The true Democrat., 1898-08-20
LAST SHE'LL DID DAMAGE
HAVANA BATTERIES GET THE RANGE AND
FIRE ON COMMODORE HOWELL
Did Not Know the War Was Over and
Ten-InCh Shell Strikes tho San Fran
cisco, Doing Considerable Damage--The
American Vessels Had to Pull for Safety.

before o'clock Friday morning. One
ten or twelye-inCh shell struck the San
Francisco's stern, as she turned to get
out of range, and tore hole about a
foot in diameter, completely wrecking
Commodore Howel's quarters and
smashing his bookcase to fragments.
Nobody was injured, and being under
orders not to attack the batteries, the
ships retreated as fast as their engines
would carry them.
The flagship and the Sylvia lay par
allel to each other not more than
mile from Moro Castle and separated
from each other by a distance of be-
tween three-eights and One-quarter of
mile. The MiantonomOh lay about
three-quarters of mill to the rear Of
the others. All were in range of the
Spanish batteries and the temptation
was too strong to be resisted.
While the ships of the Havana
blaokade squadron have been keeping
at a distance of six miles or more dur
ing daylight, they have been accus-
toned to draw in much closer at night.
The Moro Castle light was burned
steadily throughout, serving as a good
beacon for the American ships.
Thursday evening the warships
standing off Havana were the San Fran
cisco, Sylvia and the Mianotonomoh,
and with nightfall they drew in closer
to the shore than ever before, and took
y positions as before stated. All night
the ships rolled at their stations with
lights out, according to the blockade
4 regulations. Another twelve hours of
dreary duty had passed with the same
unvarying monotony, but what hap
pened soon afterwards was unexpected
and unwelcome.
The glimmer of dawn was breaking
through the eastern skies when, with
out an instants warning, the lookout
on the flagship saw a jet of smoke puff
from one of .Morro's big guns. Almost
before the lookout could pull himself
together sufficiently to make report of
the incident, ten and twelve inch shells
were screaming all around the snip.
The spaniards had the range, and ap-
parently were grimiy in earnest in their
last efforts to wreak ini2ry on their too
mighty enemy. 1t was, however,
almost as futile an effort as in every
preceding struggle. Shells fell be-
tween the San Francisco and Sylvia,
some fell short and few went over
them. The flagship signalled the
Sylvia to get out of range without de-
lay, and both ships swung round and
made for the sea. 1t was then that
the shell struck the San Francisco's
stern and sent its fragments into the
after cabin, wrecking Commodore
Howells library. The commodore
was on deck with CAPT, Leary when
the shell struck.
The Miantonomoh was in less dan
ger than the other two ships, being
farther out at sea. Here the men on
the flagship were speedily put to work
patching the ragged hole which shell
had torn in the San Francisco's stern.
The damage done was found to be
triAing. All the shells fired at
the vessels were from ten and
twelve inch guns, and there
were exactly twenty-five fired.
As they fell around the ships one of
the Sylvia's men stood calmly on the
deck of the yacht, watch in hand, and
counted them. Moro Castle fired
several, but how many is rot known.
The others came from two sand bat
teries east of Moro.
The firing lasted twenty minutes.
The one-sided engagement had scarce
" ended when the men of the Sylvia
were treated to another surprise. The
little yacht gunboat which is manned
by the New York naval reserves,
reached the blockading station only
two weeks ago and this was their first
war experience. They had barely re-
covered from the tingle of it, when the
flagship called the vessel over and
Capt. Pellers was given O packet of
private documents which he was or
dered to take into Havana under
q flag of truce. Without vast
ing words the white flag was
ordered hoisted over the Sylvia and
she steamed toward the guns which
had just given her such a noisy greet
ing. As the Sylvia approached to
within mile of Moro the character
of the flag floating from her foremast
was discerned and the castle signalled:
"What is your purpcse?"
To this the the Sylvia answered;
"We have papers to deliver"
Moro did not resume the converse
ton and for some little time the gun
boat rocked on the waters almost un-
der the smoking cannon of the enemy,
uncertain whether or not an extra
shell or two might not send her to
the bottom the next moment. Pres
emily, however, a Spanish gunboat
drew out of the harbor and came close
to the Sylvia. 1t was the Martin y Pin
son and carried n much stronger bat