The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-01


| rHR CHASE AND THE MABBy.
While the Cool was waiting In the log above Hei
Gate for the remainder OF the party the Chase. which
board run per up TO- Is e street and tool
| on board. men previously brought by the Mabel
from staten Island aud the Elysian Fields, ant
fall In with the Cool in consequence OF che fog and
| after waiting some time we steamed IN towards For
| Schuyler. As we approached the fort the men wert
| all ordered between decks and forbidden to speal
! above whisper. revenue cutter was known e
be or the fort on the lookout for any expedt
vented our discovery and we swept BY IL
| Silence, broken only by the monotonous tolline
OF the fog bell on the rocks. once past the tori
the utmost hlarity prevailed: crackers and cheese
were served out to the men, and few officers by
ssnl PsSe Of strategy ssGared from the boats
The boat being densely crowded sleep was I'M
possible, ana after avexatious series OF delays In
the Sound, instead of in Gardeners Bay. All day
Sunday the Cool beat about che Sound In the dense
fog unable to make out her position, until the fierce
storm OF that afternoon broke the pail that en-
veoped us and revealed the distant headlnnds
OF Plum Island. Before reaching the channel
to Gardeners Bay, however, the fog again
settled down, and another night was spent In
great anxiety and no little discomfort from the
crowded condition OF the drenched boat, and the
total absence OF food and drinking water During
the night whistles were heard, and at last the Chase
came alongside. Both steamers anchored, and the
men Of the Chase being saturated By the rain and
having protection from the cold night air, were
allowed to exchange places with those on board the
Cool Fortunately the Chase had few hard crackers
on board, which were eagerly dev0ured by the men,
and with little rain water found In the boats the
already severe torments OF hunger and thirst were
somewhat allayed. Monday morning we reached
GARDENERS BAY
and found the two schooners containing the sup
plies and munitions, but no Catharine Whiting could
be discovered Inquiry was made OF the lighthouse
keerer and OF the smacks which visited the vicinity
in relation to the steamship but no vessel Of that
Kind had been seen. The situation was critical The
provisions on the schooners were insignificant in
quantity las the Whiting was loaded with that
frelght) and were buried deep beneath other, and,
under the circumstances. lmmOvable material OF
war. The men had received nothing since leaving
New York Saturday night, except few crackers,
and indeed, most OF them had taken their last meal
on Saturday morning, having been lying out ali
that day In the wet grass and woods OF Staten
Island and other places OF gathering few were
was obtained, together with a small quantity OF sea
birds eggs and bucket OF potatoes for the officers.
to escape, but were overtaken, fired upoa and stop
ped and all returned to the steamers The fears OF
serious mutiny now arose, and council
steamers by Seniors Alfaro, Bassora and the prin-
clpa officers Of the expedition. The Whiting being
out Of reach It was determined Ila to proceed
To do this 1t was necessary to transfer most OF the
men to the steamer which should remain and in
to New London It was proposed that none but
Cubans should go with the New London boat. The
attempted execution Of this plan nearly brought
matters to q disastrous finale. AS yet there mad
been no military organization promulgated this act
being reserved for completion until the Whiting
should be at sea with all on board; and no one
had the slightest authority except that acquiesced
In by the men, In the persons OF those who had re-
cruted them and were reported to command them
in Cuba. The men, rendered dissatisfied by hunger,
thirst and their exposure to the cold storm on the
bay, declared that the Cubans were to be taken to
Of and bs or w8
selves were to be left to suffer; and for time they
positively refused to go on to the Chase until their
leader then absent inspecting the scho0ners should
assure them that IL was al right, Besides. at
Sixty-second street, q young, inexperienced Cuban
had thougntlessy drawn revolver and ordered
back party OF men coming on board, because he
thought the boat was not quite ready to receive
Them and ano'her Cuban had on the trip In slight
alteration also threatened uan with his pistol;
and the men, arguing that such manifestations
were but indications OF harsher treatment IN
Cuba were on the point Of b breaking out into
and after some delay the leader of the
dissatisfied men having been brought across the bay
from the schooners, an explanation was made, and
the desired transfer was effected, with tue exception
OF about sixty Americans Including Germans and
the Cubans some fifty In number
We left on the Cool before noon for New London,
that frequent inquiries were made of schooners
whom We met, we did not reach the city (ony
fourteen miles distant) until dark
AT NEW LONDON
1t was proposed that the steamer should anchor out
in the stream, aud small boat manned by officers,
be sent ashore for water and supplies; but this sug.
gestion was overrued and the Cool ran up to one OF
the old wharves, in u retired place, but within q
cables length OF United States revenue cutter. In
spite OF positive orders that no should leave the
steamer except those authorized to 90 for supplies.
in few moments q large number OF men dashed or
and up into the ae city This party included the two
Gardeners Island and several OF the most insubOr.
dinate men oil the party. These were encountered In
the streets by the officers who endeavOred to force
them back to the boat but without success and in
a very short time the intelligence OF our presence
had passed through the city ike wiIdare. 4 crowd
n w ahnut 10
steamer and several residents Of the place urged
the vessel to depart as soon az possible.
slipped rapidly IN near the Cool, hurried CONVERSE
ton was had between Messrs. Alaro, Bassora
and some person who ia, had come up on the
ONCE to communicate with New York. At first the
report was circulated that the Whiting had arrived
at GARDENERS Bay, but the HERALD correspondent
soon learned the disastrous news that she had been
seized. and that the expedition was O failure. This
was carefully kept secret from the men, and the
Cool lett In few moments making all possible
speed for Gardeners Bay TO save the expedition from
capture which, now tnat the Whiting had been seized
already communicated with the authorities seemed
inevitable. AS II the fates were against the Cubans
the pilot Of the steamer again lost his way and day
light found us, after seven hours steaming in
strange place. After q careful survey the position
Of Gardeners Bay was made out, and we hurried on
tertained that the men whom we had LETT Monday
noon already suffering extremely from hunger, and
who had been promised that we should return from
the Chase and made Off with her to
some , porr, PARTICULAR particularly as the Mabe had
Writings capture. 10 our surprise, however, we
found the men cheerful and In nowlse discontinued.
Provisions were ct once literally distributed and q
council Of of1cers held to determine what should be
done. In addition to the Mabey, which had already
returned from New London with coal for the Chase,
the expedition the Cool and Chase the two schoon.
ers, and small yacht which had also been sent BY
the Cubans from New YORK to warn the expedition
OF the seizure OF Its steamship.
PREPARATIONS FOR RETURNING
were Immediately commenced The tug Graham,
telegraphed for by Senior Alfaro from New London,
arrived about seven A. M. from New York, aud,
with the four steamers, there seemed obstacle In
the way Of escaping from the perils rapidly envel
oping the expedition. The schooners were ordered
to remove to another rendezvous and about 3OC
men were left under Colonel Ryan to camp upon
Gardeners Island, while the Cuban managers were
to hasten to New York on the Cool and At Out
another steamship which they mad In view, and
which they thought might be got ready for SEQ In
about sixty hours The Chase was to remain at the
island, and the Mabey to procure additional sup
plies for the men, to last until the expedition might
depart for Cuba. About 150 men returned with the
m ha md H.