The herald., 1898-04-27
THE PANAMA'S CAPTAIN
SEEMS NOT TO BE BUILT ON
FIGHTING PLANS
RICHEST PRIZE OF THE WAR
Is Captured by a Lighthouse Tender
With a Crew Of Exactly Thir-
teen Men
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
KEY WEST, April $3.50 p.m.-Th
light house tender Mangrove puffe'
proudly into Key West harbor this morn
ang with the richest prize of the war thu
far. The captive was the Panama, Cap
tain Quevedo, big Transatlantic line,
and an auxiliary cruiser of the Spanish
navy, which has been plying of late be
tween New York and Havana. She hat
twenty-nine passengers, including three
women, one Frenchman and a Mexican
and crew of seventy-two.
AS the Panama carried two 12-pounder!
che could easily have annihilated the little
Mangrove, and as the latter same into har.
Dor with her prize, there was not Graf,
that did not salute here with rousing
cheers.
The Mangrove, under Lieutenant-Com-
mander VIM. H. Everett, who came down
from the photographic office a few weeks
ago to take her, was cruising along the
Cuban coast, navigated by Ensign Palmer,
shortly before o'clock last evening, was
about twenty miles north of Havana. AT
6:45 pm. she sighted the Panama. The
only other ship of the fleet in sight was
the battleship Indiana three miles to the
rear. Lieutenant Commander Everett
scented a prize and scudded toward the
stranger. When the latter came within
range a shot from the Mangrove's 12-
FOUNDER was sent across her bows, but the
spaniard ignored the challenge and went
on. Another shot followed without result,
but the Mangrove was drawing nearer the
stranger, who calmly proceeded on her
course, apparently without any intention
OF running away.
When the third shot was fired the Man.
grove was within a hundred yards Of the
Panama and Leutenant-Command
Everett shouted to the deck officer that II
she did not surrender he would sink her.
The Mangrove's officers admitted that they
expected the enemy's 12-pounders to open
on them in response to the threat, but the
Spaniard promptly came to. Ensign Day.
ton, the senior officer of the Mangrove,
boarded the prize. The battleship Indiana
had seen the capture and meanwhile drew
up to the Mangrove, giving her a lusty
cheer. Lieutenant-Commande Everett
reported to Captain Taylor of the battle
ship and the latter put a prize crew on
board the captured ship. They then pro-
ceeded to the flagship, where formal re-
port was made and Rear Admiral Sampson
ordered Lieutenant Commander Everett
to convoy the prize to Key West.
The Panama is about 2SOO tons burden
and her passengers were mainly Spanish
refugees fleeing from New York and other
points 10 Havana.
Captain Quevedo was grief-stricken and
greatly Inundated because of the cap
ture. The passengers declare that they
knew nothing of the blockade and that
when they saw the searchlight of the Man.
grove they thought it was the light of a
Spanish man-of-war. The first shot
changed their joy to apprehension, the
second and third created a panic. The
women ran screaming for shelter from the
enemy's guns and the captain locked him.
self sullenly in his cabin.
The Panama carries a valuable cargo of
general merchandise, including a large
quantity of corn. Much of it was meant
to provision the Spanish in Cuba, and the
cargo with the ship undoubtedly makes the
richest prize thus far taken. Under the
regulations, however, the battleship In
diana will share in the prize money, as
she was in sight when the capture was
made. This makes five steamers thus far
captured, in addition to number of
schooners and small craft. The entire
fleet has been on the lookout for the Pan
anna for several days, as she was due at
Havana yesterday or today.
II p. m.-The torpedo boat Porter has
arrived from off the Cuban coast and re-
ports that the position of the blockade
continues unchanged. There had been no
firing on either side.
The United States cruiser Cincinnati to-
day captured Lieutenant Fernandez of the
Spanish army, who was returning to his
family on small sloop. Lieutenat Fer.
nandez is detained on the flagship.
No Casualties
11:12 p. m.-The blockade continues. Ur
to this hour there have been no casualties
in the United States squadron.
A DANGEROUS MISSION