The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-04-25
THE FLEET OFF HAVANA.
copyrighted 1898. by the Associate,
Pressl

copyrighted 1898, by the Associated
Press.)
On board the Flagship New York, OF
Havana, April 23.-2 D. m.-(Filed Key
West, midnight, April 23.)-The Puritan.
Nashvme. Marblehead and Ericsson ar
rived fromeKey West this morning. The
Ericsson almost Immediately returned to
Key West with dispatches. At 10
o'clock this morning the monitor Puri-
tan, the cruiser Cincinnati, the gunboats
Machias. Nashville. Castine and New
port and the torpedo boats Foote and
Winslow left the squadron to blockade
Matanzas, Mariel and Cardenas. They
formed separate divisions, and after
they had passed out of sight the remain
der of the fleet took up Il regular formal
ton having drifted some fifteen miles
from Moro Castle. The general adj
vance was made at half speed. Captain
Evans, not quite certain of the position
he was entitled to take with the Iowa.
shoutedt through the megaphone: How
near may / go. Rear Admiral Samp-
son, who was standing on the after
bridge replied: AS near as you can
without drawing the fire of the batter
ies
''All right" Captain Evans shouted
back in, tones that expressed the keen
est disappointment. The Iowa then went
ahead
About half an hour after the squadron
was well under way the cruiser Cincin-
natl was seen on the eastern horizon. the
smoke pouring from her tunnels. She
had been headed for Matanzas and evil
IDENTITY 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 Mar
blehead and the gun boat Wilmington
Immediately turned out of course to
head the war ship off. The remainder
of the squadron proceeded to the west
ward. Smoke poured from our ships
The fiagship was making eighteen
knots. the whole vessel throbbng with
the vibrations of her twin screws. The
little Wilmington steamed up in splendid
style, and the first cruiser Marbehead
Kept nearly abreast. The formidable
trio bore down upon the war shin. Then
a shout went up. "She is a Spaniard.
For the next ten minutes the excitement
was terrific. The distance which sepa
rated the vessels rendered it impossible
to make out the war ships identity. She
was thought to be the Vizcava or the
solHthhos htduiU& nara TOT
Havana
The men at the guns shouted with
glee. The stokers off duty below cheer
ed vociferously and begged to &c IL.
lowed to go on deck to help shoot AT the
first armed enemy met. The officers
crowded on the quarter deck. as elate
ms the men. though under better control.
The bugler blew General Quarters. :"
All hands flew to their posts Down
came the shrouds with IA rattle The
life lines vanished from the dec.s. Rear
Admiral Sampson. standing on the
bridge. said deliberately to Captain
Chadwick. 'Yes, the Oquendo or the
Nozcaya and then added: II should
like to bag them both" Then it was
seen that the chase was flying an Ital
IAN nag. but this was no proof that be-
hind her still invisible guns Spaniards
were not concealed. ready to shoot un-
DER advantage or subterfuge All the
guns on the New Yorks port side and
III lhe forward and after turrets were
framed on the stranger. A few min
"tes lhter' when about 100 yards sep
hratea the New York from her target
.ne A,iiericail nag was run up by the
war snip, and then it was known she
was not Spaniard.
puff of smoke issued from bar s;aos
anu the boom Of gun sounded across
the waters. 1t was only a salute INT
ut hrst many on board thought Roar
ADMIRAL Sampson had been deceivad
But the war ship fired fifteen Guns as
salute, which was returned by IN.
flagship. which also flew an ItaI;an
flag. The stranger was then made ont
to be the Giovanni Bausan. a powarfr,
cruiser. Without further formalitias
she pursued her course and entered Ia.
vana harbor. Thus an exciting incident
ended in disappointment. but it served
to show how anxious all hands are "a,
a real fight and how splendid the dis.
clpiine IS when contingency seem;
imminent