The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-04-25
III WAS Nor a srANIAnD.
hut Admiral Snmpson and His Men
Hoped She Was.

| On board the flagship New York off fla'
vana, April %, p. m. filed al Key Wesi
| at midnight, April Copyrighted by thu
| Associated Press, 1S9S.)--The Puritan
| Nashville Marblehead and Ericsson ar
! rived from Key West this morning. The
| Ericsson almost Immediately returned from
| Key West with dispatches. At 10 O'Clock
| this morning the Puritan, Cincinnati. the
| gunboats Machas, Nashville, Castine and
Newport and the ITO torpedo boats Foote
| and Winslow left the squadron to blockade
Matanzas Mariel and Cardenas. They
| formed separate division and after they
| had passed out OF sight the remainder of
| the fleet took up regular formation, hay
| ing drifted some fifteen miles from MORO
| Castle. The general advance was made
at half speed.
| Captain Evans, not quite certain of the
| position he was entitled TO take with the
| Iowa, caught up abreast with the flagship
| and shouted through the megapnone;
| How near may Gomez"
| Rear Admiral Sampson, who was stand
| ing on the afterbridge, replied: As near
| as you can without drawing the fro of the
| batteries"
| "All right shouted Captain Evans.
| Inc Iowa tneU went dNedu. AUuul udll
| an hour after the squadron was wei under
way the cruiser Cincinnati was seen on the
| eastern horizon, the smoke pouring from
| her funnel. She had been headed for Ma
| tanzas. and evidently had turned back 10
chase some vessel. The object OF her chase
was soon made out TO be foreign warship
standing well nroward the coast. The
flagship the cruiser Marbehead and the
| gunboat Wilmington Immediately turned
n q RI haa6 tha off
The remainder of the squadron proceeded
to the westward Smoke poured from the
ships. The flagship was making eighteen
knots, the whole vessel throbbing with the
vibrations of her twin screws. The little
Wilmington steamed up in splendid style.
and the fast cruiser Marblehead kept near
ly abreast. The formidable trio bore down
upon the strange warship. The shout went
up, "She is a Spanlari." For the next ten
minutes the suspense was terrible The
distance which separated the vessels rem
dered 1t Impossible to make out the war
ships identity. She was thought to be tho
Vizcaya or the Oquendo, heading hard for
Havana. The men at the guns shouted
with glee. The stokers off duty below
cheered vociferously and bagged to be al
lowed to go on deck to help shoot at the
first armed enemy met. The officer,
crowded on the quarter deck as elated ms
the men. though under better control. The
bugler blew General Quarters." All hands
flew other posts. Down came the shrouds
with a rattle The life lines vanished from
the decks.
Rear Admiral Sampson. standing ON the
bridge. said deliberately to Captain Chad
wick
Yes the oquendo and the vizcaya'' and
then added Il should like to meet BOTH"
Ihen 1t was seen that the vessel was
liyin gan Italian flag, but this was not
proof Of her identity. All the guns of the
New forl's port side and on the forward
ana all turrets were trained on the stran-
ger After q few minutes when about
LOO yards separated the New York from
her target, the American flag was r,,r In
by the warshr, and then 1t was known
she was not Spaniard. A puff 4 smoke
issued IRON her sides and the boom of a
gun sounded across the wateSs IT was
only salute, but ut first many OH hoard
thought Rear Admiral Sampson had been
deceived. But the warship fired fifteen
guns as a salute which was returned hy |
flag. an i'o''ap
Inc stranger was then made 9ut 1, lie |
t IN, Gloyannn Ransan, powerfS cruiser.
tnlthout further formaities she pursued |
her course and entered Havana barbor
Thus an exciting incident ended in dis
appointment; but it served to show how
aanSlous ell bands are for real fight, and |
neN splendidly the discipline Is when a |
CONTINGENCY seems imminent
Inc salute of the Italian had scarctiy |
oeen returned before schooner was seen |
or Ire coast, The torasdo boat por.er. !
winch had ben following close to the Tag
ship' was directed to overhaul her. The (
for'er flew through the water. and after
lew shots fired from her six FOUNDER ;he |
granger hove 10. Captain Fremont asi
ms work well and quickly and when lie
lowed the schooner back to the fla,;saip
u u was found she was the NathilIe rr,m I
sierra Morena. east OF Cardenas. and tounl
rom Havana laden with sugar ana manned |.
oy Spanish naval reserve men, ti.uy rroy
ing quite a good prize. The ,aptain Of
,he schooner was brought on beari and
NE Matriide was towed back to Key West
by the Dauntless.
ire New York later In the afternoon re-
lcined the SQUADRON and a virilant pa-
troll was kent IN, The castle and the sur
rounding fprtif'caticns could be Mainly
seen without glasses from tho flagshins.
WAR BULLETINS.