The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-07

er could leate Spain with SO many male
passengers 45n board and not have contra
band Of war in her cargo. It is reported
that the Lafayette, in addition TO being
French mail steamer. is a French naval
reserve vessel, mounting guns and carrying
q crew sufficient to make her ready for ac-
tive service at short notice This, Ii is said.
adds considerably to the gravity of the IN
ternational aspect of the case.
The Kate Spencer. dispatch boat OF the
Associated Press, just before the chase be-
gan. had spoken the Annapolis little east
Of the CoJimar battery and five miles OH
shore. The Annapolis, with canvas ventila-
tors spread had come mp lazlly from the east
and after having spoken the Spencer mad
gene about to follow her down the coast.
The Cuban shore line, gray with the hot
atmosphere of the afternoon, never looked
more peacefuK The big Krupp guns on the
battery were silent and a pretty effect was
caused by the white smoke wreaths curling
up from the roofs of the little settlement OF
gray-green slopes OF the Cuban hills. -Four
miles down the coast the grim old tower OF
MORO stood frowning, silent guardian OF
the Cuban capital, whose roofs already re-
Elected the red glow Of the declining sun.
1t was fine picture of Cuba in siesta.
Suddenly the feeling of calm was broken
BY the electric call of "A chaser! which
echoed from the stern Of the Spencer. The
Annapolis had put her helm hard astar-
board and was putting on fun steam and
cAeaviDg the waters in a northeast direction.
Her dark tunnels belched out clouds of
black smoke as the stokers piled coal into
the furnace and every effort was made to
horizon could De seen the faintest trace of
smoke. This was the quarry of the he, Amer
was off at full cry after her prey.
The stranger came rapidly up, even with
the sky line. and the marine glasses soon
made her out to be big liner with red fun
nels and headed straight for Havana. On
she came under full steam, carrying
bone in her teeth, the sailors say when
q steamer or other vessel is throwing up
roll Of white water forward as she drives
through the water with good speed. There
seemed TO be no doubt that the stranger
was bent on running through the blockading
squadron and getting under the guns of
MORO Castle, If possible, before being over
hauled. But within five minutes, from
many different directions three of Uncle
SAM war ships which had been drifting
idly on the tropic sea, had been galvanized
into life. attracted by the chase. and speed
ily Joined in the attempt to block the stran-
gers entrance to Havana.
While the Annapolis was rushing down
upon the chase. in the distance the Whining
ton and Newport were also bearing down
upon her, and the Morrill,, which had been
nosing up toward the Associated Press dis
patch boat, also saw game afoot and swung
around across the path of the liner, sort
Of David challenging Goliath, for the Nor
riil IS only small revenue collector and
now acting as a dispatch boat and a mem
Der Of the so-called Mosquito fleet The An
uapolis, however, had been doing such fine
work with her engines that she overhauled
the stranger two miles ahead of the Morrill,.
There was flash, puff of white smoke
10 the lee. followed by the boom of a gun
tired down the wind, which announced that
Uncle Sam had ordered the stranger to
heave to. The liner obeyed and the Nor
rill and the Associated Press dispatch boat
started on neck-and-neck race for the
In the meantime a boat from the Annapo-
lis had boarded the Frenchman, as the
stranger proved to be. On board the liner
4 crowd of excited passengers pressed about
the vessels side. Up from the south the
wicked, gray hulk of the Wilmington, with
her men at quarters, and the delcately lined
F0T a
ment or so later the three war ships lay
by till the boat from the Annapolis start
80 pack from the liner to the gunboat. Then
suddenly, to the astonishment of all on
board the war ships, the Frenchman blew
long querulous whistle and put on full
steam ahead, pointing straight to the en-
trance of Havana harbor.
a sharp word rang out on board the
Annapolis, and in less time than 1t takes to
and the muzzle of every gun of her star
board broadside was pointing in deadly
earnest straighc at the runaway. Then the
big after gun roared out q hoarSe order
from her starboard SIDE while the crews of
the other guns looked up anxiously, eager
10 follow suit, but the warning note had it's
engines, and then put them going astern,
while columns of steam from her escape
pipes told of the high pressure below plead
ing for release. The Wilmington and Nor
rlll had already started across the Lafay-
cites PATH, but their services were not
Then there was a long spell of wig-wag-
ging between the Annapolis and the Will
lnington in the dusk Of the evening, the sun
dropping behind the horizon and the night
falling over the scene like a drop curtain,
for there is 20 twilight in these ATTITUDES.
Later electric signals succeeded the flags,
nm there was q. nervous period of rigging
and blinking red and white questions and
answers. The signaling continued for al
most IN hour, while the puzzled dispatch
boats gathered in the weak moonlight all
most rolling their boilers in the northeast
swell as they impatiently awaited the solu-
ton of the signal consultation.
At 7:45 p. m. the Annapolis and Whining
ton lowered boats and the officers boarded
the F'renchD1an. The examination of the
liner was soon over. and after the boats
had returned to their respective ships prize
crew from the Wilmington was put on board
the Lafayette, and at Sis last night the big
escorted to Key West under the guns of
the Wilmington. The prize anchored here
this morning, and the prize court will prob
ably determine what is to be done with her.
Ensign H. H. ri g9meer, of the Annapol s,
who is in charge of the prize crew on the
Lafayette, says the latter's commander de-
MES he has Spanish soldiers on board. The
French commander, however admits that he
left Corunna on April %, after the declara-
fiOn of war; and that he took on board many
male passengers. He feigns ignorance of the
nature of his ships cargo, and says he will
be unable to ascertain what she has on
board until he examines her manifest. The
communicated with. and instructions to
the disposition of the French steamer are
eargcrly awaited. The officers of the La
fayette pretend to be very indignant, and
declare that the detention of the steamer
will be come an international episode.