The Forrest City times., 1898-05-13
AMERICAN VESSELS TRAPPED.
Lurcd Into Havana Harbor and Fired Upos
by Spanish Batteries Bad Marks
manship Saved Them.


KEY WEST, Fla, May 0.-Only poor
craftsmanship on the part of the Span
ish gunners saved the vicksburg and
the cutter Morrill, from destruction off
Havana Saturday morning For over
half an hour they were under the fire
of the guns of the Santa Clara water
batteries, but both escaped without
material injury, although shrspnel
shot, from S-inch guns, exploded all
about them. and both now show tho
pitted scars of the Spanish bullets.
The willy Spaniards had arranged .
trap to send couple of our ships to
the bottom. They baited 1t as man
would bait trap. A small schooner
was sent out from Havana harbor
shortly before daylight to draw
some OF the Americans into the
ambuscade. The ruse worked like
= charm. The vicksburg and the
Morrill,, in the heat of the
chase, and in their contempt for Span
ish gunnery, walked straight into the
trap that had been set for them.
Had the Spaniards possessed their
souls in patience but five minutes
longer, not even the bad gun practice
would have saved our ships, and this
morning two more of our vessels would
lie at the bottom, within two lengths
OF the wreck of the ill-starred Maine.
Friday evening the vicxsburg and
the Morrill,, cruising to the west Of.
Morro castle, were fred upon by the
big guns Of the Cojimar batteries
Two shots were fired at the Vicksburg
and one at the Morrill,. Both fell short
and both vessels without returning the
fire steamed out of range. 1t would
have been folly to have done otherwise.
But yesterday morning the Spaniards
had better luck. The schooner they
had sent out before daylight ran off to
the eastward, .hugging the shore with
the wind on her starboard quarter.
About three miles east of the en-
trance of the harbor she came over ON
the port tack. A light haze fringed
the horizon, and she was not discov-
cred until three miles off shore, when
the Mayfiower made her out and sig
nailed the Morrill, and vicksburg.
Capt. Smith, of the Morrill,, and Com
mander Lilly, of the Vicksburg, im-
mediately slapped on all steam and
started in pursuit.
The Morrill, and Vicksburg were
about six miles from the schooner when
the chase began. They steamed after
her at full speed, the Morrill, leading
until within mile and a half Of the
Santa Clara batteries. Commander
Smith, Of the vicksburg, was the first
to realize the danger into which the
reckless pursuit had led them. He
concluded it was time to haul off, and
sent shot across the bow of che
schooner.
The Spanish skipper instantly
brought his vessel about, but while
she was still rolling in tho trough of
the sea with her sails Tapping. an g.
inch shrapnel shell came hurting
through the air from the water bat
terry, mile and a half away. 1t
passed over the Morrill, between the
pilothouse and the smokestacl and
exploded less than so feet on the port
quarter. The small shot ratified
against her side. 1t was a close call
Two more shots followed in quick
succession, both shrapnel One burst
close under the starboard quarter, fill
ing the engine room with the smoke Of
the explosion of the shell, aud the
other, like the first, passed over aud
exploded just beyond. The Spanish
gunners had the range and their time
fuses were accurately set The crews
OF both ships were at their guns.
Lieut.. Craig, who was in charge of the
bow 4-inch rapid-lire gun of the Nor
rill, asked for and obtained permission
to return the fire. At the first shot the
Vicksburg, which was in the wake of
the Morrill,, slightly in shore, sheered
off and passed to windward under the
Morrilrs stern.
In the meantime Capt. Smith also
put his helm to port, and was none too
soon. for as the Morrill, stood off, a
solid s-inch shot grazed her starboard
quarter and kicked up tons of water aY
1t struck a wave 100 yards beyond
Capt. Smith said afterward that this
was undoubtedly an Sinch armor-pierc-
ing projectile, and that it would have
passed through the Morrill's boilers
had he not changed her course in the
nick of time.
All the guns of the water battery
were now at work. One of them cut
the Jacobs ladder of the ViclSsburu
adrift and another carried away a por-
tion of the rigging. AS the Morrill,
and the Vicksburg steamed away their
aft guns were used, but only few
shots were fired The Morril's 6-inch
gun was elevated for 1000 yards, and
struck the earthworks repeatedly.
The Spaniards continued to fire shot
and shell for 20 minutes, but the shots
were ineffective. Some of them were
SO wild that they aroused the Ameri-
can ''Jackies' to jeers. The Spaniards
only ceased firing when the Morrill,
and Vicksburg were completely out Of
range.
If all the Spanish gunners had been
suffering from strabismus their prac-
tice could not have been worse. But