Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1898-08-18
A PARTING SHOT
The Havana Batteries
Opened Fire on
the Fleet.
SAN FRANCISCO WAS STRUCK
Large Hole Torn In the Cruisers Stern
No One Aboard Ship Was Hurt
American Vessels Steamed Out OF
Range rs Rapidly as Possible.

No One Aboard Ship Was Hurt
American Vessels Steamed Out Of
Range as Rapidly as Possible.
Key West, Fla, Aug. l6.-The flag
ship San Francisco, the monitor Man
tonomoh, and the auxiliary yacht Sill
via, were fired upon by the Havana
batteries shortly before 5o'clock yester-
day morning. One 10 and two l2-inch
shells struck the San Francisco's stern
as she turned to get away out OF range,
and tore a hole about foot in diam
eter, completely wrecking Commodore
Howell's quarters and smashing his
bookcases into fragments. No one was
injured, and, being under orders not to
attack the batteries. the ships departed
as fast as their engines would carry
them.
The flagship and the Silvia lay
parallel to each other, not more than
mile from Moro castle, and separ-
ated from each other by three ighths
of mile. The Miantonomoh lay about
three-uuarters of a mile to the rear of
the others. All We're within range OF
the Spanish batteries, and the tempta-
ton was too strong for the Spanish to
resist.
The first glimmer Of dawn was break
ing through the eastern skies when,
without an instant's warning, the look
out on the flagship saw a jet OF smoke
puff from one of Morro's big guns. AL
most before he could pull himself to-
gether sufficiently to make report of
the incident, 10 and l2-lnch shells were
screaming all around. The Spaniards
had the range, and apparently were
grimly in earnest in their last efforts
to wreck injury on their too mighty
enemy. Shells fell between the San
Francisco and the Silvia. Some fell
short, a few went over them. The
flagship signalled the Silvia to get out
OF range without delay, and both ships
swung around and made for the sea.
1t was then that the she'll struck the
San FraEcisco's stern. Commodore
Howell was on deck with Captain
Leary when the shell struck. With
the utmost speed the feet moved out
about three miles. Here the men on
the flagship patched up the ragged hole
in the vessels stern. All the shells
fired at the vessel fell around the ships.
One OF the Silvia's men stood calmIy
on the deck Of the yacht, watch in
hand. and counted them.
MORO castle fired several Of the mis-
siles, but how many is not known.
The others came from two sand bat
teries near Moro. The firing lasted
20 minutes.
The one-sided engagement had scarce
~ ended when the men of the Silvia
were treated to another surprise. The
little yacht gunboa. is manned by the
New York naval militia. Her crew
had barely recovered from the excite.
ment when the flagship called the YES
sci over. and Captain Boilers was given
a packet Of private documents, which
he was ordered to take into Havana
under a flag OF truce. The white flag
was hoisted over the Silvia, and she
started towards the guns which had
just given her such noisy greeting. AS
lIe SlINlu dppIOaCIleu " WitIill lllle
of Moro, the character OF the flag float
ing from her foremas: was discerned
and the castle signalled:
"What is your purpose:"
To this the Silvia answered: 1--WE
have papers to deliver"
Moro did not resume the conversa-
ton and for some little time the gum
boat rocked on the waters almost under
the still-smoking cannon Of the enemy.
Presently. however, a Spanish gunboat
drew cut of the harbor and came close
to the Silvia. 1t was the Martin V
Pinzon, and carried a much stronger
battery than the American ship. The
customary formal salutations We're ex-
changed, and Lieutenant William G.
Ford, the executive officer of the Silvia,
boarded the Pnzon and delivered the
documents.
The ceremony occupied no more
time than the physical act involved.
The American officer returned to his
ship, and the vessels went on their re.
spective ways.