The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-07

]. =
helm hard a.starboard and was putting
on full steam and cleaving the wnters In
a northeast direction. Her dark tunnels
belched out clouds OF black smoke as tho,
stokcrs piled coal In the furnaces ana
every effort was made to drive the FUN
boat at u high spsed. On the horizon.
could be seen faintcse trace OF smoke.
This was the quarry OF tho American
warship and. circllng swiftly. she was
OF at full cry after her prey. s ,
s.. The Chase. 4
The stranger came rapidly up even.
with the sky line and the marine glass;
es soon made her out to be q big liner
with red tunnels, headed straight for
Havana. On she came, under full
steam, carrying d bone In her teeth"
as tho sailors say when steamer or
other vessel Is throwing up a roll OF.
white water forward us she drives
through the water with good speed.
There seemed to be no doubt that the
stranger was bent on running through
the blockading squadron and getting
under the guns OF Moro Castle, II pos
elDlct 1ptlOlG apClUS
within five minutes, from as many dif-a
ferent directions three OF Uncle Sans
war ships, which had been drifting idly
on the tropics speedily Joined In tho
attempt to prevent the strangers en-
trance into Havana. =.
While the Annapolis was rushing
down upon the chase. In the distance.
the Wilmington and the Newport were
also bearing down upon her and the
morrill,. which had been noslng up to-
wards the Associated Press dispatch
boat, also saw game afoot and swung
around across the path OF the liner, a
sort Of David challenging Goliath, for
the Morrill, Is only smart little reve-i
nue. cutter now acting as a dispatch;
boat and member Of the so-called
Mosquito fleet. ls II
The Annapolis, however, had been
doing such fine work with her engines
that she overhauled the stranger two
miles ahead of the Morrill,. There was a
flash. a puff OF white smoke to the lee.,
followed by the boom OF a gun fred
down the wind, which announced that
Uncle Sam had ordered the stranger to
heave to. The liner ,obeyed and the
Morrill, and the Associated Press dis
patch boat started on a neck and neck
race for the big prize. +; ~
2 In the meantime boat from the An
napolis had boarded the Frenchman. as
the steamer proved 20 be. On board tho
liner crowd OF excited passengers
pressed anxIously about the vessels
side Up from the south, the wicked.
gray hulk OF the Wilmington, with her
men at quarters, and ;delicatelys lined
Newport were looming up rapidly. A
or so later the threefwar ships
lay bv till the boat from. the Annapo-
lis started back from the liner to the
gunboat. Then, suddenly, to the as
constituent OF all on board the war
ships, the Frenchman blew long quer-
ulous whistle and put on full steam
ahead. pointing straight to the entrance
Of Havana harbor. 81 81
Overtnken at Last.
] A sharp word Of command rang out
on board the Annapolis and In less time
chan 1t takes to pencil these words her
crew were at quarters and the .muzzle
Of every gun OF her starboard broad
side was pointing in deadly earnest
straight at the runaway. Then the big
q after-gun roared forth hoarse order
from over; her starboard quarter, while
the crews Of the; other guns looked up
eager to follow suit. But the )
note had Its effect. The big lin
er again stopped and then put them
going astern, white columns OF steam
from her escape pipes telling of the
high pressure below pleading for re-
lease. t 8 & {. s
The Wilmington and the Morrill, had
started across the Lafayette's
path, but their services were not neces-
sary, for the Frenchman no longer dar-s
ed to make q, run for It. rs,
Then there was q long spell OF wig
wagglng between the Annapolis and
the Wilmington In the dusk Of the even
Ing, the sun dropping behind the hori-
zon and the night falling over the scene
like a drop curtain, for there is no twi-
light in these attitudes I,
Later, electric signals succeeded the
flags, and there was a nervous period OF
rigging and blinking red and white
questions and answers. The signalling
for almost an hour, while the
puzzled dispatch boats gathered in the
weak moonlight, almost rolling their
boilers out In the northeast swell s as i
they impatiently awaited the solution
of the signal consultation. =, ~ Z.
a5H,.At 4 p. m. the ANNAPOLIS and the Will I
lowered boats and the officers
boarded the Frenchman. ~
The examination OF the liner was soon
over and after the boats had returned
10 their respective ships, a prize crew
from the Wilmington was put on board
The Lafayette and at S:15 last night tho
big Frenchman was headed north and I
was escorted to Key West under the
guns of the Wilmington. The prize an
,hored here this morning and the. prize :
court will probably determine what is !.
10 be done with her. ais z =. "a!
\ = Has No Soldiers ON Board.
Ensign II. H. Zeigomeler. OF the /
who Is in charge of the
prize crew. on board the Lafayette, says
The latter commander denies that he
has Spanish Soldiers on board. The
French (. commander however, admits
that he left Corunna on April{2s, after
he declaration OF war and that, he took I
IN board many male passengers. He !
tcigns ignorance OF tho nature of his !
ships cargo and says he will DO unable
% ascertain what she has on board tun-
II he examines her manifest.
The navy departments at Washington
has been communicated with and in-Sj
us to the disposition Of tho
French steamer are eagerly awaited.
The officers OF the Lafayette! pretend
To- be Very Indignant; and declare that
The detention OF the steamer will be-
,omc an internatlonal episode &
I A number OF cane fires arc burning
MatanEas and Havana. Few.
IL the block houses which dot tho crest Z
oft tho green bluffs on the shore show
,yldence OF life. VI ,sSS q.