The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-14
Twenty-Five Big Shells Fired by Nor.
ro and other Forts, but No Reply
Made by the BIockaders.
BLANCo DID NOT ESCAPE
AND SAMPSON AND HIS SHIPS HAD
THEIR CHASE FOR NAUGHT.
Rumor That Caused Flurry-Bom-
bardment of ManzaniIIO stopped
Casualties in Porto Rico.

| KEY WEST. Fla, Aug. 13.-The flagship
San Francisco the monitor Miantonomoh
and the auxiliary yacht Sylvia were fired
on by the Havana batteries shortly before )
| o'clock yesterday morning. One ten or
4 twelve-inch she'll struck the San Francisco S
stern as she turned to get out of range and
pletely wrecking Comodore Howells quar-
ters and smashing his book case to frag-
ments. Nobody was injured and, being un-
der orders not to attack the batteries, the
ships retreated as fast as their engines
would carry them.
The flagship and the Sylvia lay parallel
to each other not more than a mile from
Morro Castle, and separated from each 9TH
er by a distance of between three-eighths
and one-quarter of a mile. The Minatono-
| moh lay about three-fourths of a mile to
the rear of the others. All were within
| range of the Spanish batteries and the
| temptation was too strong to be resisted.
| While the ships of the Havana blockade
| squadron have been keeping at a distance of
six miles or more during daylight they
have been accustomed to drawing in much
closer at night. Moro Castle light has
burned steadily throughout, serving as a
good beacon for the American ships.
Thursday evening the war ships of the
squadron Immediately off Havana were the
San Francisco, Sylvia and the Miantono-
moh, and with nightfall they drew in closer
to the shore than ever before and took posi-
tions as before stated. All night the ships
rolled at their stations, with lights out, ac-
cording to the blockade regulations An
other twelve hours of dreary duty had
passed with the same unvarying monotony
and what happened soon afterwards was as
| unexpected as it was unwelcome.
| The first glimmer of dawn was breaking
through the eastern skies when. without an
instants warning, the lookout on the flag
ship saw a jet of smoke puff from one of
Morro's big guns. Almost before he could
pull himself together sufficiently to make a
shells were screaming all around the ship.
SPANIARDS HAD THE RANGE.
The Spaniards had the range and ap-
parently were grimy in earnest in their
last efforts to wreak injury on their too
mighty enemy. 1t was, however, almost as
futile an effort as in every preceding strug-
gle. Shells fell between the San Francisco
and Sylvia; some fell short; few went
over them The flagship signaled the Syl-
via to get out of range without delay. and
both ships swung round and made for the
sea. 1t was then that the she'll struck the
San Francisco's stern and sent it's frag-
ments into the after cabin, wrecking Com
modore Howell's library. The commodore
was on deck with Captain Leary when the
shell struck.
The Mantonomoh was in less danger than
the other two ships, being farther out to
sea; but when the firing commenced they
all moved out about three miles Here the
men on the flagship were speedily put to
work patching the ragged hole which a
shell had torn in the San Francisco's stern.
The damage was found to be trifiing.
All the shells fired at the vessels were
from 10 or Pinch guns. and they were ex-
actly twenty-five in number. AS they all
fell around the ships one of the Sylvia
men stood calmly on the deck of the
yacht, watch in hand, and counted. MORO
castle fired several of the missiles but how
many is not known. The others came from
two sand batteries east of Morro
The firing lasted twenty minutes. No at
tempt made to return the fire, the
blockading squadron being under specific
orders not to make any sort of demonstra-
tion against Havana partaking of the ma
ture of an attack. Even If such had not
been the case, it would have been almost
suicidal for the three ships one of them
yacht, to have faced such odds as the land
batteries of Havana. The big turret guns
of the Miantonomoh and the San Francis
co.'s main battery of 6-inch guns could have
done much damage, but the Spanlards had
the range. and to attempt to combat the al
most impregnable fortifications of Havana
would have been hopeless.
UNDER FLAG OF TRUCE.
The one-sided engagement had scarcely
ended when the men of the Sylvia were
treated to another surprise. The little yacht
gunboat. which is manned by the New York
naval militia. reached the blockading sta.
ton only two weeks ago, and this was their
first war experience. They had barely re-
covered from the tingle of 1t when the flag
ship called the vessel over and Captain
Boilers was given a packet of private docu-
ments, which he was ordered to take into
Havana harbor under flag Of truce With
cut wasting words the white flag was or
dered hoisted over the Sylvia, and she
steamed toward the guEs which had just
given her such noisy greeting. AS the syl-
via approached to within ! mile OF MORO