The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-09

into the trap that had been set for them.
Had the Spaniards possessed their souls In
patience but I'VE minutes longer not even
the bad gun practice would have saved our
ships and this morning two more of our
vessels would lie at the bottom, within two
lengths of the wreck of the il-starred
Maine.
Friday evening the Vicksburg and the
Morrill,, cruising to the west of MORO cas-
tie, were fired on by the big guns of the
Cojomar batteries. Two shots were fired at
the Vicksburg and one at the Morrill,. Both
fell short, and both vessels without return
ing the fire, steamed out of range. 1t would
have been folly to have done otherwise.
But yesterday morning the Spaniards had
better luck. The schooner they had sent
out before daylight ran off to the east
wards, hugging the Shore with the wind on
her starboard quarter. About three miles
east of the entrance of the harbor she came
over on the port tack A light haze fringed
the horizon, and she was not discovered
until three miles off shore, when the May
flower made her out and sgnaled the Nor
rill and Vicksburg. Captain Smith, of the
Morrill,. and Commander Lilly, of the Vicks-
burg, Immediately slapped on all steam and
started in pursuit. The schooner instantly
put about and ran for Morro Castle before
the wind. On doing so, she would accord
ing to the well-conceived Spanish plot lead
the two American war ships directly under
the guns of the Santa Clara batteries.
These works are short mile west of Morro
and are a part of the defenses of the har-
Dor. There are two batteries, one at the
shore. which has been recently thrown up,
of sand and mortar, with wide embrasures
for eight-inch guns, and the other on the
crest of the rocky eminence which juts out
into the water of the gulf at the points
The upper battery mounts modern ten-inch
and twelve-inch Krupp guns behind a six
foot stone parapet in front of which are
twenty feet of earthwork and a betting of
railroad iron. This battery is considered
the most formidable of Havana's defenses,
except Morro Castle. 1t is masked, and has
not been absolutely located by the American
war ships. 1t is probably due to the fact
that the Spaniards did not desire to expose
its position that the Vicksburg and Morrill,
are now afloat.
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
mile and half of the Santa Clara bat
teries. Commander Smith, of the Vicks-
burg. was the first to realize 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 Tapping, an eight-inch shrapnel
shell came hurting through the air from
the water battery, mile and half away.
1t passed over the Morrill, between the pilot
house and the smokestack and exploded
less than fifty feet on the port quarter. The
small shot ratified against her side 1t was
a close call. Two more shots followed in
quick succession, both shrapnel One burst
close under the starboard quarter filing
the engine room with the smoke Of the ex-
plosion of the shell, and the other like the
FIRST passed over and exploded Just be-
yond. The Spanish Sunners had the range.
and their time fuses We're accurately set.
The crews of both ships We're at their guns.
Lieutenant Craig, who was in charge of the
bow four-inch rapid-fire gun OF the Morrill,,
asked for and obtained permission 10 return
the fire.
At the first shot the Vicksburg which
was in the wake of the Morrill, slightly in
shore, sheered off and passed TO windward
under the Morrills stern. In the meantime
Captain Smith also put his helm to mort
and was none too soon, for as the Morrill,
stood Off a solid eight-ineh shot grazed her
starboard quarter and kicked up tons of
water as IL struck a wave one hundred
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