Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-07-21
PRIZES CAPTURED.
Three of Them Towed Into Key
West In One Day.
ALL TAKEN WITHOUT RESISTANCE.
Two of the Captured Ships Floated the
British FIag-Dincult Voyage OF q
Prize Crew-Would Claim Indem-
nifty from the United states.

KEY WEST, Fla, July 16.-Three
prizes were brought here yesterday,
but none of any great consequence,
and the captures were effected with
only ordinary incident. The English
built steamer Grenow Castle, which
for several years piled on the Cuban
coast under the Spanish flag, but on
June last returned to her British regis
try, was taken by the Dixie off Cape
Cruz last Thursday. She was bound
from Kingston, Jamaica, for Manza-
milo with large cargo of food sup.
plies. Her captains name is Rust, and
as supercargo she had one Wilson, an
expert mechanical engineer.
Lieut.. Layton, of the Smith, with
two marines and two sailors from the
Dixie, was put in charge. The prize
crew left Cape Cruz the same day, TAX
ing the western route, but, as the
steamers chronometer and compass
were out of order they lost their bear
ings and narrowly escaped being
wrecked east of Cape Antonio on Fri
day.
Next the steamer blew a hole in her
boiler and was obliged to tie up at a
little key near Jardinelles. Then her
coal gave out, and when the damage
was temporarily repaired they were
forced to make for the Dry Tortugas,
where she obtained coal, after which
she put into Key West.
The crew of the Grenow Castle con-
sisted of six Spaniards and four ia.
maican negroes. The day before this
capture the Dixie took also two schoon.
ers, the Three Bells and the Pilgrim,
both flying British flags and both
bound from Montego bay to Mama.
milo with cargoes of food supplies.
The Three Bells was originally q
Nova Scotian boat. She is of about
125 tons, and the Pilgrim is of about 2s
tons. Lieut.. M. Blunt, with two sail.
ors and two marines, was put in charge
to bring her to Key West, but she has
not yet arrived.
The British schooner Z. P. Nicker
son was also among yesterdays ar
rivals. One was becalmed off Cape
Cruz on June 80, when the Hornet
steamed alongside and informed her
commander that the vessel was a pris.
oner. There was no attempt at resist
ance. The tug Wampatuck and gunboat
Hist were within signalling distancs
at the time, and Ensign McDougal, oi
the Hist, the boatswain's mate and q
sailor from the Wampatuck were put
on board as prize crew. The Nicker
son has negro captain, three seamer
and a cook. Two so-called passengers
who turned out to be agents for the
cargo, were on board. They are A.
Won Geuthard and Frank Berger, ani
they vigorously protested against tht
capture, declaring that as British sub
jects they could and would claim in
demnity from the United States.
The vessels cargo was food, includ
ing deck load of pigs, goats, chick
ems, -four, pork, potatoes and the like.
She was bound from Jamaica for Man
zanillo.
The auxiliary gunboat Uncas towed
in yesterday a little Spanish sloop, the
Bella Ynez, taken off Cardenas. The
sloop had no cargo and when caught
was close in shore. Four of her crew
of six jumped overheard and got tc
land.
The Uncas brought also a Cuban
messenger from the camp of Col. Carlos
Rojas, bearing private dispatches fol
the United States government. The
gunboat Castine brought in two Span
iards who had deserted from Span
ish gunboat in Havana harbor and put
off to the blockading feet in small
boat. The launch of the Terror picked
them up and transferred them to tha
Castine