ENGAGEMENT OFF HAVANA

Capt. Gen. Ramon Blanco.

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, May 20, 1898.

ENGAGEMENT OFF HAVANA.

Scheme to Get Our War Vessels Under Range of a Battery Failed.

   KEY WEST, May 16.—Captain General Blanco, two hours before sundown last night, attempted to execute a ruse which, if successful, would have cleared the front of Havana of six ships on that blockading station.

   Late yesterday afternoon the ships on the Havana station were dumbfounded to see two ships steam out of Havana harbor and head east. Dense smoke was streaming like cloak ribbons from their stacks, and a glance showed that they were under a full head of steam. By aid of glasses Commander Lilly of the Mayflower, which was flying the pennant, made out the larger vessel of the two, which was about 200 feet long and about 4,500 tons displacement, to be the cruiser Alphonso XIII, and the small one to be the gunboat Legazpi, both of which were known to be bottled up in Havana harbor. At first he supposed they were taking advantage of the absence of the heavy fighting ships and making a bona fide run for the open sea. As superior officer he immediately signaled the other ships on the station, the Vicksburg, Annapolis, Wasp, Tecumseh and Osceola, which were moving in to form a column and Eu Echioa [sic] with gunboats on the right flank.

   The little squadron moved obliquely toward the fleeing Spaniard, keeping up a running fire as they went. The Alphonso and her consort circled in shore about five miles below Havana and after running in for half a mile headed back for Morro castle. Our gunboats and their thin-skinned vessels of the mosquito fleet did not follow them in. Commander Lilly saw that the Spanish ruse was to draw them in under the guns of the heavy batteries, where Spanish artillery officers could plot out the exact range with their telamaters and spot them. So the return was made in line ahead parallel with the shore. Commander Lilly had not been mistaken. As his ships came abreast of the Santa Clara battery, the big guns opened and fired 13 shells at a distance of five miles. The range was badly judged as more than half the shells overshot the mark and others fell short, some as much as a mile.

ITEMS ABOUT THE WAR.

Condensed Accounts of a Number of Events.

   Admiral Sampson officially reported his bombardment of San Juan to the

Navy department. Seaman Frank Widemark of the New York was killed and Seaman Feltman badly injured. Seaman Mitchell, Private Marine Merkle,

Apprentice Hill, Seaman Michael Murphy and two other men were slightly wounded. One man died from the effects of the extreme heat. The American ships were uninjured. After three hours fighting our vessels withdrew. The enemy's loss is believed to be heavy.

   It is reported that one of the Spanish destroyers did not go with the main Spanish fleet, but is cruising off St. Pierre for the Havard, which is now in that port.

   Sidney L. Berry, an alleged Spanish spy, was arrested and locked up in Washington. Berry is a white man 36 years old.

   The invasion of Cuba has been temporarily abandoned until further news can be heard of the Spanish fleet.

Monday, May 16.

   The Spanish fleet is still at Curacoa, having purchased coal, provision and medicine.

   Berlin newspapers announce that Senor Sagasta is willing to have peace provided the Cubans were allowed to choose their own government.

   Target practice by the Prairie, off Nantucket, greatly alarmed the inhabitants along the coast, they thinking that the Spanish squadron was approaching.

   Fishermen captured along the Cuban coast report that food is extremely scarce on the island and that many people are starving, especially the reconcentrados, who have been driven out of the coast cities into the barren land before the insurgent lines are reached.

   Earnest Suntzenech, one of the American seaman wounded at Cienfuegos, died at Key West where he had been taken after the engagement.

Tuesday, May 17.

   The coast and harbor lights of the Canary islands have been extinguished.

   Lake Land, 30 miles west of Tampa, has been selected for a camp for the volunteers ordered to Florida. There is room for 30,000 men. The official count showed 9,000 regular soldiers and 400 officers and 1,600 volunteers already there.

   The Madrid government declares that the blockade of Cuba cannot be

Recognized as effective and hopes that the European powers and the states of Central and South America will refuse to recognize it.

   H. B. Hanna's big steam yacht Comanche, which was purchased by the government, has been ordered to the navy yard at Portsmouth where she will be fitted out with magazines and a battery.

   There is no report from the Oregon. Naval officials say no fear is entertained for her safety.

Wednesday, May 18.

   The Wilmington near Cardenas fired into and sank a derelict which had probably been sent adrift by Spaniards as a menace to the cruising American ships. A Spanish gunboat ran out a short distance while the Wilmington was engaged in the task and began firing though the vessels were at least eight miles apart.

   Dispatches from the Island of Santa Lucie, a British possession south of the island of Martinique, report a large warship lying off the west coast of the island. Other warships were sighted north of St. Lucia and the belief there is that the Spanish ships are lying in wait for the Oregon.

   A cablegram from Hong Kong says that Consul Wildman has just returned from Kowloon bay, where he took the insurgent cabinet on board the dispatch boat McCulloch and arranged for the insurgent forces to storm Manila. A big fight is expected.

   A dispatch from Havana says that it is reported that an American vessel engaged in removing torpedoes at Cardenas has been blown up and the entire crew of 17 perished.

   A dispatch from Kingston, Jamaica, reports three warships sighted off the island. They were probably Sampson's scouts.

Thursday, May 19.

   Commodore Schley's flying squadron has reached Key West and it is believed that a combined attack will soon be made on Havana.

   All Cuban cables except those running to the United States are to be cut, thus cutting off General Blanco's communication with Madrid.

   Information reached the navy department that the battleship Pelayo and the armed cruiser Carlos V had sailed from Cadiz for the West Indies. If the Spanish squadron is not destroyed before these ships arrive each belligerent will have six armorclads in West Indian waters.

