The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-04-23
PRIZE NO. 2.
The New York Takes in the
Spanish. Ship Pedro.

Philadelphia, April 23.-The maritime
exchange this morning received the fol-
lowing dispatch:
Key West, Fla, April 23.-Steamer
Pedro, from Antwerp, etc, for Pensaco-
la, Fla, arrived here this morning hav-
ing been captured by a warship
The Pedro is a Spanish freighter Of
1923 tons, and left Antwerp March %.
New York April 23.-The New York
Journal prints the following from Key
West today:
1.-The Journals dispatch boat Echo,
arrived this morning with the following
Friday, April 22.-COn board the An
ita, Is miles east of Havana, off Gu
ban coast.)-One of the first shots fired
IN anger from the gun OF an American
4 irOnclad across the bows of an enemy 5
ship since the close of the civil war, was
hurled from the deck of the New York.
as a signal to the Spanish freighter
Pedro, of Bilbao, to heave to shortly be-
fore o'clock this evening. The little
Pedro, Scurrying like a scared rabbit,
close in Shore forced by the closing in
of a foggy, misty day, was sighted by
the New York and Immediately brought
about with a solid shot across her bow.
1t was shortly after 5 o'clock that the
New York signa1led the fleet to halt
and scudded away like a greyhound
along the coast of Cuba
Far off against the dim, vague back
guessed, could be traced faint film of
grayish smoke, the one visible evidence
of Spanish freighter, striving vainly
to race out the day without being dis
covered by the great grey monsters
that blackened the sky to the west in
one solid mass of black cloud from the
tunnels of roaring furnaces.
Vainly the Spaniard raced. Charging
along at trial test speed, the New York
soon lay across the bows of the Spanish
ship, and the crashing challenge blazed
from the deck of the cruiser.
A huge puff of white smoke rolled out
from the side of the flagship, and far
off, just in front of the Spaniard, a
fountain of white foam leaped into the
air.
In moment the course of the strange
Spaniard was changed, and she hove
to. Shortly after the New York led her
prize further out from shore and laid
her to. The crew and captain could be
seen rushing about the deck of the ship
like a nest of ants, hiding their valu-
ables and striving to avert some inn
pending fate they could only guess at
in their ignorance.
AS she came around her name could
be clearly read on her stern. She is
the Pedro, of Bilbao, a Spanish freight
er, two-masted with a black funnel and
single yellow stripe and hull black
above red. AS soon as she was laid
alongside, the Pedro was boarded by
Ensign Frank Marble, of the New
York. Ensign Marble led prize crew,
| consisting of file of marines and sea-
| 1I16Il. WI great 1OI1IldIly lE0 en-
sign swung aboard and assumed COM
| mand. A burly barefooted American
tar showed the Spanish quartermaster
away from the wheel and began to set
the course of the Spaniard.
The Spanish crew gathered in a ter
rified huddle near the forecastle and
waited developments.
Hardly had the prize crew been put
on board before another freighter was
| seen going down the coast to eastward.
The New York, leaving the captured
Spanish craft in charge of the prize
crew drew across the bows of the
bows Of the stranger and sent a shot in
| to the water directly in front of her
bows. She paid no attention to the
challenge, but kept steadily on and a
few seconds later another shot was sent
hurting across the water in front of her.
After this hostile demonstration, she
hauled up and was soon following the
New York out to sea. 1t was discov-
cred however, that she flew the German
| flag and consequently was permitted to
nrOoRad