The record-union., 1898-05-01

| AT a few minutes past 6 o'clock the
! 4-inch guns in the after port battery
sent a shot flying over the water into
Cuba's soil, raising little cloud of dust
about 100 yards in front of the hacien-
da, and just above where the Spanish
cavalry stood Before the hills, grow
ing dim in the evening mist, had ceased
echoing and reverberating the first re-
port, the other finch gun in the after
battery had landed its projectile. A
few more shots from this battery were
fired, but the ground was evidently
damp, as no dust arose, and it was
hard to tell where the shell fell They
We're fired at 3,4O0 yards range. The
Spaniards were not heard from after
the first shot.
The New York then turned her bow
eastward. The target practice was APP
parently over for the evening. Her
starboard batteries now bore on the
coast.
A moment or so later Captain Chad
wick saw the Spanish cavalry. then
mounted, ascend a hillside toward the
hacienda, and he personally trained a
4-inch gun and planted two shots, the
second one Pumping right among the
! Spaniards, who scattered in all direc
| tons
The New York then steamed about
toward MORO Castle and the band of
the flagship continued it's musical pro-
gramme.
Most of the crew We're on deck
watching this little lesson given to the
| Spaniards but there was no excite
| ment.
The trip. which ended in the target
practice at Cabanas, commenced about
noon, when the flagship, with the Eric
cson and Porter, started westward. The
Admiral was anxious to personally in
veStigate the blockaded harborS. When
| Mariel twenty-five miles from Ha-
vana, was reached the flagship came
to standstill, and the gunboat Cas-
tine which was guarding that port,
was hailed Captain Berry thereupon
went on board the flagship and had a
consultation with the Admiral A care
full inspection of Mariel harbor revealed
the presence of two small Spanish
gunboats and four schooners, we'll in
behind an old fashioned martello tower
on one side, and a f1imsy fort on the
| other.
The combined battery of the two
Notifications" is one muzzle loading
cannon. The last block house of the
westward trocha doomed up on a sharp
bluff shadowing the little town.
1t is believed that in spite of it's peace
full appearance. mines have been laid
beneath the smooth waters of Cabanas
harbor.
The blockade confines as before The
flagship lies to the westward of Havana.
| oil
/ in to shore last night, reports having
been fired on by the Cojimar battery,
which is to the eastward of MORO Cas-
tie. The Porter escaped unscathed
The coast of Cuba is being carefully
patrolled by the Spanish cavalry.
Captain Taylor of the Indiana came
on board the flagship to-day and hal a
long consultation with Rear Admiral
Sampson.
News of the movements of the United
States army is eagerly awaited by the
| fleet, and there is much speculation as
to when the troops will be ready.
The weather, which is cool and calm,
could not be more suitable for military
operations.
| While the Dauntless, the dispatch
boat of the Associated Press. was max
ing her way from Key West early this
morning, she was sighted by the flag
ship. The loCkouts on the New York
were unable to make out her identity,
owing TO the mist and the distance
which separated her from the flagship,
and 4-inch shell was fired in her di-
rection 1t was aimed at the Daunt-
| less, but was only sent near enough to
make her heave to. The Dauntless,
thinking she was being fired at by the
Spanish boat, promptly put about AMI
steamed away. Then she was recog-
MED, and a few minutes later the re-
cognition became mutual. and the
Dauntless ran alongside the New York.
Lated she proceeded to Matanzas.
Hearing that mines and earthworks
were being placed and built at Mariel.
in the province of Pinar del Rio. not
far from Havana the flagship then
moved in that direction, accompanied
by three torpedo boats, but there We're
no signs of movements at Mariel. and
the flagship proceeded to a point TWEEN
| ty-five miles west of Havana and about
ten miles beyond Mariel There suspi-
! cious movements were observed ashore.
| probably by wOrkmen on the fortifica-
tons. Consequently the flagship fired
three shots in that direction from one
| of her big guns. The firing however.
| brought no response, and the flagship
returned to her station.
| A strict watch against possible tor
| pedo attack is being kept on board the
| flagship All the available officers take
| deck watches at night, including the
| Chaplain, paymaster's clerk and AS
sistant Surgeon.
The small craft captured by the VIII
mington yesterday was only taken TO
| Key West because her crew were mem
| bers of the second Spanish naval re-
serve. 1t is thought that they might
be members of the crew of one of the
| torpedo gunboats. for which vessels a
very sharp lookout is being kept