The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-16
'oyershot The mark and others fell short,

.
some as much as a mile. Yttf}l He
The Associated Press dispatch boat
Kate Spencer. witnessed the action
which lasted over an hour. As a spec
tacle the greatest master OF stagecraft
could not have evolved O finer eettlng,
" The big Alphonso and her convoy
steamed swiftly from the dark shadow OF
the harbor'e. mouth and turning sharply
east ran along the coast as though to
clip through the Gordon OF blockade. II
was q bold trick and not at first trans
parent. although the folly OF It created
a suspicion az there was no hope Of ulti-
mate escape and no object in escaping
the Mayfower. which standing well out
like q cat with a mouse gave a sllght
start then swinging her engines and
tiny squadron into hne, dashed In to cut
them off. The Spanish boats crowded
on steam and stood along the coast as
long as they dared to give zest to the
chase. The Mayfiower sIgnalled her
consorts "close in and charge" Word
was fiung in from ship TO ship as they
steamed in column "enechelon." See
Ing the bait had apparently taken. the
Spanlards veered around and bringing
their stern chasers to bear on the Amer
leans doubled back for Moro. E
n l. A Beautiful Fight ~.
Il was a beautIgul running fire viewed
from where the Kate Spencer lay, seven
miles Off Moro castle. Little puffs OF
white smoke burst from sides OF the
gunbnats and occasionally On explosion
OF O shell In the air. like spark OF fire.
could be discerned with the aid OF
glasses. The flash OF the Spaniards'
guns was plainly visible and reports OF
the same were dull in indistinct. Two of
the shells from the Vlcksburg burst In
the rigging Of the Mphonso and some of
II came down. but It was, OF course, I'm
possible to know whether any fataHI "a
occurred. The American fire was much
more accurate than the Spanish, as
every shell of the. latter feil short Of
their pursuers. &
The Spanlards were a mile of Moro
and our ships fully four miles further
out when flame leaped from the bat
teries OF Santa Clara forts and clouds of
white smoke drifted up the coast. Half
minute later dull heavy roar of a
great gunicame like q deep dlapason OF
an organ on high treble Of small guns.
1t was from one Of the twelve inch
Krupps mounted there, and an $50
pound projectile plunged into the water
half a mile inside OF the American line,
throwing up tower OF white spray. It
ricochetted and struck as1in hall q na1le
outside. a35 :.
The mask was now of. Maddened by
the failure Of their plot the Spaniards
continued to fire at intervals Of abou.
ten minutes. In oil thirteen shots were
fired, but not one struck withS 200 yards
OF one. OF our ships. AS soon as the
battery opened Commander Lilly sig
nailed and his feet stood off shore.
Let GO n Final Brondslde
Captain Mckenzie on the bridge OF the
vlcksburg. watched the fall OF the shells,
but he considered It useless to waste
ammunition at that distance. He ap-
peased the desire OF the men at the guns.
however. by letting go q final broadsIde
at the Spanish ships, in chance hope of
making them pay for their daring be-
fore they gained the harbor, brrt they
steamed IN under Morro's guns un-
touched, and as they disappeared fired
several shots. Several shots were sent
after them at that moment by the An
napolls, which dropped inside the mar
bor, probably creating CONSERVATION
amnns score OF gunbo2ts on the water
front.
AT the close OF the action, Just at sun
down. the Associated Press dispatch
boat Kate Spencer, ran up alongside OF
the Vicksburg. Her men. many Of them
stripped to their trousers, and pistol
belts, were still at the guns.
They and their officers received the
news of SIMPSONS capture OF San Juan
with cheers that reached the Maynower.
quarter of a mile off. bringing her
crew to the side. 10
Commander Mckenzie thinks, as do
other officers Of the fleet, that the Al
phonso has been stripped OF her battery
and guns and those used to-day were
only temporarily mounted. If 1t was
the Alphonso XIII she must have found
new boilers, since lately she was a help
less cripple in Havana harbor From
the action OF Krupp guns It is evident
the Span!ards have no cordite and are
using ordinary cocoa powder.