The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-07
] CAPTURE OF LAFAYETTE,

A French Steamer, by tho Blocitadlng
S Fleet on Havana-A Long Chase Results
b In Bringing tho Vessel "to Book.p
(Copyright, 1888, by the Associated Press.)
On board the Associated Press dis
patch boat Kate Spencer. via KEY
WEST, Ella, May 6.-The Lafayette, OF
the French General Transatlantic Com;
pahy's line, a vessel OF 1894 tons gross
register, bound from corunna, Spain, on
April %, for Havana, was captured yes
terday. evening OF the latter port by the
United States gunboat Annapolis, Com
b manderi J. J. Hunker, while trying to
run the blockade, after having previous
ily been warned off. She has on board q
ilarge number of passengers and valu-
I able general cargo, possibly containing
| Icontraband. o. war.
h The Lafayette, which halls from st.
}Nazaire. France, is vessel Of the old
type. She Is 344 feet long. has a; A feet
beam and Is 2S feet deep. She was built
ns1sa at Greenock, of iron. &
\ q Her capture was effected shortly be-
fore sundown last night, in the follow.
| Ing manner: -
The Lafayette was heading for Haya-
ma and was boarded by an officer OF the
Annapolis and warned not TO enter the
! port She afterwards made an attempt
! to. do so and was captured: after an ex-
citing chase. The Wilmington. New
/ port and Morrill, took part in the cap
tture Of the Frenchman.
After an examination OF the Lafay-
fette's papers had been made, a prize
crew from the Annapolis was placed on
board and she was sent TO Key West,
escorted by the Wilmington.
n Previous to this step being taken
Commander Hunker, Of the Annapolis,
the temporary tlpg officer. and Comnan-J
der c. c. Todd, of the Wilmington, ex-
changed signals for over: an hour. A.
delicate international question Is thought
to- be involvel In the capture OF the
/ French steamer, but It was seemingly
finally decided to send her to Key West.
The fact thta she left, a Spanish port,
Corunrn, on April %. after the declara-
5tion Of war. which occurred on April 81,
seems to warrant holding the Lafayette.
Officers We're Retlecnt
S On the question OF contraband OF war!
the officers Of the Wilmington were retl-;
cent but 1t seems hardly possible that
the steamer could leave Spain with SO
many male passengers on board and not
have contraband Of war in her cargo. II
Is reported that the Lafayette In addi-
ton to being q French mail steamer, Is
n French naval reserve vessel, mounting
guns and carrying a crew sufficient to
make her ready for active service at
short notice. This, It Is said. adds con-
siderable to the gravity OF the tnterna-
tional aspect Of the case.
& The Kate Spencer, dispatch boat OF the
\ Associated Press, just before the chnse!
began, had spoken the Annapolis little
|; east of the, ,Cojmar battery and five.
miles or shore. 81; M, ,lElt n ID
/ The Annapolis with canvas ventilatorsl
| spread, had come up lazily from the east:
tund after having spoken the Spencer had,
lgone about to follow her down the coast.
The Cuban shore line, gray with the hot
ntmosphere Of the afternoon, never
looked more peaceful. The big Krupp
! jguns on the battery were silent and a
tpretty effect was caused by the white
ismoke wreaths curling up from the
iroofs, OF the little settlement Of Cojlmar,a
\ sshowing up daintily ngainst the gray
green slopes OF the Cuban hills. -Four
lmiles down the coast the grim old tower
Tor Moro stood frowning, a silent guar
dian OF the, Cuban capital. whose roofs
already reflected the. red glow OF the de-
sclinIng; sun. IT was a fine picture of
SCtiba In. slesta. 3 i 81 s5,5 W n
Suddenly the feeling of calm was
broken by tho electric call of "a chase
which echoed from the y stern Of the
Spencer. The Annapolis hud put her