Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1898-08-12
COMMODORE REMY's SURPRISE
Relates His DisaEreeable Experience
in Acapulco While Chasing
the ItatA.

n
command of the blockading squadron
off the northern coast of Cuba, is the
same George Remy who commanded
the cruiser Charleston in her memor.
able chase of the Itata in 1891. The lat.
ter vessel, it will be remembered, was
loaded at San Diego, Cal, with arms
and ammunition for the CHILEAN insur.
gents, and in spite of the watchfulness
of the federal authorities put to sea
with her cargo. 1t was then that the
Charleston was sent in pursuit.
Under a full head Of steam the big
cruiser went at smashing pace down
the Pacific coast, but no trace of the
saucy filibuster could be found. Ru-
mors had it that her cargo had been
transferred at sea to the Gillian war
ship Esmeralda To lend color to this
report it was stated that the big South
American sea fighter had been sighted
off the Toast of Lower California few
days before, and that she had been seen
| repeatedly standing on aud off shore,
as if in wait. No one could be found,
however, to believe this seemingly
weird tale, the American sailors in par
ticular pooh-poohingi it as a thing to be
told to the marines.
The sequel of the story is best told
| by Capt. Remy himself, who repeated
the yarn many times upon his return to
San Francisco and INDUCED in nu.
merous hearty laughs at his own ex
pense.
'We were clipping it off at 17-knot
gait" he said, ''and keeping a sharp
eye out for our friend the Itata, with
out catching glimpse of her. We were
well down the Mexican coast when our
supply of coal began to run low. We
accordingly decided to put into Acapul.
co for a fresh supply. This Is one OF
the best harbors in Mexico, but, while
deep and almost completely landlocked
it is small. There is little more than
enough room in it for dozen good.
sized vessels to swing free at their
anchorage.
''Well, it must have been few min
utes past midnight when we steamed
slowly into Acapulco, and as our ship
rounded in we were taken completely
by surprise when the searchlights of /,
warship were flashed upon us. Com
ing in from the complete darkness that
enveloped the sea outside, you can
readily imagine our feelings. We
remembered in. an INSTANT the stories
that had been told us of the Esmeralda
having been sent north to convoy the
vessel We had been ordered to capture
and our first impression was that we
had Numbered upon our quarry and her
protector. If this were true we knew
there was nothing left but tt fight forit
Immediately our men were sent to
quarters, ammunition was ordered up
from the magazines, and all prepare
tons made for a battle royal. We knew
that if the vessel near us was the Es-
meralda we would have a warm time
| for she and the Charleston were built
from the same plans, and were as near
alike as TWO boats could be.
1--WE turned our searchlights on her
and it took us but minute to discover
that she was the Esmeralda. Then we
swept the little bay for the Itata, but
she could not be located. AS it was
all we could do was to keep our men at
tie guns till morning and await de-
velopments. When daylight came there
was puff of smoke from the big Chill
ian and a salute, which we promptly re-
turned, thundered across the water
Then the other fellow hoisted his anch OF
and his ship steamed majestically out Of
the harbor.
'In all my experience at sea that is
about as disagreeable night as | ever
spent, but we were ready to fight if it
had been necessary. Chicago Chron-