The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-08-15
HOLE IN SAN FRANCISCO.
Cruiser Gets Hit After War Is All Over.

Key West, Fla, August l3.-The flag
ship San Francisco, the monitor Man
tonomah and the auxiliary yacht Sylvia
were fired upon by the Havana batteries
shortly before five o'clock yesterday
morning. One ten or twelve.inch smell
struck the San Francisoo's stern as SIG
turned to get out of the range and tore
hole about foot in diameter, oompleeey
wrecking Commodore Howells q u.srIels
and smashing his bookcase to Ira8 iil '.lae.
Nobody was injured, and pelnS uN tha
orders not to attack the pagoeilo 5s,,; ,n
ships retreated as fast as their eng, tha
could carry them. The flagship ano 1he
Sylvia law naraleII to each other not more
than a mile from MORO castle anu se
rated from each other by distanoe q pe1
tween tbree-eighths and one-quaNGer Oh
q mile. The Miantonamah lay a1ou6
thrse-quarters of ID mile TO the reat " oue
9th ,rs All were wlthln range VI one
While the ships of the Havana blocka-
ding SQUADRON have been keeping at
distance of six miles or more during day
light. they have been accustomed to
drawing much closer at night Thursday
night the San Francisco, Sylvia and
All night the ships rolled at their STA
tions with lights out. At the first
glimmer of dawn. without an instant's
warning, the lookout on the flagship
saw a Jet of smoke puff from one of Nor
rows big guns. Almost before he could
report the incident, ten and twelve.inch
shells were SCREENING all around the ship.
The Spaniards had the range excellent
ly. Shells fell between the San Francisco
and Sylvia,a few went over the ships and
others fell short. The flagship signalled
the Sylvia to get out OF range without
delay, and both ships swung round and
made for the open sea. 1t was then that
the she'll struck the San Franchises stern
and sent its fragments into the after
cabin. wre,king Commodore Howeli's
library. saIhe commodore was on deck
with Capt Leary when the she'll struck.
The Miantonomah and the other two
ships all moved out about three miles.
The men on the flagship went to work
patching the ragged hole which the shell
mad torn in the San Francisco's stsrn.
The damage was found to be trlf1ing.
Exactly 20 shells were fired at the ships.
MORO castle fred several of the missiles.
The others came from two sand batter
les east of Moro. lhe firing lasted 20
minutes.
The Sylvia, which is manned by the
New York naval militia, reached the
blockading station only two weeks ago.
and this was their first war experience.
Her crew had barely recovered from the
tingle when the flagship called the yes
sells and Capt. Boilers was given packet
if private documents whichShe was or
dered to take into Havana under q nag OF
truce. 2s7Ff5 Me-
With the white flag hoisted the Sylvia
steamed towards the guns which had
just given her such noisy greeting. Al
Ter an exchange of signals between the
Sylvia and. MORO castle, had tsken place,
Spanish gunboat drew out OF the harbor
and came close to the Sylvia. 1t was the
Martin Pinzon and carried much
stronger battery than the American ship.
Lieut.. William Il. Ford, the executive
officer of the Sylvia, boarded the Pinzon
and delivered the document The Ameri-
can officer then returned to his ship and
the two vessels went their respective
ways. The Sylvia returned here tonight.
The ships from the various stations
about Cuba have been arriving all day.
Among them are the auxiliary yacht
Siren, from the north coast; the Sylvia
from Havana: the collier Lebanon from
Guantanamo, and the torpedo boat Erics-
son from Santiago.
The tug Tecumsen, Lieut.. Evans, came
in from Matapzas. Lieut.. Evans report
ed that the big Spanish TRANSATLANTIC
liner Montserrat, for which the ships of
since the outbreak of hostilities, is still
.sbottled up in Matanzas harbor. The
Montserrat was sighted by the MangoVe
one night about week ago, making
steaIthily along the coast for Matanzas
harbor. The Mangoye crowded on all
steam and gave chase, firing ~ Ineffective
shots at her. The Spaniard gained the
harbor, but has been held in by our ships
since.
The Montserrat is sister ship to the
Alfonso XII, which was wrecked by the
gunboat Eagle, and would have made
worthy prize