The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-25

The Pedro was taken to Key West. the
New York returned to the remainder Of
the feet, and all the vessels lay to and
drifted all night outside Of Havana har-
>bor.
Torpedo boats and one OF the cruisers
did patrol duty in the vicinity Of the TO
tilla, but no vessel Of any kind approached
| the men-of-war.
ALL VISIBLE FROM HAVANA
That shots had been fred by the New
seized and that another had beenf
York and that one steamer had been
seized and that another haG been stopped
must have been known in Havana very
soon after the occurrence, for the whole
affair could be witnessed from the shore.
However, not one of the vessels was close
enough to the city of Havana Itself to
know what demonstrations the events
caused there.
THE THREE OTHER CAPTURES.
This was the second seizure Of the day,
the first being that of the Spanish steam
er Beuna Ventura, which the feet of war
ships met early in the morning soon after
they had left their anchorage at Key
West. The steamer was some distance
outside Of Havana harbor at the time
she was stopped, and Admiral Sampson
signaled to the Nashville, which brought
her to. to escort her to port, which was
done.
A third seizure occurred this morning a
few miles west Of the entrance TO Havana
harbor. II was a small schooner, ap-
parently fishing craft, and she was cap
tured by the Cincinnati The cruiser
towed her to the flagship, and her captain
made satisfactory explanation to Admiral
Sampson, who released the vessel
Shortly before noon today the torpedo
boat Porter captured Spanish coasting
schooner, Mathilde, which the Dauntless
towed into Key West tonight.
The New York, with the torpedo boat
Porter in close attendance, was lying
about eight or ten miles off Havana, when
the smoke of a steamer was seen few
miles to the eastward. The flagship and
but when they drew near. they found
that she was the Italian man-of-war Gio-
vauni Baussan. bound for Havana.
The italian ran up the American colors
to his masthead and fired a rear admiral's
salute Of Is guns. it being the first salute
Rear Admiral Sampson had received from
a foreign warship since his appointment |
to his present rank. The New York re- !
turned the salute. and as the firing occur |
red only few miles off shore the incident |
probably occasioned great CONSERVATION in |
Havana
Just as this ceremony was completed, /
two schooners were sighted in shore from
where the New York and the Italian Law
and the flagship signaled the Porter to go
after them. The torpedo boat glfded over
he water at very rapid pace and passed
almost under the bows Of the Baussan on
Ter capture Of the Mathilde. AS she ran,
he Porter fred shots from her six-pound-
RS across the bows OF both schoners. One
If them came about Immediately, but she
proved to be a fishing boat and was re-
eased. But the Mathilde was more OBJ
innate and probably did not appreciate
'eing stopped by what looked like a tow
'oat or else she failed to understand what
he Porter wanted her to do. But when
wo more shots were fired from the tor
'edo boat the Mathilde came about and
he Porter ran alongside, informed her
he was seized by the United States and
promptly took her prize in tow and started
If to the flagship with her.
The Mathilde, which was loaded with
arrels of rum, was sunk almost to her
ails, and the Porter had much di1sculty
n dragging the heavy schooner through
he water, but finally brought her prize
longside the flagship. and by that time
ad hoisted the stars and stripes above
he Spanish flag at the Mathildes head.
Nearly the entire crew of the New York
ssembled on the deck and as the Porter :
anne up with her prize they gave her a
reat cheering.
The Dauntless was about ready to leave ,
Or Key West, and Admiral Sampson ask
d the dispatch boat to tow the prize to |
hat port for him, which was done, prize
rev from the New York being placed on
GARD the Mahilde.
There was srong wind blowing and ]
eavy sea running all the way from Ha- {
ana to Key West, but the Dauntless +
lowed through the water with her tow,
hich had her rails under half the time, ,
18th great volumes Of spray dashing over &
ne sailors and marines from the New
ork, who sat on top Of the schoner's
argo. each man ready with his rife to
revent any attempt that might be made
y the Schooner's own crew to cut loose
ON the DauntlesS. The latter made the 7
IN of eighty miles from Havana to Key t
Vest with her tow in eight hours, arriv- 7
g at Key West at midnight. '