The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-16

ON BOARD ASSOCIATED PRESS Dis
PATCH BOAT KATE SPENCER. OFF
HAVANA. May Ii-yia Key West, May
sundown tonight. attempted TO execute
a ruse which, IL successful, would have
cleared the front OF Havana of six ships
on that blockading station. Unable to
come out 10 do battle, he adopted the
tactics of the spider and cunningly planned
to draw the prey into his net, but, though
a clever and pretty scheme, as an original
proposition, It was practically repetition
OF the trick by which the gunboat Nicks-
burg and the little converted revenue cut
ter Morrill, were last week decoyed by
fishing smack under the big Krnpps OF
the Santa Clara batteries. Thanks to bad
gunnery, both ships on that occasion man
aged to get out Of range without being
sunk, although most of the shots burst
close aboard and the yicksburg's ladder
was cut adrif.. The wary are never caught
twice in the same trap.
Late this afternoon the ships on the Ha-
vana station were dumbfounded to see two
ships steam out of Havana harbor and
head east. Dense smoke was streaming
like black ribbons from their stacks. and
full head OF steam. BY aid OF glasses.
Commander LILY, Of the Mayfiower,
which was flying the pennant. made out
the larger vessel of the two. which was
about 200 feet long and about 1900 tons dis
placement. TO be the Alfonso XII. and the
smaller one TO be the lie Gasepi, both OF
which were known 10 be bottled up in Ha-
vana harbor. AT first he supposed that
they were taking advantage OF the abb
sence Of the heavy firing ships and were
making bona fide run for the open sea.
AS superior officer. he signaled the other
ships on the station. the y!cksburg, An
napolis. Wasp, Tecumseh and Osceola.
which were moving in, to form a column
in echelon. with the gunboats on the right
flank. The little squadron moved in OBJ
liquely toward the fleeing Spaniards. keep
Ing up a running fire as they went. The
Alfonso ard her consort circ.ed snshore.
about FIVE miles below. and after running
for half an hour headed In for Moro castle.
Our gunboats and thIn-skinned vessels
Of the Mosquito feet did not follow them
In. Commander Lilly saw that the wiIv
Spanish ruse was to draw them in under
the fires or the heavy batteries. where the
Spanish artillery officers could plot out
the exact range with their teleneters and
pot them. So the return was made IN line
ahead parallel with the shore. Conn
mander LILY had not been mistaken. As
his ships came abreast Of the Santa Clara
battery the hig guns opened and fred
thirteen shells at a distance OF about 9va
miles The range was badly Judged as
more than half the shells oversize, .ha
mark ard Others fen short. some as m,c,
as mile.
The Associated Press dispatch boat Kate
Spencer witnessed the action. which las.s,
over an hour. As a spectacle. the vreat-
est master OF stage Graf. couIs m, ,,,..
evolved finer setting. The low s,,
dyed the Cuban hills royal purple.
aEainsi which Havanats wh5re waps
cleaned Ike alahaster. Moro's gray .avsr
s'oed cat against the blue waters =, :, j..
'faf. while directly behind sprung a broa Il,
bard OF the rainbow woven in ana on,
through dense gray clouds. untu los, =.
the zenith.
1ne Dig Alfonso ard Der CONVOY s,ea,,as
swiftly from the dark shadows Of III. ha-.
hor's mouth. and turning sharpyv cas-, w.
along tho coast IA though 10 slip ,h-nuvh
The Gordon Of The blockade. II was ho,s
trick and not a; aTs' transparent. al,houg h
the folly of IL created 4 suspicion az thera
WIS no hope Of ultimate escape an. no ob-
1ect n eScapin< the Mayfower. which.
standing well Ike a ca, with a mouse gave
q slisht start. ;hen swinging her engines
ard the tiny squadron .uto lire. dashed in
20 cut them oT, The Spanish boats crowd
al or stHsrI a9a s;ao5 a.oas ;he coast -
loaE RS they darea rge ga Is ssz caase.
The Mayslrv~r 9}-a s.. s-zur-s Close
ln and charge HCos,s was nuas on from
ship to ship, as saey steamed In column
Of echelon-
Seeing the bait had apparently been ta-
ken. the sran'ards veered bringing their
stern 50 rs 70 bsar on tsse Americans ard
doubted back for Hsro, I: wss beautiful
Fuan.nS Gre. viewed from waere the Kate
Spencer lay. seven miles OF Moro castle.