The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-27
THB SPANISH GUNBOATS.
% T~eiys Bouts a or Z Iooso., sdS 'sa shosIs ''''

% TWeiys Bouts ssa or I IooEoa, ok s Shoals. '''''
The New York Sun of to-day has further par
ticulars in relation to the Spanish fleet
Yesterday morning, at o'clock, the last of the
Spanish gunboats dropped down the stream and
anchored under the protection of the sixteen
68-pound guns of the Spanish war steamer lsa-
bel la Cattolica, lying off Quarantine, Staten
Island. On Friday six of these boats went down
to the lower bay, and on Saturday three more
departed. The three that sailed yesterday were
detained by the coal passers refusing to work on
Christmas day. No. 16, which returned from the
first squadron with broken machinery, also
sailed.
Despite the copious showers that fell yester-
day the pier and bulkhead at the foot of West
Thirteenth street was lined With the curious,
who eyed the departing gunboats eagerly, but
attempted no demonstration.
The first division of gunboats that sailed the
week before last 1t now appears had no powder
on board. Of course this fact was carefully
concealed from the Cuoans and from the news
papers. Otherwise the mosquitoes" might not
have got off so easily.
Mr.. Delamater went down to Quarantine
yesterday to see the feet anchored off there,
and expressed entire satisfaction with their
trim appearance as they lay along inside their
convoy.
1t is now said that the Cubaus might have
attacked the first batch of gunboats, as 1t was
rumored they would do, had they not been
aware that Mr.. Delamater had 1881 men on his
pay roll, who were kept ready at a moments
notice to answer any summons to repel any
attack. While the newspapers were asserting
that the boats were guarded by but 100 men, the
Junta knew that the newspapers had been pur-
posely misinformed.
The gunboats are expected to drop down to
the Horse Shoe at Sandy Hook to-day. The
greatest activity prevailed yesterday among
them, and crews were transferred from the
Isabel Ia Cattolica Stores were very much
wanted. The engineers were obliged to go
ashore yesterday TO get their food. Several of
.s.l,N
port NJ. Kalbdeisch was employed all day trans
terring supplies to the fleet. She is armed with
q Napoleon 12-pounder.
The steamship General Barnes which arrived
in this port yesterday, passed the first twelve
gunboats at 11'40 P. NJ. on Friday, off Lookout
Shoals.
The Boats In and Out of Hampton Roads.
The Norfolk Journal of December "a has
news of that part of the fleet which first left
New York. The paper mentioned says:-
About dozen of the Spanish gunboats came
steaming up into the Roads at 1890 o'clock
yesterday morning, and, after one or two of
them running their nose on the bar, came to an
anchor just off Fortress Monroe. A large
crowd of spectators had gathered on the wharf
to inspect the strange crafts, and various were
the opinions expressed as to their qualities etc.
The vessels are very small neat built crafts,
with rakish spars and smokestacks, and seem to
be lively in the water. They are very light
draft and seemed to have but little difficulty in
running all over Hampton Bar at high tide.
They are about as long as the tug America, cop
pered and painted black. They are schooner
rugged, and present more the appearance of
pleasure yachts than of gunboats.
The frigate Pizarro did not come up; and
scarcely had the feet got their anchors down
and swung with the tide, when three more of the
feet came around Willoughby Spit Lightship
and signalled those at anchor They Immediately
got away and went out again, and have no
doubt gone out to sea, as the weather was very
favorable for run around Hatteras. We donot
wish them any ill, but they may meet with warm
reception not many miles off the Capes as the
Cuban iron-clad Triumph will be in their wake
like an avenging spirit of destruction.