The San Francisco call., 1898-06-13
ENGLISH COAL
 SHIP 4 PRIZE The TWickenham Taken by the St. Louis. CARRIED FUEL FOR CERVERA. CAPTURED WHILE TRYING TO REACH THE SPANIARDS. Its Cargo Will Be Confscated as Con- traband of War and the Yes
 sel Will Be Re-
 leased.
CARRIED FUEL FOR CERVERA.
CAPTURED WHILE TRYING TO
 REACH THE SPANIARDS.
Copyrighted. 1898. by James Gordon Bennett.

MOLE ST. NICHOLAS, Hayti, June 12.-The merchantmen captured by the auxiliary cruiser St. Louis just off Morant Point, Jamaica, last Friday night was the British steamship Twickenham. On board the Twicken- ham is 320O tons of coal for the Span ish fleet. She has been sent as prize to Key West
 The captured collier is the London steamship which went first to Marti- nique, expecting to effect a juncture with Admiral Cervera's squadron at that island. The fleet had departed be- fore her arrival and she was detained there as a suspicious vessel by the French authorities. Word was brought to Admiral Sampson that the Twick- enham had left Martinique on Wednes- day. The St. Louis was detailed to in- tercept her.
 Twenty miles out of Kingston on Friday night the St. Louis fell in with the Twickenham. The ex-liner showed only the green and red lights of a mer- chantman and the collier kept right ahead on her northwest course toward Guantanamo, where she hoped to be able to find some means of getting her coal to Admiral CerVera'S ships in the harbor of Santiago. Coming into close range, the St. Louis surprised the col Her by sending solid shot across her bow The Twickenham, instead of stopping, put on full steam and tried to get away. Quickly overhauling the Englishman, the St. Louis fired again. The captain of the collier, seeing flight impossible, hove to, and was boarded by a boats crew from the St. Louis.
 The British captain at first made a vigorous denial that the coal he was carrying was for the Spanish fleet. His vessel was searched, however, by men from the St. Louis. In the fire-room man in overalls was found who spoke only Spanish. After vigorous cross examination by Captain Goodrich of the St. Louis, this man admitted he was a Spanish officer in charge of the Louis he had thrown his papers and commission overheard. He appeared to be badly scared at the way things had turned out. He was sent as pris- oner of war to Key West on board the captured steamship.
 The St. Louis has recently been en- gagged in cutting cables around Cuba. Lieutenant Allen said that when she passed Guantanamo last night the Stars and Stripes were still flying over the marines on the hill. American men-of-wa were ling in the harbor, but there had been no engagement yet with the Spanish.
 NEW YORK, June 12.-A Washing ton special to the Herald says: The capture of the Twickenham makes the second of the Spanish coaling ships which has fallen into American hands. The first captured was the Restormel, seized by the St. Paul, while endeavor- ing to make a dash for the harbor of Santiago de Cuba, in which Admiral Cerveras fleet was lying. There is an- other collier named the Roath now at Martinique, about which the authori- ties are suspicious, that will be seized as prize if possible. These three col Hers were laden with coal purchased by the Spanish Government in Great Britain before the Government issued her proclamation of neutrality and were sent to the Venezuela coast to effect Junction with Admiral Ger vera's squadron. They failed to meet Admiral Cervera, however, and to this failure was due Admiral Cervera's ac- tion in entering Santiago de Cuba, where he is now locked up. AS was done in the case of the Restormel, the cargo of the Twickenham will be condemned on the ground that it Is contrabaud of war, but the e fer will be released.