The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-25
THEY ARE DISAPPOINTED.
Sampson Was Sure He was Going To Bag
u spanish Warship.

u spanish Warship.
On Board the Flagship New York. OFF
Havana. . y. m. April 23.-Via Key
West. Midnight. April 2i.-Th Puritan.
Nashville. Marblehead and Ericsson ar
rived from Key West this morning. The
Ericsson almost Immediately returned
tn Key West with dispatches. At 10
o'clock this morning the monitor Puri-
tan. the cruiser Cincinnati. n. gun
boats Machias. Nashville. Castine n
Newport. and the torpedo boats Foote
and Winslow. left the squadron to
blockade Matanzas. Mariel and Car
denas. They formed separate divisions,
and after they had passed out of sight
the remainder OF the fleet took up a
regular formation. having drifted
some II miles from MORO Castle. The
general advance was made at half
speed. Captain Evans. not quite GER
tain of the position he was entitled to
take with the Iowa, caught up abreast
of the flagship and shouted through the
metaphone: How near may i so :"
Rea Admiral Sampson. who was
standing on the aft bridge. replied: AS
near as you can without drawing the
fire of the batteries" "Ali right"
Captain Evans houted back i'm tones
that expressed the keenest disappoint-
ment. The Iowa then went ahead.
About half an hour after the squa-
dron was well under way, the cruiser
Cincinnati was seen on the eastern hor-
lion. smoke pouring from her tunnels.
She had been cad for Matanzas and
evidently had turned back to chase
some vessel. The object OF her pursuit
was soon made out. standing well in
toward the coast. The flagship, the
cruiser Marblehead and the gunboat
Wilmington Immediately turned out Of
the course to head the warship on. The
remainder of the squadron proceeded
westward. The flagship was making Is
knots an hour. the whole vessel throb-
bicg with the vibrations of her twin
screws. The little Wilmington steamed
up I'm splendid styles. ana the fast
cruiser Ma~rblehead kept nearly abreast.
The formidable trio bore down on the
warship. Then a shout went up: shes
a Spaniard."
For the next 10 minutes the excite
ment was terrific. The distance which
separated the vessels rendered IL impos-
sible to make out the warship's identi-
ty. She was thought to be the Viz
caya or the Oquendo, heading hard for
Havana The men at the guns shouted
with glee. The stokers on duty also
cheered vociferously and begged to be
allowed To go on deck to help shoot
at the first armed enemy met. The
officers crowded on the quarter deck
as eiated as the men, though under
better controi. me Dugler blew gen
erai quarters n all hands flew to
tneir posts. Down came the shrouds
Win a rattle. Life lines vanished from
the deck rear Admiral sampson,
standing on the bridge. said deliberate
~ 10 captain Yes, the
oquendo q the Vizcaya." and then add
ed: Il should like to bag them both
Then II was seen that the
Ia AZ NNHAa xa.. ~ a. -.
this was no proof that behind her still
invisible guns Spaniards were not con
ceaied' ready 10 shoot under advantage
or subterfuge. All the guns on the
New Nork's port side and i'm the for
ward and after turrets We're trained on
the stranger. A few minutes later.
when l.50O yards separated the New
York from her target. the American
nag was run up by the warship. and
then IL was known she was not a Span
lard.
A pun of smoke issued from her sides
and the boom of a gun DUNDEE across
her bows. A salute was fired, but at
first many on board thought Rear Ad-
miral Sampson had been deceived. But
h fired Is guns as a salute. which
was returned by the flagship. which al
so flew an Italian flag. The stranger
was then made out to be the Giovanni
Bausan, "a powerful cruiser. Without
further formalities she pursued her
course and entered Havana harbor.
Thus an exciting incident ended i'm dis
appointment, but IL served to show how
nt N MI - 80 60. an .@al Al.