The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-09
RAN INTO A SPANISH TRAP
v1cKsBURG AND MORRILL,
NARROWLY ESCAPE
The Two Little GunbOats Exposed
to a Hot BOmbardment From the
Santa Clara Battery for Over Half
an Hour, but No Serious Damage
. Is Done Either-Victims OF u
willy Trick.

|
Is Done Either-Victims Of u
willy Trick.
KEY WEST, May 8.-Only poor
craftsmanship on the part Of the Span
ish gunners saved the Vicksburg and
the cutter Morrill, from destruction off
Havana yesterday morning. For over
half an hour they were under the fire
of the guns of the Santa Clara water
batteries, but both escaped without
material injury, although shrapnel
about them and both now show the
pitted scars Of the Spanish bullets.
The willy Spaniards had arranged a
trap to send a couple of our ships to
the bottom. They baited 1t as a man
would bait trap. A small schooner
was sent out from Havana harbor
shortly before daylight yesterday mo n
ing to draw some Of the Americans
| into the ambuscade. The ruse worked
| like a charm.
Into the Trap.
The Vicksburg and the Nor
| rill, in the heat Of the chase and in
| their contempt for Spanish gunnery,
walked straight into the trap that had
been set for them. Had the Spaniards
possessed their souls in patience but
five minutes longer, not even the bad
gun practice would have saved our
ships, and by this time our vessels
would lie at the bottom within two
lengths of the wreck Of the i'll starred
Maine. Friday evening, the Vicksburg
and the Morrill, cruising to the west of
MORO Castle, were fired on by the big
guns Of the Cojimar batteries. Two
| shots were fired at the Vicksburg and
one at the Morrill,. Both fell short
and both vessels without returning the
fire steamed out Of range. 1t would
have been folly to do otherwise,
but yesterday morning the Spaniards
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 quar-
ter. About three miles off the entrance
Of the harbor she came over on the
port tack.
A light haze fringed the horizon and
the ship was not discovered until three
miles off shore, when the Mayfiower
made her out and the Mayfower signal
ed the Vicksburg and Morrill,. Capt.
Lilly Of the Vicksburg, Immediately
pursuit.
Lured the Boats On.
The schooner instantly put about and
ran for Moro castle before the wind
On doing so, she would, according to
the well-conceived Spanish plot lead
the two American warships directly
| under the guns of the Santa Clara bat
! teries.
These works are a short mile west
| or MORO and are a part of the harbor
defense. There are two batteries. one
at the shore, which has been recently
thrown up, Of sand and mortar. with
| wide embrasures for eight-inch guns
and the other on the crest Of the rocky
| emlnence which extends out into the
| waters OF the gulf at the point. The
upper battery mounts modern ten-inch
and twelve-inch Krupp guns behind
six-foot stone parapet, in front Of
Wh1ch are twenty feet of earthwork
ana betting of railroad iron. This
| battery is considered the most formi-
dable of Havana's defense 1t is masked
and has not been absolutely located
by the American warships
1t is probably due to the fact that
the Span1ards did not desire to expose
its position that the Vicksburg and
| Morrill, are now af1oat
| The Morrill, and Vicksburg were
about six miles from the schooner
when the chase began. They steamed
after her at full speed, the Morrill,
| leading until within mile and a half
of the Santa Clara batteries. Com
mander Smith, of the Vicksburg, was
the first to realize the danger into
which the reckless pursuit had led
them. He concluded it was time to
haul off, and sent q shot across the
bow Of the schooner. The Spanish
skipper instantly brought his vessel
| about, but, while she was still rolling
in the trough Of the sea, with her sails
| tapping, an eight-inch shrapnel shell
came hurting through the air from the
| water battery a mile and a half away
/
pilot house and the smoke stack, and
exploded less than fifty feet on the
| port quarter. The small shot ratified
| against her side.
| 1t Was a Close Call.
Two more shrapnef shots followed in
| quick succession. One burst close
under the starboard quarter, filing
| the engine room with the smoke Of the
| 90 hn cIn oil o,,1 o&I.1
like the first, passed over and exploded
just beyond. The Spanish gunners had
the range, and their time fuses were
! accurately set
The crews of both ships were at their
guns. Lieut. Craig, who was in charge
| of the bow four-inch rapid-fire gun Of
the Morrill,, asked for and obtained
| permission to return the fire. At the
| first shot, the Vicksburg, which was
in the wake Of the Morrill,. slightly in
shore, sheered off and passed to wind
ward, under the Morrills stern.
In the meantime, Capt. Smith also
| put his helm to port, and was none too
soon, for, as the Morrill, stood off. a
solid e1ght-inch shot grazed her star
board quarter and kicked up tons Of
water as 1t struck a wave 100 yards
beyond. Capt. Smith afterward said
that this was undoubtedly an eight
| inch armor-piercing projectile, and
that 1t would have passed through the
MorrilTs boilers had he not changed
her course in the nick Of time.
All the guns of the water battery
were now at work One of the shots
cut the Jacobs ladder Of the Vicks-
burg adrift, and another carried away
a portion of the rigging. AS the Nor
rill and the Vicksburg steamed away
their aft guns were used, but only q
few shots were fired. The Morrill's six
| inch gun WAS elevated for a 600 wards