Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-07
BLOCKADE BLUNDER.
4 Failure Of Orders to Reach the
Fleet.
FRENCH STEAMER CAPTURED.
Sic is Taken 10 Key Nest as
a Prize.
ELR INSTANT RELEASE ORDERED.
Directions Also That She Be Escorted
Back 10 Habala.
BER INSTANT RELEASE ORDERED.
No INTERNATIONAL DIFFICULTY.

prompt order for Vessels Re-
icasc-No Demand Therefor by or
ou Behalf of France.
downright. IS9S. by the Associated Press.)
.\ BOARD THE ASSOCIATED-PRE.SS
IATCH-BOAT Kate SPENCER via
N. WEST. FLA, May 6-The La
:..ue. of the French General Trans
uc Company's line "a vessel of S39l
11oss register. bound from Corunna,
on April 2}d. for Habana, was
,..Icd yesterday evening off the latter
-r uy the United States gunboat An
1.us Commander j. .. bunker, while
,.- to run the blockade after having
previously been warned of.
..a has ON board a large number of
,--.ascrs ana valuable general cargo,
--a.y containing contraband OF war.
... Lafayette. which halls from St.
Nzre France, IS a fine vessel of the
a.. .ype. she is over 5H feet long, has
o. ..., beam, and is over Is feet deep.
was built in 1851 at Greenock, of
i....
H.f capture was effected shortly before
snaown last night in the following man
D..
WARNED AWAY.
The Lafayette was heading for Habana.
a.. was boarded by an officer of the
Annapolis and warned not to enter the
l.-t. Sne afterwards made an attempt TO
g.. -u. and Was captured, after an eN-
citing chase. The Wilmington, Newport
a.l Morrill, took part in the capture oi
a.. Frenchmau.
After am examination of the Lafayette's
r.p,rs had been made. a prize crew from
f., Annapolis had been placed on board
il she was sent 20 Key West. escorted
d. ,ne Wilmington.
Previous tO this steps being taken
Commander Hunker of the Annapolis
tu, temporary flag officer. and Com
rn.rder c. c. Todd. of the Wilmington
tl.hauced signals for over am hour
r is reported that the Lafayette, IN
addition to being large French man
t.. mcr. is "a French naval reserve yes
s.I mounting guns and carrying "a ere"
sufficient 10 make her ready for acllNe
service at short notice. This, u Is sald'
adds considerably 10 the gravity of the
i.-ernational aspect of the case.
The Kate Spencer dispatch-ooat Oh the
Associated Press just before the chase
t.gan had spoken the Annapolis. niue
east Of the Cojmar Battery, and nve
miles off shore. The Annapolis. with
vontilators spread. had come up lazily
from the east. and after having spoken
the Spencer had gone about TO steam
further down the coast. The cuban
shore-line gray with the hot atmosphere
of the afternoon. never looked more
uoaccful -Four miles down the coast the
.rim old tower Of MORO stood. frownins
= silent guardian of the Cuban capital
whose roofs already reflected the red
slow Of the declining sun. 1t was
fue picture of Cuba in sesta.
THE CHASE
Suddenly the calm was broken by the
electric call of, "A chase which echoed
fiom the stern of the Spencer. The An
Yapolfs had put her helm hard a-stdr-
hoard. and was cleavinG the waters IN a
,urthcast direction. Her dark tunnels
l.ched out clouds of black smoke, as
1U. stokeTs piled coal on the furnaces
aui every effort was made 10 drive the
lurboat at "A high speed. ON the horl-
s.r could be seen the faintest trace of
smoke. This was the quarry Of the
American warship, and circling s"iltW
s.. was of at fun speed after her prey
The stranger came up rapidly, ana the
marine glasses soon made her out, TO
=. big liner. with red tunnels. heading
Straight for Habana. ON she came. un-
,.r mW steam. carrying a bone I'm her
i..th." as the sailors say when vessel
J.. throwing up roll of white water
forward. as she drives through the water
g. GOOD speed.
There seemed 10 be no doubt that the
Stranger was bent on running through
a.. blockading squadron, and getting
under the guns of MORO castle. If pos
sb.e. before being oyerhauled.
THE STRANGER BLOCKED.
But within five minutes. from as many |
different directions three Of Uncle sam |
N.rships. which had been drifting idly |
a.. the tropic sea- had been galvanized |
it5 ufe. attracted by the chase, ana |
Speedily ioined i'm the attempt TO block |
t.e .tranger's entrance to Habana. While |
Oh. ANNAPOLIS was rushing down upon the |
chase. the Wilmington and the Newport !
v.. also bearing down upon her, ana |
a.. Morrill,, which had been noslng up |
toward the Associated Press BOAT, also
sass came anOat and swung around |
across the path of the liner. sort OF
David challenging "a Goliath. for the Nor
l only d smart little revenue cutter
!.N acting as dispatch-boat, ana q |
l.mber OF the sO-called mosquito meet.
lt, Annapolis however had been doing
tH.t due work with her engines that she
t,r.Hiuled the stranger two miles aheau
o. f.s Morrill, There was hash ana
raG OF white smoke TO the lee, followed
D.. la. boom Of gun fred down the vino,
which announced that Uncle sam had
ordered the stranger 10 hedve 10. Inc
Aaer 0beyed and the Morrill, ana tne
Associated Press dispatch-boat started III
tr.ck-aud-neck race for the big prize
TIE FRENCHMAN BLUFFS
In the mean time boat from the An
tsl..s had boarded the Frenchman' as
g. stranger proved 90 be. ON board the
hr.I a crowd Of excited passengers press
e. auXIOusly about the vessel sioe,
lfom ihe south. the wicked gray nun oi
IT, Wilmington. with her men az quar-
ts and the delicately-lined Newport
Nre looming up rapidly a moment or
b. HIer the three warships lay oy uil
l'e 0olt from the Annapolis started PACK
i.m the liner 10 the gunboat. Iheh'
tliocaly. 10 the astonshment OF an on
o,.rl the warships, the frenohh"h
1ew a long querulOus whistle ana put
o. fll steam ahead. pointing siraish'
10 ue entrance Of Habana harbof'
a sharp word OF command rang out OF
i.rI the Aunapolis and In less ume !