The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-09
Lured Under the Guns Of Santa Clara Battery by a
Pretended Blockade Runner--To the Poor Cunnery
Of the Spaniards is Due the Escape Of the Two
vesse|s--How the Spanish Flagship Was Set on
Fire at Mani|a--Why the Presidents U|tinatum 10
Spain Was Transmitted in Open English

Key West. May 9-Only poor marks
manship on the part of the Spanish gum
ners saved the vicksburg and the cutter
Morrill, from destruction off Havana
Saturday morning. For over half an
hour they were under the fire Of the guns
OF the Santa Clara water batteries. but
both escaped without material injury.
although shrapnel shells from eight
inch guns exploded all about them and
both now show the pitted scars Of the
Spanish bullets
The willy Spaniards arranged trap
10 send couple of our ships TO the bot
tom. They baited IL as a man would
bait rat trap. A small schooner was
sent out from Havana shortly before
daylight Saturday morning to draw some
Of the Americans into the ambuseade.
The ruse worked like a charm. The
of the chase and in their contempt for
Spanish gunnery. walked straight into
the trap that had been set for them.
Had the Spaniards possessed their souls
in patients but five minutes longer. not
even the bad gun practice would have
saved our ships. and two more of our
vessels would lie at the bottom. within
I, two. lengths OF the wreck of the ILL
starred Maine.
The schooner ran Off to the eastward,
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 Mayfiower made her out and
signalled the vicksburg and Merrill.
Captain Smith OF the Merrill and Com
mander Lilly of the vicksburg immedi-
ately clapped on all steam and started
in pursuit The schooner instantly put
about and ran for Morro castle before
the wind. In doing so she would. ac-
cording to the well conceived Spanish
plot, lead the two American warships
directly under the guns of the Santa
Clara batteries. These works are a
short mile west OF MORO and are part
Of the defenses OF the harbor. There
are two batteries. one at the shore OF
sand and mortar. with wide embrasures
crest OF the rocky eminence which iuts
out into the waters OF the gulf at the
point. The upper battery mounts
modern 10 and 12-inch Krupp guns. be-
hind a six-foot stone parapet. in front
of which are 20 feet OF earthwork and a
betting of railroad iron. This battery Is
considered the most formidable OF Ha-
vanas defenses except MORO castle. II
Nc mn o1Ir <.x.I y
located by the American warships. It's
probably due to the fact that the Span
iards did not desire 10 expose its position
that the Vicksburg and Morrill, are now
anoat. 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 un-
til within mile and half OF the Santa
Clara batteries.
The commander OF the vicksburg was
the hrst to realize the danger into which
the reckless pursuit had led them. He
concluded IL was time to haul off. and
sent shot across the bow of the schoon-
er The Spanish skipper instantly
Drought his vessel about. but while sh,
was stu rolling In the trough of the sea
with her sails Tapping. an eight-inch
snrapnel shell came hurting through the
air from the water battery. a mile and a
half away. II passed over the Morrill,
between the pilot house and the smoke
stack and exploded less than so feet on
the port quarter The small shot ratified
against her side. 1t was a close call.
TWO more shots followed in quick sue
cession. both shrapnel. One burst close
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