The herald., 1897-02-13
BLOCKAD|NG BATTlESH|PS
Work Their Searchlights to No
Effect
THE SLOW LITTLE DOLPHIN
Slips Past the Fleet and Rerens From
Florida
Other Attempts to Be Made by Vessels Bet.
ter Qualified to Escape Detection-The
Weather Unfavorable
Associated Press Special Wire

ASSOCldlcQ CpeCldl WHO
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12.-The block
ade runners at Charleston have scored
first blood, despite the preparations
made by Admiral Bunce to detect any
attempt to pass the long line of ships
strung out across the entrace to the har-
Dor. The Dolphin, not by any means
fast boat nor as invisible as regular
blockade runner, slipped quietly around
one end of the line on the Sth inst, and
when the department heard of her she
was at the bar off st. Johns river Fla.
Now the fleet is on the watch not only
against the return of the Dolphin, but
the appearance of the little Nesuvius,
swifter than anything in the fleet, and,
like a regular blockade runner, lower in
the water than the Dolphin. Moreover,
the Vesuvius is painted a dingy gray,
and is very much more likely to make a
successful run than the Dolphin.
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.
CHARLESTON, S. c., Feb. 12.-The
miserable weather today again pre-
vented the North Atlantic squadron from
putting in the customary target and
rowing practice. The flagship New York,
cruiser Marblehead and monitor Amphi-
trite have been assigned to patrol duty
at the south channel entrance. 1t is
pretty we'll settled that the dispatch boat
Dolphin dynamite cruiser Vesuvius, tor
pedo boat No. and probably the Cush-
ing will be the blockade runners. The
Dolphin, which was reported at Jack
sonville yesterday, is expected to at
tempt to run the blockade tonight. The
Vesuvius and torpedo boat No will also
attempt to slip into port without first
reporting to the admiral.
The armored coast defense ships
Puritan and Terror are the latest YES
sells to be ordered to Charleston.
The Indiana and Vesuvius, which ar
rived last night, anchored a consider
able distance outside. owing to the heavy
mist and fog prevailing. and it was not
until 10 o'clock this morning when they
were in line ordered by Admiral Bunce.
An officer of the Indiana stated today
that the Indiana's passage from Hamp-
ton roads was as easy and smooth as it
| could possibly be, the weather being fair
most of the way, and a trip more quiet
and uneventful could not have been had
A NEW MONITOR
| WASHINGTON. Feb. 12.-Commodore
| Sicard, commandant at the New York
navy yard, has notified tfAsnavy depart
ment that the double turret monitor
Terror will be ready for sea tomorrow,
and she has been ordered to join Admir-
al Bunce's fleet off Charleston. The
Terror was launched seventeen years
ago, but the long delay in completing
her has not been so very harmful, for it
has enabled thc department to embody
new ideas as they have developed in
that period of time so that she is now an
Ep-to-date coast defense ship in every
respect. This is the fir. of our naval
ships to be fitted with pneumatic mech
anism for the revolution of her turrets
and working of her guns. The report
of the trial board just received at the
navy department shows that the new
system functioned satisfactorily upon
trial.