana. bound 70
Havana. and towed the prize to Kc.
: West.
On Friday the French schoolshi
Frigette Dobourdieu, carrying thirt,
guns in all, entered the harbor of Ha
vana. She was stopped by the Morril
and two salutes were fired by the Anna
; polls before she showed her flag.