The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-04-28
FIRST SHOT FIRED.
Spanish Merchantmen Buenaventura Cap
tured by the Gunboat Nashville.

KEY WEST. Fla, April 23.-The
Spanish merchantmen Buenaventura
was captured shortly after o'clock
Friday morning by the United States
cruiser Nashville. The fleet at that
time was only a short distance from
the shore. Smoke had appeared on the
horizon, away to westward, and by 6
o'clock it was plain that this came
| from a merchantmen. BY Z o'clock
she was seen to be two-masted,
black-hulled ship, with white upper
works and black smokestacks, having
the colors of the Spanish flag painted
around it. A Spanish flag was flying
| to the breeze above the taffrail.
The squadron had been steaming
dead slow, say six knots, but at Z
o'clock the Nashville suddenly left the
line. and at full speed headed toward
the Spaniard. A moment later gun
was fred from the port battery of the
Nashville and the shot struck the
| water few hundred yards away.
| The Spaniard was half mile from the
Nashville. and she held her way, maxi
ing no sign of having given the shot
any attention.
| For two minutes the Nashville held
her way in the chase, and then tried
another shot, that passed apparently
within rod of the Spaniard's bow
and clipped spray from the crest of the
waves for mile beyond.
| The officer on the Spaniard's bridge
at once reversed her engines. while a
lnan ran ait and hastily lowered her
flag.
| At 7:15 the Nashville brought to
alongside the Spaniard, having every
| gun, big and little. in the starboard
broadside pointed at her.
| Then a whale boat was lowered, and
Ensign Magruder, with a boarding
crew of six men, was sent to take
charge of the prize.
She was found to be the Buenaven-
tura, plying between New York, Ha-
vana and West India ports. She had
a cargo of lumber on deck forward,
that was slowed so as to give her list
to port Meanwhile the torpedo boat
Foote had run down in the wake of
the Nashville, and brought to beside
the Buenaventura. For the next half
hour there was good deal of filing
and backing by the Nashville and the
Foote, as they lay about the Spaniard.
Ensign Magruder took charge of the
Spaniards papers and sent a report
regarding them to the Nashville.
These were eventually sent to the flag
ship by the torpedo boat Foote.
She br ought orders that the Buena.
ventura was to be held, and few min
utes later the Nashville headed to-
ward Key West and was followed by
the Buenaventura.
1t was observed, however, that when
the Nashville and Buenaventura had
run mile or SO toward port, they
were stopped by signal from Adm.
Sampson, and for Is or 20 minutes
they hung on wind. Then they headed
| away once more for port.
AS the Buenaventura lay awaiting
orders from Adm. Sampson her crew
hung listlessly over the rail or walked
about her deck and gazed at her captors.
The Spanish officers were on the
bridge most of the time, but one, ap-
parently the captain, went to and from
the bridge to the deck and down be-
low. An American sailor had the
wheel. Another stood on the bridge,
near Ensign Magruder, and the others
guarded the main deck. The sailors
are carrying muskets on board, and
Ensign Magruder has side arms.
The sailors on the bridge and at the
wheel had bay onets in their belts, and
the men on deck kept their muskets in
hand. One of these on deck was seen
to examine his musket lock occasional
ly, and to handle the weapon carelessly
at frequent intervals. The crews on
the Nashville and Foote and prize crew
were entirely sober, however, during
the time occupied in waiting to start
for port.
GALVESTON, Tex, April es.-The
steamer Buenaventura, captured by
the United States gunboat Nashville,
is tramp steamer hailing from Bilgoa,
Spain. She belonged to the Sarrinaga
line. On March 80 she arrived at Pas
cagoula, Miss, from Havana, and was
on the way to Pensacola. Fla, to load
for Holland when captured.
KEY WEsT, Fla, April 23.-The
cruiser Marblehead, the monitor Pur-
itan, the Algonquin and the Mangrove
sailed Friday afternoon to join the
fleet The only ships of the squadron
now remaining here are the Dolphin,
the Terror and the Helena, all of which
are likely to move within few hours.