The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-05-12
A SPANISH TRICK.

to Law a trap for some of our ships.
Here is partial account:
Friday evening the Vicksburg and
the Morrill,, cruising to the west OF
MORO Castle, were fired upon by the
big guns of the Cojimar batteries Two
shots were fred at the Vlcksburg and
one at the Morrill,. Both fell short,
and both vessels without returning the
fire steamed out of the range. 1t would
have been folly to have done otherwise.
But yesterday morning, the Spanlards
had better luck. The schooner they
had sent out before daylight ran off to
the eastward, hugging the shore with
the wind on her starboard quarter
About three miles east of the entrance
of the harbor she came over on the
port tack. A light haze fringed the
horizon, and she was not discovered
until three miles off the shore, when
the Mayhower made her out and sign
allied the Morrill, and Vicksburg.
Captain Smith, of the Morrill,, and
Commander Lilly, OF the Vickshnrg.
Immediately slapped on all steam and
started in pursuit.
The schooner instantly put about
and ran for Moro Castle. On doing
so, she would, according to the we'll
conceived Spanish plot, lead the two
American war ship directly under the
guns of the Santa Clara batteries.
These works are short mile west of
Moro, and are at part of the defense of
the harbor. There are two batteries,
one at the shore, which has been re-
Gently thrown up, of sand and mortar
with wide embrasuIes for eight-inch
guns, and the other on the crest of the
gulf at that point. The upper battery
mounts modern ten and twelve inch
Krupp guns behind six foot stone
parapet in front of which are twenty
feet of earthwork and betting of rail-
road iron. The battery Is conside'ed
the most formidable of Havana's de-
lenses, except Moro Castle. It is
masked and has not been absolutely
located by the American war ships. 1t
is probably due to the fact that the
Span1ards did not desire to expose it's
position that the Vlcksburg and Nor
rill are now afloat. The vessels we're
about six miles from the schooner
when the chase began. They steamed
after her at full speed, the Morrill, lead
ing until within a mile and halt of
the Santa Clara batteries. Commander
Smith, of the Vicksburg, was the first
to realize the danger into which tie
reckless pursuit had led them. He
concluded it was time to haul off, and
sent shot across the bow of the
schooner. The Spanish skipper in
stantly brought his vessel about, but
while she was still rolling in the trough
of the sea with her sails Tapping, an
eight inch shrapneI shell came hurting
through the air from the water battery
mile and half away. It passed over
the Morrill, between the pilot house
and the smokestack and exploded les
than fifty feet on the port quarter. The
small shot ratified against her side. II
was close call. Two more shots fol
lowed in quick succession, both shrap
mel. One burst close under the star
board quarter, filling the engine-room
with the smoke of the explosion of the
she'll and the other, like the first, pass
ed over and exploded just beyond. The
Spanish gunners had the range anl
their time fuses were accurately set
The crews of both ships were at Their
guns. Lieutenant Craig, who was il
charge OF the bow four inch rapid fire
guns of the Morrill,, asked for and OBJ
tanned permission to return the fire
At the first shot the Vlcksburg, which
was in the wake of the Morrill,; slightly
In shore, sheered off and passed tt
windward under the Morrill's stern.
In the meantime Captain Smith
also put his helm to port, and was none
too soon, for as the Morrill, stood off, q
solid eight inch shot grazed her star
board quarter and kicked up tons O
water as it struck a wave one hundred
yards beyond. Captain Smith said
afterward that this was undoubtedly an
eight inch armor piercing projectile
: and that it would have passed through
the Morrill's boilers had he not chang
ed her course in the nick of time.
All the guns of the water battery
were now at work. One of them cut
the Jacobs ladder of the Vicksburq
adrlft and another carried away a por-
tion OF the rigging. As the Morrill,
and the Vicksburg steamed away, their
aft guns were used, but only few shots
were fired. The Morrill's SIX inch gun
was elevated for four thousand yards
and struck the earthwork repeatedly
The Vicksburg fired but three shots
from her six FOUNDER. The Spaniards
continued to fish out and shell for
twenty minutes, but the shots were In
effective. Some of them were so wild
that they aroused the American ladies
to jeers. The Spaniards only ceased
firing when tho Morrill, and Vicksbure
we're completely out of range.
/ If all the Spanish gunners had been
suffering from strablsmus, their prac-
tice could not have been worse.
The officers of both the Morrill, and
Vieksburg frankly admit their own
recklessness, and the narrow escape of
their vessels from destruction. They
are firmly convinced that the pursuit
of the schooner was neatly planned
trick, which almost proved successful.
/
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