The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-09
The vickshurg and MorriIl Tried the
Power of the Ports.
The SPANlARDS ARE BAD MARKS MEN
The American ships Gave Them All
4 Opportunity 10 no Good work,
but Thcy We're Not Effective.


guuners saved the Nicksourg aud the cut
Ter Morrill, from destruction OIL Havana |
yesterday morning tor over han an hour
they were under the ire OF tne guns Oh
Santa Cara water batteries. but escaped |
without material injury, although shrapnsl |
shells from s-inch guns exploded All ABOUT |
them anu both nov show me piucd scass
OF tho spanish bullets, Inc WHY Nlan-
iaros had arranged a trap 10 send a couple
OF our ships TO the bottom rhoy bhtsi
II MS u man would bait mouse trap. "A
| small schooner was sent out lrom havana
| haroor shortly before daylight yesterday
morning TO draw some OF the American
ships into the ambuscade. Tho ruse worked
| like charm, rhe Nicksburg ana the
| Morrill, IN the heat OF the chase aud ia
their contempt for spanish gunnery, walk
| ed straight into the trap that had been set
| for them. Had the Spaninrds possessed
thrir souls In patience but five minutes
! longer, not even the bad gun practice
! would have saved our ships and this morn
| Ing two of our vessels would lie at the
bottom OF the sea within two leagues Of
| tho sunkeu Maine.
Yesterday morning the Vicksburg and
Morrill, were cruising Gu the west OF Morro
castle aud were fired on By the big guns
| OF the GONNA battery. The shots were
! fired at the Vioksburg aud the Morrill,.
Both vessels, without returning the lire.
| steamed out OF range. Ii would have been
| day morning the Spanish had better luck.
Tho schooner they sent out before daylight
ran of to the eastward, huggng the shore
with the Wind OH her starboard quarter.
About three miles east OF thor entrance OF
the harbor she came over on the port
tack. light haze frnged the horizon and
she was not discovered until three miles
OH shore, when the Mayflower made her
out and sgnallod the Morrill, and Nicks-
burg.
Captaip Smith of the morrill, and Com
mander Tilliu OF the Vckshurg slapped on
all steam and started In pursuit The
schooner instantly put about and ran Tor
Nero castle before ihc wind In doing 80
she could lead the Americans directly un-
der the guns of the Santa Clara batteries
These works are short mile west OF Nor
70 and are q part 81 the defcnses OF the
harbor There are two batteries. one at
the shore which has been recently thrown
IN sand ana mortar, with wide en-
. brasures for eight inch guns and the other
on the crest of the rocky cmlnonce which
juts out into the water OF the gun u, the
4 point Tho upper battery mounts lo-inch
ana l2-inch Krupp guns behind q six foot
stone parapet tn front of which are twenty
feet OF earthwurk and Il betting OF railroad
= iron This battery Is considered The most
formidable of HaVanas defcnses, except
MORO castle. 1t is marked ana has been
D absolutely located by the American war
= Ships 1t Is probably duo to the fact that
+ the spanards had no desire to expose its
. position that the VickaburS ana morrill,
are now ailoat.
1 The Morrill, and Vicksburg were about
n six miles from the schooner when the
I chase began. Thoy steamed after her at
II fun speed the Morrill, leading until within
j. n mile and n half Of the Santa Clara bat
g tcries. Commander Smith OF the Vicks-
e burg was the first TO realize the danger into
- which the reckless pursuit had
nj ttYyt
., no haul off and sent shot across The bow
l. Of the schooner Tho Spanish skipper in
q stantly brought his vessel about while she
d was stll rolling in the trough OF tho sen
with sails Tapping, An S-inch shell Of
8 shrapnel came hurrying through the air
o from the battery. mile and a half away
II sailed over the Morrill, and exploded les
;, than nifty feet off The port quarter OF The
|, Vickshurg. Tho small shot rat1ed about
= her side. II was a close call, TWO more
e shots followed Il IN quick succession. both
y shrapnci One burst close upon the star
board quarter. hlling he engine room
Z, with smoke Of the explosion of the shell
!, and the other like the frst, passed 0Yei
n and exploded Just beyond. The Spanish
vunnea had tho range and their time fuses
were accurately act. The crews OF both
ships were at their guns Lieutenant
CONG who was in charge OF tho bow OF The
II morrill,. obtained permission TO return thu
FIRE.
. At tho first shot the VicksburR, whlel
e, was In the wake of the Morrlll slightly
II In shore. veered OFF and passed to wind,
ward under the Morrill's stern. Captain
Smith meantime shifted his helm TO p5r
= and was none too soon, for ms the Moril
" stood off a solid S-inch shot grazed he
starboard quarter and kicked up tons o
IT water as It struck wave 100 yards he
~ yond Captain Smith said afterward tina
'e this was undoubtedly an S-inch armo
c piercing projectile and that II would hnv
f. passed through the Morril's boilers ba
e she not changed her course in the nick o
time.
All the gunners Of the water battery wer
now at work. One of them cut the Jacob
ladder OF the Ylcksburg adrift and anothe
~ carried away a portion OF the rigging. 4
the Morril aud the Vicksburg steame
" away they fired a few shots from aft tn
3. Morrill's G-lnoh gun was elevated for 400
" yards aud struck the oarthworks repeated
"a ly The Vicksburg fired but three shot
:, from her 6-pounder. The spanlards con