   Senor Polo y Bernabe has booked passage for himself and members of his party on the Dominion line steamer Dominion, which will sail from Montreal on Saturday.

   Major General Otis, who will head the first detachment of troops to go to the Philippines, has arrived at San Francisco with his staff.

   The secretary of war has transmitted to congress the draft of a bill providing for a second assistant secretary of war to be appointed by the president and to receive a salary of $4,000 a year.

   Torrey's rough riders from Utah and Nevada have been mustered in.

Admiral George Dewey.

Fitzhugh Lee.

Stuart L. Woodford.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.

   Commodore Dewey began the bombardment of the forts at Manila before breakfast. Believing that men fight best on a full stomach, he withdrew out of range for a time so as to allow his men to get breakfast, and then went at it again. This shows his coolness and confidence in his ships and men.

   Our conflict with Spain is not "boys play" in one sense of the term, if not in two. General Fitzhugh Lee, Commodore Dewey and Minister Woodford are all upwards of 60 years of age. Thus far they have been the three principal actors in the play. Gen. Grant, at the close of the civil war, was only 43 years of age.

   The House of Representatives, Thursday, by a vote of 184 to 11, proposed a constitutional amendment making United States Senators elective by the people. This, no doubt, is in line of strong public sentiment. The adoption of that plan would do away with an immense amount of bribery and rascality, Ohio for instance.

   Capt. Kent, torpedo expert of the British Squadron at Halifax who went to

Havana to investigate the Maine explosion doubtless in the interest of his government, declares that the explosion "was external and caused by a mine." Well, that's nothing new, we knew it February 16, and furthermore we could then venture a pretty close guess as to the culprit.

   The New York Mail and Express covered the situation pretty well last week when it said: Lost, strayed or runaway—one Spanish naval squadron, of doubtful value, but necessary to the completion of certain important family matters. Information concerning the same will be gratefully received on board American flagship New York, in West Indian waters. Inquire for Sampson, admiral.

   Little has transpired in the war situation since last week except that the Cape Verde fleet are known to be on this side of the Atlantic and somewhere near the Venezuelan coast. A move is now talked of which it seems has been too long delayed. [Blanco] at Havana is connected by five cables with the outer world and, knowing the location of Sampson's fleet has been able to keep the Spanish fleet posted as to their whereabouts. It is now proposed to withhold all informadonas to the location of our fleet and to cut the cables leading from Cuba. Had this been done two weeks ago much time would have been saved. The first relief, which is only ammunition, sailed from the Mare Island navy yard Tuesday for Manila. The 15,000 troops have not started and thus Admiral Dewey is left as he was immediately after his victory, without force enough to seize and hold a position on land. The Oregon, after a 13,000 mile trip from San Francisco, is reported safe from the Spanish, She is probably with Sampson.

HERE AND THERE.

   Should the weather prove fair [electric] cars will run to Cortland park Sunday afternoon.

   The graduating exercises of the Central school will this year be held in the opera house.

   The wheel members of the Y. M. C. A. meet this evening in the parlors to organize a cycling division.

   Vesta lodge, I. O. O. F., hold the last of their series of parties in their lodge rooms tomorrow evening.

   Attorney B. T. Wright, who enlisted for the war from Lisle, will deliver the

Memorial day address in that town.

   Milkman John S. Park now serves his customers from a handsome and convenient new wagon, the work of E. A. McGraw.

   L. M. [Lelope] has located his real estate business in the Wickwire building in the offices formerly occupied by Attorney B. A. Benedict.

   William R. Jones, proprietor of the road house between Cortland and McGrawville, died there last Sunday morning. Burial in Virgil.

   W. A. Smith had the misfortune last week to run a nail into his foot He, at present, wears no shoe and walks with a limp in consequence.

   The L. C. B. A. will give a euchre party to members and friends this evening in Empire hall. Ice cream and cake will be served. Admission, 10 cents.

   Our Peruville correspondent remembers Jonathan Brownell, whose death was mentioned last week as a school teacher near that town some forty years ago.

   The spring meeting of the Cortland Union Bee Keepers' association will be held with the president, Mr. H. Wood, near South Cortland Saturday, May 21.

   An exchange hits the nail on the head when it says, A man with patches at his knees can find credit where a man with the seat of his trousers worn thin cannot.

   Little Hazel Peck, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Peck, fell from her wheel last Saturday and fractured one bone of her right arm just above the wrist. Dr. Sornberger, assisted by Dr. Ver Nooy, attended her.

   Since the renewal of the street lighting contract with the Cortland and Homer Electric company they have placed an order for a new 80-light arc dynamo which will be put in use as soon as possible.

   The board of education held its regular meeting Monday evening and voted to engage Mrs. B. L. Bentley as teacher of drawing. With the exception of the auditing of regular bills no further business was transacted.

   Mrs. S. J. Sornberger entertained her Sunday school class with a few others at her home on Tuesday evening. The rooms were tastily decorated with a profusion of violets. About thirty five were present. Ice cream and cake were served.

   Mr. Samuel Parsons is rapidly compiling the material for our new directory which will include Homer, McGrawville and Marathon. He has several assistants at work on the resident portions, the business part of the town being nearly finished.

   After meeting the state tax commissioners Wednesday, a special session of the supervisors was held, the object being to give [Cortlandville] Supervisor Wallace the power to raise money to build a road in this town toward Freetown. Judge Eggleston ordered the road some two years ago. Immediate action was not taken.

   Bicycle sharpers are working quite a slick game in some localities. One rides a wheel into a town and sells it cheap, to raise money. Another follows and claims the wheel as stolen from him. They work in this way together and generally secure considerable cash—Exchange.