The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-14
A HOLE IN HER STERN
Havana Fired Upon the Flagship
San Francisco.
IN A STORM OF SHELLS
The San Francisco and the Converted
Yacht Gunboat Silvia Were Taken
by Surprise and Escaped by
the Merest Chance.

Key West. Aug. 13.-The flagship San
Francisco. the monitor Miantonomah
and the auxiliary yacht Silvia were
fired upon by the Havana batteries
shortly before o'clock yesterday
morning. One 10 and two 12-inch
shells struck the San Francisco's stern
as she turned to get out of range, and
tore a hole about a foot in diameter,
| completely wrecking Commodore How
ellis quarters and smashing his book
cases into fragments. No one was in
jured. and, being under orders not to
attack the batteries, the ships departed
as fast as their engines would carry
them.
The flagship and Silvia lay parallel
TO each other not more than mile
from MORO castle. and separated from
between three-ei9hths and one-quarter
of mile. The Minantonomah lay about
three-quarters of a mile to the rear of
the others. All were within range of
the Spanish batteries. and the tempta-
ton was too strong for the Spaniards
to resist. The first glimmer of dawn
was breaking through the eastern skies
when, without an instant's warning, the
lookout on the flagship saw a Jet Of
smoke pun from one of Morros big
guns
Almost before he could pull himself
together sufficiently TO make a report,
10 and 12-inch shells were screaming
all around. The Spaniards had the
range and apparently were grim in
earnest in their last efforts to wreak
injury on their too mighty enemy.
Shells fell between the San Francisco
and the Silvia; some fell short: a few
went over them. The flagship signaled
the Silvia to get out of range without
fHAT 1t.
and made for the sea.
1t was then that the shell struck the
San Francisco's stern. Commodore
Howell was on deck with Captain
Leary when the shell struck with the
utmost speed the fleet moved out about
three miles. Here the men on the flag
ship patched up the ragged hole I'm the
stern All the shells fired at tie vessel
fell around the ships One of the Sill
Was men stood calmly on the deck of
the yacht and counted them. MORO
castle fired several of the missiles. but
how many is not knowE The others
came from two sand batteries near
Morro The firing lasted 20 minutes.
The one-sided engagement had
scarcely ended when the men on the
Silvia were treated TO another surprise
The little yacht gunboat is manned by
the New York naval militia. Her crew
had barely recovered from the excite
HtHl "nen the HagSnlp called the NeSSel
over and Captain Boilers was given a
packet of private documents which he
was ordered to take into Havana under
flag of truce. The white flag was
hoisted over the Silvia and she steamed
towards the guns which had just given
her such noisy greeting. As the Silvia
approached to within a mile of MORO,
the character of the flag floating from
her foremast was discerned and the
castle signaled: What is your pur-
poser" To this the Silvia answered:
we have papers To deliver"
MORO did not resume the conversa-
tion and for some little time the gun
boat rocked on the waters almost un-
der the still smoking cannon of the
enemy. Presently, however. a Spanish
gunboat drew out of the harbor and
came close to the Silvia. II was the
Martin y PinZon and carried a much
stronger battery than the American
ship. The customary formal saluta-
tions were exchanged and Lieutenant
William @. Ford. the executive officer
of the Silvia boarded the Pinzon and
delivered the documents
The ceremony occupied no more time
than the physical act involved. The
American officer returned to his shin
and the vessels went on their respective
ways.