The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-05-17
OUR SHIPS GIVE CHASE
SPANIARDS RUN IN UNDER san
ia CLARA'S HEAVY Guns
SHELL FROM A kRUPP FALLS SHORT
Spaniards Drop the Mask a Little too Soon, and
Their Batteries Flame With Heavy Dis
charges, but the Little American
SQUADRON is Untouched.
Squadron is Untouched.

Key West, Fla, May 15.-On board
the Associated Press dispatch boat Kate
Spencer, off Havana. May II. : p. m.
Captain General Blanco. two hours be-
fore shutdown tonight attempted to exc
cute 4 ruse. which if successful would
have cleared the front of Havana of
six ships IN that ~blockading station.
Unable to come ont to do battle. he
adopted the tactics Of the spider and cum
ningIy planned to draw the prey into his
net, but though Il clever and pretty
scheme as an original proposition, il was
practically Il repetition OF the trick by
which the gun boat Nicksburg and the
little converted revenue cutter Morrill,
were last week decoycd by il fishing
smack under the big Krupp guns of
Santa Clara batteries.
Late this Afternoon the ships on the
Havana station were dumb-founded to
see two ships steam out of Havana har-
Dor and head east. Dense smoke was
curling like black ribbons from THEN
stacks, and Il glance showed that they
were under 4 full head of steam. BY
aid of glasses Commander Lilly. Of the
Maytiower, which was flying the pen
nant. made out the larger vessel of the
two. which was about q feet long and
1000 tors displacement. TO be the cruiser
Alphonso MI. and the smaller one to be
the gun boat LegaZpi, both of which
were known to be bottled up in havana
harbor. At first he supposed that they
We're taking advantage of the absence
Of the heavy fighting ships and were
making q bona hde run for the open
sea. AS superior officer, he Immediately
Signalled the other ships on the station,
the Nicksburg, Annapolis. Wasp, Tecum-
sch and OsceOla. which were moving in.
to form a column en- echelon, with
gun boats on the right flank. The little
squadron moved in obliquely toward the
fleeing Spaniards, keeping up a running
fire as they went. The Alphonso and
her consort circled inshore about five
miles below Havana, and after running
in for half a mile headed back for MORO
Castle. Our gun boats and the other
thin-skinned vessels of the Mosquito
fleet did not follow in.
The Associated Press dispatch boat.
Kate Spencer, witnessed the action
which lasted over an hour. AS Il specta-
Gle. the greatest master Of stage craft
could not have evolved 4 finer setting.
The big Alphonso and her convoy
steamed swiftly from the dark shadow
of the harbor'S mouth and turning sharp
~ east, ran along the coast as though
to slip through the Gordon Of blockade.
1t was a bold trick and not ut first
transparent. although the folly Of it
created a suspicion, as there was no hope
of ultimate escape and no object III
escaping. The May1ower standing well
.n1t 1il,a n cot with Il mOnSp p1 Vp a
slight start. then swinging her engines
and tinv squadron into line, dashed IL,
to cut them off. The Spanish boats
crowded on steam and stood along the
coast as long as they dare to give Zest
to the chase. The Mayhower signalled
her cOnsorts Close in and charge
Word was flung on from ship to ship
as they steamed in column en- echelOn.
Seeing the bait had apparently taken, the
SpaniardS veered about. and bringing
their stern chaserS to bear on the Amer
leans. doubled back for MORO.
Two of the shells from the Nicksburc
burst in the rigging Of the Alphonso ana
some of it came down. but it was, OF
course. impossible to know whether any
fatalities occurred. The American fire
was much more accurate than the Span
iSh. as every shell of the latter fell short
Of their Dursuers.
The Spaniards were q mile off MORO.
and our ships fully four miles further
out, when flames leaped from the batter
les Of Santa Clara forts and clouds of
white smoke drifted up the coast. Half
Il minute later a dull. heavy roar of a
great gun came like Il deep diapason
of an organ on the high treble Of the
smaller guns. 1t was from one Of the
twelve inch Krupps mounted there. and
- ~ an,,r 1,n ra rnt fh.
water half Il mile inside of the Ameri-
can line. throwing up a tower Of white,
spray. 1t richochetted and struck again
half Il mile outside.
The mask was now off. Maddened by
the failure Of their plot he SpaniardS
continued firing at intervals Of about
ten minutes. In all thirteen shots wer"
fired. but not one struck within 300
yards of one Of our ships. AS soon rs
the battery opened Commander Lilly
signalled and his feet stood off shore.
Captain Mckenzie, on the bridge of the
Nicksburg. watched the fall of the shells.
but he concluded it useless to waste am
munition at that distance. He appeased
the desire of the men at the guns. how
ever. by letting 90 a final broadside at
the Spanish ships. in chance hope Of
making them pay for their daring be
fore they gained the harbor. but they
steamed in unde MOrrO's guns untouch-
ed. and as they disappeared fired several
shots. A number of shots were sent af
ter them at that m by the An
napolis. which dropped inside the har
Dor. probably creating CONSERVATION
among scores of bum boats on the water
front.
Commander Mckenzie thinks. as do
other officers of the feet. that the Al
phonso has been stripped of her bat
terry and guns and those used today were
only temporarily mounted. If it was the
AlphOnsO MI she must have found
new boilers. Since lately she was Il
helpless cripple in Havana harbor. From
the action of the Krupp guns it is evil
dent the Spaniards have no cordite and
are using ordinary cocoa powder.