The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-14

Commodore HOweIPs Quarters wera
Completely WrecIed-Fire w.s
Not Returned, Owing to Orders to
Not Attack Havnna-san Fran
cisco, Miantonomoh and AuxfI;a
Yacht Sylvia Had Gone in Too
Close to Shore Tyventy-Tyyo
Shells Fired.
KEY WEST, Fla, Aug 13.-9 D. NJ
Ihe hagshfp San Francisco, the mon
ltor Mlantonomoh and the auxiliary
yacht Sylvia were fired upon by the
havana batteries shortly before
O'Clock yesterday morning. One ten or
tWelve-1nch shell struck the San Fran
clscos stern as she turned to get out
or range and tore a hole a foot in di-
ameter, completely wrecking Commo-
dore HowelPs quarters and smashing
his book case into fragments No one
was hurt, and being under orders not
to attack the batteries the ships re-
treated as fast as their engines would
carry them. The flagship and Sylvia
lay parallel to each other not more
than mile from Morro castle and sep
arated from each other by a distance
of between three-eghths and one
quarter Of a mile. The Miantonomoh
lay about three-quarters of a mile to
the rear of the others. All were within
range of the Spanish batteries, and the
temptation was too strong to be re-
sisted
While the ships of the Havana
blockading squadron have been keep
ing at distance of six miles or more
during daylight they have been ac-
customed to drawing in much closer at
night. Morro castle light has burned
! steadily throughout, serving as a good
beacon for the American ships. Thurs
day evening the warships of the squad
| ron Immediately off Havana were the
San Francisco, Sylvia and the Mian-
| tonomoh, and when night fell they
| drew in closer to shore than ever be-
fore, and took positions as before stat
ed. All night the ships rolled at their
stations with lights out, according to
! the blockade regulatio Another
twelve hours of dreary duty having
| passed with the same unvarying mo-
notony, what soon afterwards happen
| ed was as unexpected as it was un-
| welcome.
| SUDDEN ATTACK.
! The first glimnler of dawn was
breaking when, without an instants
warning, the lookout on the flagship
saw a lot of smoke pouring from one
of Morro's big guns. Almost before he
could pull himself together sufficiently
to make q report of the incident. ten
and twelve-inch shells were screaming
ell around the ship. The Spaniard5
had the range, and apparently were
grimly in earnest in their last efforts
/ to wreak injury on their too mighty
enemy. 1t was, however, almost rs
futile an effort as in every preceding
struggle. Shells fell between the San
Francisco and Sylvia Some fell short
| and some went over them. The flag
ship signalled the Sylvia to get out OF
| range without delay, and both ships
| swung around and made for sea. 1t
| was then the shell struck the San
Francisco's stern and sent its frag-
| ments into the after cabin, S.reckng
| Commodore Howell's library. The
| commodore was on deck with Capt.
Leary when the shell struck.
The Miantonomoh was in less dan
ger than the other two ships, being
farther out to sea, but when the firing
commenced they all moved out about
three miles. There the men on the
flagship were speedily put to work
patching the ragged hole which the
shell had torn in the San Francfsco's
stern. The damage was found to be
trif1ing.
All the shells fired at the vessel were
there were exactly twenty-five in num-
Der. AS they fell around the ships one
of the Sylvia's men stood calmly on
the deck, watch in hand, and counted
them Morro castle fired several of
the missiles, but how many is not
known. The others came from two
sand batteries east of Morro. The fir
ing lasted twenty minutes. No at
tempt was made to return the fire, the
blockading squadron being under spe-
clfic orders not to make any demon
stration against Havana in the nature
of an attack. Under the circumstances
it was almost suicidal for the three
ships one of them a yacht, to have
faced such odds as the shore batteries.
The big turret guns of the Miantono-
moh and the San Francisco's main
battery of six guns could have done
much damage, but the Spaniards had
the range, and to have attempted to
combat the almost impregnable batter
les of Havana would have been foolish.
The little yacht gunboat, which Is
manned by New York naval militia,
reached the blockading station only
two weeks ago, and this was their first
war experience.
UNDER MORRO'S GUNS.
They had hardly recovered from the
tingle of it when the flagship called
the vessel over and Capt. Boilers was
given a packet OF private documents,
which he was ordered to take into Ha-
yana under a flag of truce. Without
wasting words the white flag was or
dered hoisted over the Sylvia and she
steamed towards the guns Which had
lust given her such a noisy greeting.
AS the Sylvia approached to within Il
mile of MORO the character of the flag
floating from her foremast was dis
cerned and the castle signalled: What
is your purpose?" To this the Sylvia
answered.: 1--WE have papers to deliver"
Mcrro did not resume the conversation
and for some little time the gunboat
rocked on the water almost under the
still smoking cannon, uncertain
ovfro 1poJl or r,aot ,:cShf