Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-08-15
HIT BY MORRO'S GUNS.
The Cruiser San Francisco Struck by
a Big projectile.
TORE A HOLE IN THE SHIP.
spaniartis Fire on American War Vessels
In the Harbor, but No Ono WAS
Hurt-The Yacht Sylvia Has
War Experience.
TORE A HOLE IN THE SILL


Key West, Aug. 15.-The flagship san
Francisco. the monitor Miantonomoh
and the auxiliary yacht Sylvia were
! fired upon by the Havana batteries
| shortly before o'clock Friday morning.
| One 10 or II inch shell struck the San
| Francisco's stern as she turned to get
| out of range and tore hole about
foot in diamater, completely wrecking
Commodore Howell's quarters and
| smashing his bookcase to fragments.
Nobody was injured. and, being under
OTHERS not to attack the batteries. the
ships retreated as fast as their engines
could carry them.
The flagship and the Sylvia lay paral-
lei to each other, not more than mile
from Moro Castle and separated from
each other by a distance Of between
three eighths and one-quarter OF a
mile. The Miantonomoh lay about three
quarters Of a mile to the rear Of the
others. All were within range OF the
Spanish batteries and the temptation
was loo slTOHS 10 De Resisted.
While the ships Of the Havana block
aiding squadron have been keeping at
a distance Of six miles or more during
daylight. they have been accustomed ~
drawing in much closer at night. MORO
Castle light has burned steadily
through, serving as a good beacon for
the American ships. Thursday evening
the warships of the squadron immedi-
ately off Havana were the San Francis
co, Sylvia and the MiaTonomoh. and
with nightfall they drew in closer to
the shore than ever before and took
positions as before stated. All night
the ships rolled at their stations with
lights out. according to the blockade
regulations. Another IL hours OF dreary
duty had passed with the same unvary-
Ing monotony, and what happened soon
afterward was as unexpected as 1t was
unwelcomed.
Shots From Morro's Big Guns,
The first glimmer Of dawn was break
ing through the eastern skies when
without an instant's warning the look
out on the flagship saw jet of smoke
puff from one of Morro's big guns. AL
most before he could pull himself to-
gether sufficiently to make a report Of
the incident 10 and - inch shells were
screaming all around the ship.
The Spaniards had the range excel
lently and apparently were grimly in
earnest in their last effort to wreak in
jury on their too mighty enemy. 1t
was, however almost as futile an effort
as in every preceding struggle. Shells
fell between the San Francisco and Syl- |
via. The flagship signaled the Sylvia to
get out Of range without delay and both |
ships swung round and made for sea.
1t was then that the shell struck the
San Franciscos stern and sent its frag-
ments into the after cabin, wrecking
Commodore Howell's library. The COM
modore was on deck with Captain
Leary when the she'll struck.
The Miantonomoh was in less danger
than the other two ships, being farther
out to sea, but when the firing COM
they all moved out about three
miles. Here the men on the flagship
were speedily put to work patching the
ragged hole which shell had torn in
the San Francisco's stern. The damage
was found to be trifing.
All the shells fired at the vessels were
from 10 or u inch guns, and there were
exactly % in number. AS they fell
around the ships one of the Sylv'a's
men stood calmly on the deck Of the
YACHT watch in hand and counted them.
Moro Castle fired several of the mis-
'iles, but how many is not known. The
others came from two sand batteries
,ast Of Moro.
The firing lasted 20 minutes. No at
empt was made to return the fire, the
squadron being under spe- :
life orders not to make any sort of DEM
nstration against Havana partaking
# the nature of an attack Even if
uch had not been the case il would
ave been almost suicidal for the three q
hips-one of them yacht-to have :,
aced such odds as the land batteries :
ffered. The big turret guns OF thu NJ a
ntonomoh and the San Francisco's 0
lain battery of 6 inch guns could
ave done r1rch dorase; but the SPIN
ards had the range and to attempt to
ombat the almost impregnable fortif- u
ations OF Havana would have been "
opeless. L
sylvia's Mon Get Surprise. c,
The one sided engagement lad u
carcely ended when the men aboard g
lie Sylvia were treated to another sur :.
rise. The little yacht gunboat. which r.
manned by the New York naval mil m
a, reached the blockading station only o,
vo weeks ago and this was their first fc
ar experience. They had barely recov. II
ed from the tingle of it when the flag. s.
Zip called the vessel over and CAPTAIN a
ellers was given packet of private an
comments which he was ordered to sr
Ike into Havana under a flag of tru6a Il,
Without wasting words the white ha q ~
as ordered hoisted over the Sylvia and e.
lie steamed toward the guns which !!
ID just given her such noisy greetings y
the Sylvia approached to within a tn
lie of MORO the character of the Har -
'ating from her foremost was die.
rned and the castle signaled: What
your purport?" To this the sylvia
swered: I'VE have papers to deliver"
Moro did not resume the converse.
m. and for some little time the gun.
at rocked on the waters almost nm.
the still smoking cannon, Uncertain
lether or not an extra shell or two