Richmond planet., 1898-04-30

Cruiser of the Spanish Navy, and Though
She Carries Big Guns, No Resistance
Was Made.
Key West, Fla, April 27.-The light
house tender Mangrove, the baby of the
navy. puffed proudly into Key West
harbor yesterday with the richest prize
Of the war thus Tar. a vessel four times
her size trailing In her wake. The
captive was the Panama, Captain
Quevedo, a big transatlantic liner, and
an auxiliary cruiser OF the Spanish
navy, which has been plying Of late
between New York and Havana She
had % passengers. including three wo-
men, one Frenchmen and one Mexican,
and a crew of 72. As the Panama car
| ried two II FOUNDERS. she could easily
have annihilated the little Mangrove,
and as the latter came into harbor with
her prize there was not a craft but
saluted her with rousing cheers.
| The Mangrove, under Lieutenant
| Commander William II. Everett. was
| cruising along the Cuban coast. navi-
| gated by Ensign Palmer. Monday even
\ ing, about 20 miles north of Havana At
5:45 D. m she sighted the Panama The
only other ship OF the feet In sight was
the battleship Indiana, three miles to
the rear. Lieutenant Commander
/ Everett scented a prize and scudded
| toward the stranger When the latter
| came within range a shot from the
Mangrove's IL FOUNDER was sent across
her bows. but the Spaniard ignored the
challenge and went on. Another shot
followed without result, but the Man
/ grove was drawing nearer she stranger.
who calmly proceeded on her course,
apparently without any intention OF
running away.
When the third shot was hred the
Mangrove was within a hundred yards
of the Panamaa aud Lieutenant Com
monder Everett shouted to the deck
officer that II she did not surrender he
would sink her. The Mangrove's Of
fcers admit that they expected the
enemy's IL pounder to open on them In
response TO the threat. but the Span
lard promptly came 20. Ensign Day
ton. the senior officer OF the Mangrove.
boarded the prize. Rear Admiral Samp-
son ordered Lieutenant Commander
Everett TO convoy the prize to Key
! West.
! The Panama is OF about $500 tons
burden. and her passengers were main
. ly Spanish refugees fleeing from New
York and other points In the United
! States TO Havana Captain Quevede
! was grief stricken and greatly humili.
Ated because OF the capture. The pas
: sengers declare they knew nothing OF
{ the blockade. and that when they saw
Al the searchlight Of the Mangrove they
thought 1t was the light OF q Spanish
man-of-war. The first shot changed
their Joy TO apprehension. the second
and third created a panic. The women
ran screaming for shelter from the
enemy's guns, and the captain locked
himself sullenly in his cabin.
The Panama carries a valuable cargC
| OF general merchandise. including 6
, large quantity of corn. Much Of IT wa:
: meant to provision the suffering Span.
iards In Cuba, and the cargo. with tn,
: ship itself. undoubtedly makes th'
j richest prize thus far taken. Under tn,
y regulations. however. the battleshiI
) Indiana viii share in the prize money
as she was in sight when the oaptur'
was made.
This makes five steamers thus IA,
captured, in addition to a number o
schooners and small craft. The gun
boat Newport brought in two Spanisl
coasting vessels yesterady-the siool
= Paquette and the schooner Pisreneo~
d The torpedo boat Porter has arrives
u from of the Cuban coast. and report
: that the position OF the blockade con
If tinues unchanged There has been n
a firing on either sida.
u The United States cruiser Cincinnati
yesterday captured Lieutenant Pedr
Fernandez, of the Spanish army, VIII
was returning to his family on q smal
sloop. Lieutenant Fernandez is datain
ed on the flagship.
The news from Matanzas, Cardena
and Mariel is meager, but 1t indicate
that the blockade has been firmly Is
tablished at those ports.