Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-05-09
TOMORROW ANOTHER
Sampson Will Be Heard From and
the Spaniards Will Hear
Him Plainest.
HOT WORK ON THE HIGH SEAS
The Most Likely Thing in the Worlt
to Happen Near Porto Rico.

Cruiser Montgomery Said to Have Been
Engaged with a Spanish Ship and Seven
teen of Their Vessels Reported ut Porto
Rico-Battle Looked for Tomorrow
Which Will Put Peace a Step Nearer
Spanish Poor Shooting Gives Uncle sam
Two Vessels at Havana.
Port au Prince. Hayti, May 9.-[Copy-
right, 1898, the Associated Press. 1.-The
United States cruiser Montgomery,
Commander G. a. Converse, is sup
posed to have been engaged with a
much larger Spanish cruiser Saturday
night, northwest of Cape Haytien, a
seaport town of Hayti, on it's north
coast ninety miles north of Port au
Prince. Firing was heard in that direc-
teen Spanish vessels-warships and 9TH
ers-at Porto Rico; and battle is ex-
pected on Tuesday. 1t is also reported
from Cape Haytien that Rear Admiral
Sampson's squadron has been sighted
to the north. The vessel which engaged
the Montgomery is supposed to have
been the Spanish warship Vizcaya; and
1t is suggested that possibly the Mont
gomery enticed the Spaniard within
striking distance of Admiral Sampson.
The crew of the German ship Bolivia,
which arrived yesterday, say theyheard
cannonading to the northward about 4
o'clock yesterday afternoon.
Washington, May "a Madrid dis
patch reports Blanco as telegraphing
| that wreckage is coming ashore near
Havana and that it is believed to be
from the American battleship Cincin-
natl, which has foundered. This cannot
be true, as the Cincinnati is at Key
West. Secretary Long denies that the
! Montgomery has had an engagement.
Spaniards Are Very Poor Marksmen.
Key West. May Copyright, by the
| Associated Press. l-Only poor marks
| manshipon the part of the Spanish gum
ners saved the Nicksburg and the cut
| ter Morrill, from destruction off Havana
| Saturday morning. For over half an
hour they We're under fire of the guns
| VI tIie NdHld 1iSfd water bdttelleS, Out
| both escaped without material injury
| although shrapnel shots from eight
inch guns exploded all about them. end
both now show the scars of the Span
ish bullets. The willy Spaniards had ar
ranged a trap to send a couple of our
ships to the bottom. They baited It as
a man would bait O trap. A small
| schooner was sent out from Havana
| harbor shortly before daylight Satur-
day morning to draw some of the Amer.
leans into the ambuscade.
| Fired Little Too Soon.
The ruse worked like a charm. The
| Vicksburg and the Morrill,, in the heat
of the chase and in their contempt fol
Spanish gunnery, walked straight into
the trap that had been set for them
Had the Spaniards possessed their soul.
in patience but five minutes longer moi
even the bad gun practice would have
saved our ships, and two more of oul
vessels would lie at the bottom not fal
from the wreck of the Inflated Maine
Friday evening the Vicksburg and tht
| Morrill,, cruising to the west of Morrt
castle, were fired upon by the big gun,
of the Cojimar batteries. Two shot.
were fired at the Morrill,. Both fell shor
. and both vessels without returning tn,
fire steamed out of range. 1t wouldhav,
been folly TO have done otherwise.