Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-07-19
PRIZES AT KEY WEST.
Thrilling Experience Of Men Taking
Their Spells to Port.

Their Spells to Port
tBy Telegraph.)
so 80 VEST. FLA, July ls.-The
schooner Three Bells and the s,oon
Pigrim. captured by the gunho,,
LIKE near Man2anillo on July G ar.
rived here today under uriZe crew.
consisting II Lieutenant S. NJ. Rlonn,
ana Guhner's Mate j. E. Hatton Win
| tour marines each. Maryat never i'm
| as1ned more grotesque tale If ME
adventure than was experience bv thnse
men IN bringing their spoils to port.
botn prizes were under the British
Tag. bound from Kingston. .Jamaic,
| .pr Manzanilla with food supplies. On
me lhree SELLS was Captain E. ]. Hair
.'nE. an Englishman. and a crew Of
nv. and three Jamaica negroes. The
Ihsrlm carried 2 Dutch captain and
-Four searmen of the same class.
Captain Harding was much depressed
'N"n ~" capture and drank heavily
'int'' Lieutenant Blount stopped his
'inunr On the evening Of July 9. Can
'ain Harding suddenly leaped over
board nstern. The Pilgrim put on,
small boats and caught him but he
struggled desperately. and capsized the
boat One of the marines held him nm
IN the overturned boat and he was
aiken on board the Pilgrim but he wa.
'""'f when they reached the deck. 1t
's th"u"h: n" took a dose of laudanum
'efore iun1ring into the sea
~" smell schooners were sighted
near Key Romano Neither of the
nr'7ns was living a Gag but bot.l were
Violently recognized by the strangers
rs expected blockade runners from Ia
naica. for one of the schooners nut o,lr
s'''"'' ho'' to tow them in. AS it ap-
n.'r"d Lieutenant Blount shouted:
ar" Won Snanards?"
As one nf the men with n proud pas
~" 'rs"'""nd Me Ispanogel!" The
stars and Stripes broke from the foro
# the Three Rells. whereupon both oc-
Hnnants of the small boat cried in low
md SAID: "Americanos. caramba" and
"l"n9nd into the sea Whether or NOT
they reached shore is an opan question
Lieutenant Rlount and his men went
~ ard cantnrnd the nearest schooner,
Which nroved to he the Concentinn The
'fher ron or into shoal water and as-
"aned. The Conceptinn was we'll loaded
18th fish wine and other provisions
'h"v took her IN tow and then began
.. chantor Of nisrortunes. Violent trop-
cal SQUALLS burst upon them the same
day and continued almost incessant-
'"'' last nirht. They had no charts
torn from 25 cent guide book to HELM
hem as they f1oundered about in the
-naa-fhroe little vessels. none much
bigger than q cat boat. They were
cnmralled f sslly tn abandon the Con-
"entior.
N"d~esaav morni"" whom n stor''o - r
unusual violence fell on them Off Cape
\otorin.
Unable to make any nrngress and
expecting almost momentarlly to foun-
der they law thert. all iav. But this
was trivial 70 what followed. Late in
The afternoon rs they humncd helnleSs-
" about tho sea 4 hoNr re Spanish RI
'"~nn ON .hrre onnncd fire. Just he
fore niehtChll. fifteen Of the Snanish
rifcm"n-'n nsh"d off in n small boat
cl.,rc ne 200 or 400 wards. pourinr n
vcious fire at he schooncr's r,"n. The
bullets whstlnd all around riddlne the
salcS and so,'ne ~oing clear through the
~chnnnor and slnop. Ono bullet naSSed
through tho cabin within two feet of
Lieutenant Rlount.
Fortunately for the storm honnd men
night drove the Spaniards back to the
shore and early the next morning the
wind changed and carried the two
prizes on. g.... ..
Taking chances on their course be-
ing the right one, they sailed on. when,
as a final, their water gave out yester-
day off Rehecca Shoal. The sight of n
strange schooner flying an American
flag restored their lost courage. She
was the four-masted r. NJ. Hopkins
from Baltimore for New Orleans with
coal and had been delayed by head
winds. She gave the prizes crews
chart and set them straight on their
course and weary weather worn they
drew into Key West harbor after the
worst fortnight any of the crew had
ever experienced.