Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-05-14
DREW THE YANKEES
INTO A TRAP
Gunboats vicksburg and MorreII
Move Under the Guns Of
a Spanish Fort.
RECKLESS PURSUIT OF A SHIP
Only the Poor Workmanship of The
Spaniards Saved Them
From Destruction.
SHELLS BURST ALL AROUND THEM

oHcllo DUMB AL RNUUNU iHCW
Boats Draw Ont OF Range but Little
Damaged but They Have Sew
era Very Close
Calls.
Key West, May 10.-Only poor marks
manship upon the part of Spanish gun
ncrs saved the Nicksburg and the cut
ter Morrill, from destruction off Havana
Saturday morning. For over half an
hour they were under the fire of the
guns of the Santa Clara batteries, but
both escaped without material injury,
although shrapnel shots from s-inch
guns exploded all about them and both
now show the pitted scars Of the Span
ish bullets. The willy Spaniards had
arranged a trap To send Il couple of our
shops TO the bottom. \ small schooner
was sent out from Havana harbor
shortly before daylight Saturday
morning to draw some of the Ameri-
cans into the ambuscade. The ruse
worked like a charm. The Nicksburg
and the Morrill,, in the heat of the
chase and in their contempt for Span
ish gunncry, sailed 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 two more of our
vessels would lie at the bottom within
s,,, l,.nrtI- Of t1. ,t,apl ,f tho I'LL
fated Maine.
Friday evening the N~ickSburg aud
the Morrill,, cruising To the west of
MORO castle, were fired upon by the
big guns Of the Cojimar batteries. Two
shots were fired at the Nicksburg and
one at the Morrill,. Both fell short and
both vessels. without returning the
fire, steamed ont Of range. But Satur-
day morning the Spaniards had better
luck. The schooner they had sent off
before daylight ran off to the east
ward, huPging the shore. \ light haze
fringed the horizon aud She was not
discovered until three miles off shore,
when the Mayfower made her out and
signaled the Morrill, and Nicksburg.
Sailed Right Into the Trap.
NNDlilh 0liiiAl 90 TIC NlDIilll anu
Commander Lilly of the Nicksburg.
Immediately slapped on all steam and
started III pursuit. The schooner in
stantly put about aud ran for Moro
Castle before the wind. On doing so
she would, according TO the well con
ceived Spanish plot, lead the two Amer
lean warships directly under the guns
of h Santa Clara batteries. These
works are "A short mile west of MORO
and u Gre a Raft affc iff &65 fb5se tfefie Ct oh 5hs
at the shore, which has been recently
thrown up Of sand and mortar, with
wide embrasures for s-inch guns, and
the other on the crest OF the rocky emf.
hence which juts out into the waters
of the gulf at the point. The upper
battery mounts modern 10-inch and IL
incn hrupp guns behind a six-foot
stone parapet, i'm front Of which are
twenty feet of earthwork and a belt
ing of railroad iron. This battery is
considered the most formidable of Ha.
rana's defenses, except MORO castle.
10 Is masked and has not been absolute
~ located by the American warships.
1t is probably due TO the fact that the
S%paniards did not desire TO expose it,
position that the Nicksburg and Nor
rill are now aloat. The Morrill, and
N~icksburg were about six miles from,
the schooner when the shooting began.
They steamed after her at full speed.
the Morrill, leading until within n mile
and a half of the Santa Clara batteries.
Commander Smith of the V~icksbur,,
was the first to realize the danger into
which II reckless pursuit had led
them. He concluded that il was time
to haul off and sent a 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 s-inch shrapnel shell came
hurting through the air from the wa.
ter battery n mile and a half away. 1t
passed over the Morrill, between the
pilot house and the smokestack and
exploded less than fifty feet on the
port quarter. The small shot ratified
against her side. IL was a close call.
Two more shots followed in quick sue
cession. both s%hrapnel. One burst close
under the starboard quarter, filing the
engine room with smoke Of the explo-
sion of the shell, and the other. like.
the first, passed over and exploded lust
beyond. The Spanish gunncrs had the
range and their time fuses were accu-
rately set. The crews of both ships
were at their guns. Lieutenant Craig.
who was i'm charge of the bow finch
rapid fire gun of the Morrill,, asked for
and obtained permission to return the
fire. At the first shot the Vicksburp.
which WINS IN the wake OF the Morrill,.
slightly i'm shore. sheered of and
passed to the windward under the Nor
rilrs stern.
\ Very Close Shave.
In the meantime Captain Smith algo MT
his helm TO port. and was none too soon.
for as the Morrill, stood Off a solid s-inch
shot grazed her starboard quarter and
kicked up tons OF water as II struck a
wave 100 yards beyond. Captain Smith
said afterwards this. was undoubtedly an
S-inch armor piercing projectile, and that
II would have passed through the Morrili's
boilers had she not changed 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 Vicksburg adrift, and anoth-
er carried away n portion of the rigging.
AS the Morrill, and the yicksburg steamed
away their aft guns were used but only a
few shots were fired. The Morrill's 6-inch
a bullet Its Own Doctor.
Philadelphia Record: In spite of the ter
rIble increase IN the destructiveness OF
i ~nodorn Uorfaro tha taoIauc, 30 tho ttc,..