The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-05-10

NGy west, May 1U-Ouly pOOI moi
maDship on the part Of the Spanish
gunners saved the Vicksburg and the
cruiser Morrill, from destruction Off
Havana yesterday 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 shrapnel
shots from eight-inch guns exploded
all about them and both now show the
pitted scars of the Spanish bullets.
The willy Spaniards had arranged a
trap to send a couple Of our ships to
the bottom. They baited it as man
would bait a 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 a charm. The
Vicksburg and the Morrill, in the heat
Of the chase and in their contempt for
Spanish 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 by
this time our vessels would lie at the
bottom within two lengths of the
wreck of the Inflated Maine. Friday
evening the Vicksburg and the Nor
rill, cruising to the west of Moro castle,
were fired on 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 YES
sells, without returning the fire,
steamed out of range. 1t would have
been folly to have done otherwise, but
Saturday morning the
Spaniards Had Better Luck.
The schooner they had sent out before
daylight ran off to the eastward, hug
ging the shore with the wind on her
starboard quarter About three miles
off the entrance of the harbor she
came over on the front tack. A light
haze fringed the horizon and the ship
was not discovered until three miles
off shore, when the Mayfower made
her out and signalled the Vicksburg
and Morrill, Capt Lilly of the Vicks-
burg, Immediately slapped on all
steam and started in pursuit. The
schooner instantly put about and ran
for Moro castle before the wind On
doing SO she would, according to the
we'll conceived Spanish plot, lead the
two American warships directly under
the guns of the Santa Clara batteries.
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 a mile and a half of the Santa
Clara batteries. Commander Smith, of
W i<IreI fs1acH 10
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 the schooner. The
Spanish skipper instantly brought his
vessel about, but while she was still
rolling in the trough of the sea, with
her sails fiayying, an eight-inch shrap-
mel shell came hurting through the air
from the water battery mile and a
half away 1t passed over the Morrill,
smokestack, and exploded less than tif-
ty feet on the port quarter. The small
shot ratified against her side. 1t was a
close call. Two more shots followed III
quick succession by shrapnell One
burst close under the board quarter,
Filling the Engine Room
with the smoke Of the explosion of the
shell, and the other, like the first,
passed over and 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 four-inch rapid fire
guns of the Morrill, asked for and OBJ
tanned permission to return the fire.
At the first shot, the Vicksburg, which
was in the wake of the Morrill,. slight
ly in shore, sheered off and passed to
the WindWard under the MorriIl'S stern.
In the meantime Capt. Smith also put
his helm to port, and was none too
soon, for the Morrill, stood off a solid
eight-inch shot, graZed her starbOard
quarter and kicked up some water as
it struck wave hundred yards be-
yond. Capt. Smith afterward said that
this was undoubtedly an eight-inch
armor-piercing projectile, and that it
would have passed through the Nor
rilYs boilers had he not changed her
course in the nick-of- time. All the
guns Of the water battery We're now at
work. On of them cut the Jacobs lad
der of the Vicksburg adrift and anoth-
er carried away portion of the rig
ging. As the Morrill, and the Vicks-
burg steamed away their aft guns
were used, but only few shots were
fired. The MorrilPs six-inch gun was
elevated for 1000 yards and struck the
earthworks repeatedly. The Vicks-
burg fired but three shots from her
$50