The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1898-04-29
BLOCKADE OF HAVANA.
The North Atlantic Squadron Before the
Cuban CapitaI--Spanish Fire on 1t.

The North Atlantic Squadron Before the
Cuban Capital-Spanish Fire on 1t.
The blockade of Havana by the North
Atlantic squadron was an established
fact by the time President McKinley's
proclamation ordering the blockade
had been published. The arrival of
the squadron before Havana just about
dark was announced TO the city by
three cannon shots from MORO castle,
and instantly there was a great stir
| throughout the Cuban capital. Trump
cts summoned the troops; the volun-
unteers, the marines and the regulars
seized their arms and FASTENED to oc-
cupy their respective stations. Civil
ians, who had not been called on to
join the defending forces, armed them
selves and FASTENED to join the troops.
! Orders were given to eXtinguish the
lights of Moro castle. Capt.-Gen.
Blanco inspected the batteries and is
sued instructions for increasing the
Thousands of people fled into the
country during the night, fearing that
! the city would be bombarded.
The guns about Havana fred a num-
Der of shots at the squadron at night,
but none of them reached the mark.
Not gun was from the fleet in reply.
The first shot from an American war
ship on the Spanish flag was fired II
miles southwest of Key West. The flag
was on the Spanish freight steamer
Buena Ventura, and the shot was from
the gunboat Nashville. The second
shot was fired across the Buena Ven
tura's bow at distance of half mile
before she lowered her flag.
The Buena Ventura was a tramp
steamer from Pascagoula, Miss, for
Rotterdam with lumber The Nash
vile fired blank shot, which the
Spaniard ignored. This was followed
by shot from siX-pounder. The
| Buena Ventura then surrendered with
her crew of 20 men. The Nashville
towed her prize into harbor at Key
West and put prize crew on board.
The news of the capture of the Span
lard set the people of Key West frantic
with enthusiasm. All work was sus-
pended and the docks crowded with
people.
The capture of the Buena Ventura,
! however. was but the beginning, for
before the fleet had fairly arrived in
front Of Havana the flagship New York
was steaming away after another prize.
! 1t required chase of 10 miles and the
firing of several shots 10 bring the
| Spaniard to a standstill. When prize
crew had boarded the captive she was
| found TO be the Spanish steamer Pedro,
of Bilboa. loaded with rice, iron and
| beer. She was taken to Key West by
the prize crew. The next lucky vessel
of the squadron was the monitor Erics-
son which steamed right down under
Morro's guns and drove a fishing
schooner out ahead of her and turned
her over to the cruiser Cincinnati.
Other and important captures fol-
1 lowed rapidly. The 5.OO0-ton Spanish
! steel steamer Catalina, valued with her
cargo at half million dollars. was cap
| tured by the cruiser Detroit, IL miles
from Havana and taken to Key West.
The Catalina sailed from New Orleans
! for Barcelona. via Havana. The gun
boat Helena brought in the Spanish
steamer Michael Jover. The Jover
was bound from New Orleans for Bar
celona, with a cargo amounting to
about 1000 tons of cotton and slaves.
She had n crew of So men and the prize
! is estimated to value 100000. The
gunboat Wilm ngton took the schooner
Candida with a load of charcoal, which
is valuable as fuel at Havana. The
torpedo boat Porter captured the
schooner Mathilde, loaded with sugar
and rum, and having a crew of Spanish
naval reserves. The torpedo boat
Cushing also captured a schooner.