The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-07
FRENCH LINER TAKEN.
Steamer la Fayette Captured While Try
ing to Run Blockade.

Steamer La Fayette Captured While Try
ing to Run Blockade.
u Key West. Fla. May Con board the
Associated Press Despatch boat Kate
Srencer-The big French liner La Fayette
OF st. Santanazari, with full compile
ment of passengers and general cargo,
bound from Corunna. Spain, April 70,
was captured off Havana, shortly before
shutdown last night, by the Annapolis
The Lafayette was heading directly
into Havana and was captured only after
an exciting chase.
After being boarded once by an officer
Of the Annapolis she attempted to run
the blockade, hut was again compelled
to heave to.
The Wilmington, Newport and Morrill,
participated in the capture
For over two hours Capt. Hunter OF
the Annapolis, the temporary flag officer.
and Capt. Todd OF the Wilmington, ex-
changed signals.
After examination of the Frenchman's
papers had been made, prize crew from
the Annapolis was placed aboard and
she was sent to Key West under the escort
Ol Uu0 w 1lIulDSUOU.
The very large number of male passen-
gers aboard leads to the suspicion that
she carried recruits for Havana.
1t is reported that the Lafayette in ad
dition to being a regular French steamer,
is French naval reserve vessel, mount
ing guns and carrying crew sufficient
to make her ready for active service at
short notice.
This, it ia said, adds considerably to
the of tho inf finnaI az npnt
of the case.
The Kate Spencer, despatch boat of the
Associated Press, just before tae chase
began, had spoken the Annapolis little
east of the Cojimar battery and five
miles off shore.
The Annapolis, with canvas yentilators
spread, had come up lazily from the east
and after having been spoken by the
Spencer, had gone about to follow her
down the coast.
The Cuban shore line. gray with the
hot atmosphere of the afternoon, never
looked more peaceful.
Suddenly the feeling of calm was brok-
en- by the electric call of ga chase, !"
which echoed from the stern of the Spen-
Ger.
The Annapolis had put her helm hard
a starboaid, and was putting ON full
steam and cleaying the waters in north
east direction.
The stranger came rapidly up even
with the skyline and was soon made
out to be a big liner, with red tunnels,
heading straight for Havana. On she
came, under full steam. There seemed
to be no doubt that the stranger was bent
on running through the blockading
squadron. But three OF Uncle Sam S
warshjps, which had been drifting idly
on the tropic SEAS had been attracted by
the chase speedily joined in the attempt
to block the strangers entrance to Ha-
yana.
While the Annapolis was rushing down
upon the chase IN the distance, the Will
mington and the Newport, were also
bearing down upon her, and the Morrill,.
which had been nosing up toward the
Spencer, also saw game afoot and swung
around across the path of the liner.
The Annapolis had been doing such
fine work with her engines that she over
hauled the stranger two miles ahead of
| the Morrill,
| There was hash,a puff of white smoke
to port, which announced that Uncle
! Sam had ordered the stranger to heave to.
| The liner obeyed. A boat from the
| Annapolis boarded the Frenchman, as the
stranger was then made out by his colors
to be.
| On board the liner crowd of expectant
| passengers pressed anxiously about the
vessels side.
A moment or SO after the three war
ships lay by till the Loat from the An.
| napolis started back from the liner to the
gunboat.
Then suddenly, to the astonishment of
| all on board the warship, the Frenchman
blew a long whistle, and put on full
steam ahead, pointing straight to the en-
trance of Havana harbor.
| A sharp word OF command rang out on
board the Annapolis, and in less time
than it takes to pencil these words, her
| crew were at quarters and the lnuzZle OF
every gun on her s.arboard side, was
pointing in a deadly earnest manner
| straight at the runaway.
| Then the Zig afte: gun roared forth
| a hoarse order from over her starboarti
quarter, while the crews of the other
guns looked up anxiously, eager to fol-
| low, but the warning note had its effect.
| The big liner again stopped her engines
and then put them going astern.
The Lafayette, which halls from st.
Nazaire, France, is an iron vessel of {, 3e4
tons register, 344 feet long, A feet beam
and IS feet depth of mold. She was built
| at Greenock in 1864.
At 7. 45 p. m, the ANNAPOLIS and Will
mington lowered boats, with officers, and
boarded the Frenchman. Thsir eyapina.
tion OF the liner WAS soon over and after
| the boats had returned to their respective
|
was put on board and at g. last night
] the big Frenchman was headed north and
escorted to Key West under the guns OF
the Wilmington.
| The prize anchored here tbs morning
ana and, tbs The prize court will probably de-
termlne what /; to be done with her.
Ensign ii. ID. Zsigemeier of the An
napolis, who is in charge of the prize
crew on board the Lafayette, says the
| ldtter'S commander Ceuies that he has
| spanish soldiers on board. But the
french commander admits he left
Coi unna on April 30, after the declara,
i non OF war, and that he took on board
m ny male passengers. He feigns igno-
rance of the nature of his ships cargo
and says he viii be unable to ascertain
what she has on board until he examines
| her manifest
The navy department at Washington
has been communicated with. me
officers of the La Fayette pretend to be
very Indignant and declare the detention
of the Lafayette will become an inter
| national episode.