The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-07-03
CAPTAIN SIGSBEE'S SHIP.
THE ST. PAUL NOW AT NEW
YORK HARBOR.
Some Information as to How the
Auxiliary Cruiser Whipped
the Terror.

NEW YORK, July 2-The st. Paul
arrived in port last night and anchored
Off Tompkinsville. She left Mole ST.
Nicholas early last Tuesday and has
come here for coal, ammunition and
stores, also to have some slight repairs
made to her starboard engine.
Captain Sigsbee and the officers were
absolutely inaccessible to press repre-
sentatiyes. Considerable information
was obtained, nevertheless, from a copy
OF the st. PaulS war budget, the oracle
of the ship, which was obtained. The
st. Pauls great exploit on her last trip
was the disabling Of the Spanish tor
pedO boat Terror off the harbor of San
Juan, Porto Rico, and being regarded
so by the crew, the account of it occu-
pies the first place on the first page.
When the cruiser Isabella III. came out
of the harbor at San Juan at about
noon, June 22d, covering the Terror,
which was with her, from sight, the
Sraniards thought it was the ST. Louis,
which had been there a short time be-
fore and was known to have a small
armament, and not the ST. Paul, which
was going to be met. In the expectation
of seeing fine prize brought into port
the Spaniards gathered in great crowds
along the harbor wall to see it. The en-
gaCement lasted a little over half an
hour, during which the ST. Paul fired
about nineteen shots, three of them
hitting the Terror, smashing one of her
engines, killing the Chief Engineer and
another man, taking off the legs of
third and wounding five others.
So badly was the Terror injured that
small vessels were dashed to her sides
to prevent her from sinking, while a
tuaboat towed her in.
The budget says: cat about 1910 the
third-class cruiser Isabella III. came
out and, steaming under the MORO un-
til she was abreast of the batteries,
commenced edging out toward us, firing
at such long range that her shots were
ineffective. AS her purpose evidently
was to put us within fire of the bat
teries, we took but little notice of her.
lying still and occasionally sending in
our largest shell at her to try the range.
Soon afterward she dropped to the
westward and the torpedo boat Terror,
or it may have been her sister ship. the
Furor, was sighted steaming along
shore under the batteries.
Captain Sigsbee watched her for
while and worked along with her in
order to separate her from the cruiser
and keep her in the trough of the sea If
she came for US. She then headed for
US, firing straight as far as direction
went, but her shots fell short. When
within range Of our guns the signal
Commence firing was made and for
several minutes we let fly our starboard
battery at her from $500 to 6 QUO yards.
the shells striking all around her. This
stopped her and she turned her broad
side to us and her fire soon ceased. She
then headed in shore to the southwark
and westward, going slowly, and it was
evident she was hit, drifting well lee
ward of the main harbOr entrance. Off
the Moro she flashed some signals to
the shore, and a tug came out and
towed her into the harbor. All this time
the cruiser was firing and some of her
shots fell pretty close. The cruiser fol-
lowed the Terror back to port and soon
after was Joined by a gunboat and the
two steamed under the batteries to the
eastward. But when the st. Paul, max
ing an inshore turn. seemed to be going
for them they returned to the harbor
and we saw no more of them