The age-herald., 1898-05-10
CUBA IS STILL
 LOCKED OUT Both Sides Eyeing Each Other SteaIthiIy and Waiting FOR THE NEXT ENGAGEMENT Only Diversion Is an Occasional Exchange of ShotS and the Capture of an Unwary
 Fishing Sloop-Two More
 Insignificant Prizes.

Key West, May 9.-Cuba is still locked out by Uncle Sam's steel fence. Two na- tions are still vis-a-yis, eyeing each other stealthily, waiting for the unknown. On one side is an island full of hot and chafing Spaniards, who occasionally expend their wrath in a few futile shots towards the enemy only to be beaten back like fractious children the other side a weary lot of naval men longing to open their guns and show the bad children what punishment such as occurred at Matanzas the other day and at Havana yesterday are all that offer diversion to the blockaders except the chase of few bold fishing schooners.
 The zest which accompanied the capture of the big steamers during the first days of the war has vanished now that the blockade is an established fact. The only ships worth taking are wise enough to keep shy of the fleet. Petty prizes are still taken, however, and three came in today. They surrendered too easily to make their capture interesting. They were the brig antine Lorenzo, taken by the Montgomery near Havana on Friday, while bound from Rio de la Plata with a cargo of dried beef. Ensign Osborn and a prize crew brought her in. Curiously enough an American was among those made prisoner. Seaman Scott. of Baltimore, was "shanghaied" by the Spaniard's crew at Buenos Ayres and he was glad to get back into American hands even as a prisoner. He was in the con- federate army during the civil war.
 Tl,a Tcfo GC1. .ft,y eli troc taken by the Merrill about three miles off Mariel just after yesterdays sharp Ha- vana engagement. The Newport was close at hand at the time and a prize crew made up from both ships brought the capture in today.
 The third vessel taken was the schooner Padre de Dios. Master Mateo Herrera, lad en with fish. She was taken by the New port off Mariel yesterday and was brought in by petty officer and prize crew. All three accepted one blank shot apiece as sufficient.
 There has been good deal of excitement here today over the adventures of the Nor Till and the vicksburg under fire at Ha- vana yesterday. The story was not gen. erallly known until today and the lucky ships, the first actually hit by the'enemy's shot and shell was source of great con- graduation, inasmuch as good gunnery might have blown them off the seas. The incident is taken strong argument in favor of bombarding Cuban batteries to destruction without further delay and its consequent risk to our fleet.
 Considerable indignation is expressed here over the story lately sent north of yellow fever on the Nashville, contracted from the Spanish prize Argonauta. The captain and officers of the ship, as well as Com. mandant Forsyth, of the naval station, brand it in unmeasured terms as false and cruel. Interesting details are being added to the story of the entrance of the French frigate Dubourdieu into Havana yesterday It Is said that after the fleet released her she was seen transmitting heliograph sig nals to the Cuban shore.