The times., 1898-04-27
CUBAN REFUGEES ABOARD
The Last Vessel Flying Old Glory
TO Leave Havana.
SPANIARDS STONED TIE SHIP
with the Guns of MORO Booming n
Warming Over Her Head, She
Mined acknowledgements Greatly
Excited and Alarmed.

New York, April 26.-The Ward Line
steamer Saratoga. with 211 Cuban refu-
gees aboard, came into port from Ha
vana this morning. She is the last ship
flying the American flag to sail from the
Cuban harbor, and had she remained at
her buoy a few minutes longer she now
would be a captive of Spain Before she
had dropped her pilot off Aorro Castle at
dusk on Friday evening Rear Admiral
Simpsons feet had begun the blockade.
The Saratoga was under MOrro's guns
when they doomed the signal warning the
city OF the approach of the blockading
squadron. and an hour later she was
spoken by the torpedo boat Ericsson,
which fired two shots across her bows
as a signal to heave to.
I'VE dropped anchor in Havana harbor
week ago today, with a heavy cargo,
from New York" relates First Mate Ros-
sitter. None of US went ashore. for we
did not want any trouble. During the
four days we were lying in the harbor
The town was peaceful, as far as We could
Judge from shipboard. ! was glad when
sailing time came, and l felt still better
when we took on our pilot down at the
Hook this morning. On Thursday we got
word that Mckinley had given mis- ulti-
matum and Havana would be blockaded
at Is O'Clock Saturday morning. We ex-
pected that there would be trouble, but
the only visible result of the news was
a rush to the company's Office to get pass
age on the Saratoga.
f,rrr
when we weighed anchor we had 2ll on
our list. We never expected to get out
OF the harbor. The refugees, women and
children. were greatly alarmed and beg
ged US to sail at once TO escape capture
but Capt. Johnson said he guessed the
Stars and Stripes were safe in Havana
for q few hours longer. While we were
taking on cargo that morning there was
great activity aboard the warship Al
fons0 XII. She was cleared for action
and towed TO Machina dock.
We left our buoy at dusk. The mo-
ment the engines started great howl
was set up on shore. The Spanish rab.
bic threw stones at the ship. The Cubans
aboard We're excited. AS we neared the
channel between MORO Castle and Ca
bana Fortress we wished we were vel
out to sea. for across the channel ahead
we saw red and white buoys marking
the submarine mine and suddenly one oi
Morros big guns doomed over our heads
then another of the echoes came rolling
back from the hills. a red flag shot VI
over the castle. We thought We wer,
done for The captain and / We're on th'
bridge Our Spanish pilot told US TO stop
You can bet We did. for on one side o
our bow was red torpedo buoy and ol
the other white one We lay ther
over these tOrpedOes for five minute
waiting for signal from the forts bu
none come. Capt. Johnson asked tn
pilot if we should put back.
No. he said, your damned Amen
can squadron is coming and those wer
the signal guns.
Then let us get out of this sal
the captain. We started ahead, the cap
tain and ] keeping a sharp lookout from
the bridge.
IF there's squadron ahead
told Capt. Johnson, 1T is the Spans
feet from the Cape Verde Islands
Just what ] was thinking. said III
captains
I'VE dropped our pilot. Far away t
the north we saw q line of black ship
and we put on all steam and swun
around TO the northeast and fell in wit
a German tramp ship which had left tn
harbor ahead of us We had been sighte
by the feet and the two easternmost ship
drew away and gave chase. An hour a.
ter we had dropped the pilot. the torped
boat fred a blank shot of our port quar-
ter. She was only a few hundred yard
away and rapidly overhauling US "
were going at top speed and before "
could heaTe 10 d solid shot was fire
across our bows. We lay 10 while In
torpedo boat came up. Then we saw tha
il was our own Ericsson. The passen
gers thought IL was a SDaniard tina
would blow Us up. When they found tina
we carried the Stars and Stripes we wer
allowed 10 go on We kept an eye ou
for SpaniaTds on the way up the coas
but did not see a sign OF a warship.
Havana is fixed for a long blockad,
one Of the passengers told me that BlaT
co had stored uD tons Of provision
about which nothing has been said"
The Saratoga brought 81, O000 600 in speci
in addition to heavy cargo Of cigars an
fruit