The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-11
BUNCE'S PLAN OF BLOCKADE.
THE SQUADRON ALREADY PLAYING
IFS MIMIC GAME.

The Entire Fleet on the Watch For
the Vessel That Is to Attempt to
Run the Blockade and the Ocean
frightened by the Rays of the
SearchIights-The Invitation to
the Social Functions nt Charleston
OmcialIy Extended.
Charleston, S. c., Feb. 10.--A serious ac-
cident occurred on board the battleship
Maine yesterday but II was kept quiet un-
til to-day. This was rendered possible by
the fact that the ships are some sixteen
miles away from the city and out at sea.
While a crew, consisting of First Sergt.
Wagner and Privates Seminar and Hardin
were loading a one pound gun of the
Names second battery with one pound
calber cartridge, the cartridge exploded,
injuring First Sergt Wagner on the right
hand, tearing the flesh from the bones.
Part of the shell struck Hardin in the leg
and has not yet been extracted. The men
are painfully rather than seriously hurt.
Seminar was injured about the face.
The Indiana and Massachusetts have
not Joined the fleet. 1t was learned to-day
that the manouvers are to begin at once
and the Dolphin, which 1t was thought
+ yesterday had gone south, is probably to
act as blockade runner 1t may be that
her first attempt to get into the harbor
past the battleships will be made tonight
This morning committee of citizens IN
charge of Collector Bryan, called upon
Admiral Bunce to learn his pleasure re-
garding the entertainments which are to
be given the fleet by the city of Charles
ton.
II Is, Of course, impossible to obtain
! definite information regarding Admiral
Bunce's plans, but it was generally believ-
| ed here to-day that the dis
patch boat Dolphin is now
engaged in an attempt to run into
| Charleston harbor undetected by the feet.
| The Dolphin sailed southwark Monday
evening and it is said that Lieut.. Com
| mander Clover who is in charge of her,
was instructed by the admiral to make
| the attempt to run the blockade. The
! searchlights of the squadron were kept
| flashing across the sea until late last night,
! but the Dolphin did not put in an appear
! ance. Tonight however, the theory
! about the Dolphin was dispelled by news
! of her arrival at Jacksonville.
The ships held their positions of
yesterday all to-day, the men on the va
! rious vessels engaging for several hours
| exercising their secondary batteries. To-
| wards nightfall signals were hoisted by
! the flagship and in response to them the
| Amphitrite, Marblehead ana columbia
moved further out to sea and 90 the south
ward. The stretch of water covered BY
| the batteshps is thus extended for dis
| tance of more than ten miles. From the
| steeple of st. MichaePs churcn tonight
| the flashlights of the warships may be
| observed as they cast great paths Of light
up and down the coast and out 70 sea.
Neither Indiana nor the Massachu-
| setts Joined the fleet to-day, though II rs
| said that both vessels are expected to coal
! at Port Royal tomorrow.
| The Newark, which has been engaged
| on police duty at the mouth of the 81
| Johns river for some days, Is now coaing
at the same place This has as giyY1en@ .Y1s @ rise 20
| fleet off Charleston tomorrow.
| Mayor Smyth and a committee OF re,
! ception and entertainment visited Admlral
! Bunce on the flagship New YORK at noon
| to-day and extended the privileges OF the
| citv to the fleet. The admiral, his staif
and the senior fleet officers were invited
! commerce on Feb. Is to meet Secretary
/ Herbert: also to attend a public reception
70 sov secretary sn6 bail afroer5 on IL the dS ist6
/ instant. Admiral Bunce express
| ed his qualification at the attentions shown
| and said he would endeavor to accept the
! INVITATIONS All the ships in the locality
| that can enter the harbor Will do so be-
| fore the secretarys arrival and II Will
/ he made convenient for the officers to ac-
! cept the hospitalities rendered. The admi-
| raj would not say much of the details OF
| the blockade, but said he anticipated
! most instructive and valuable season here
II was learned here tonight through the
| postoffice authorities that the Dolphin had
| gone to Jacksonville and that she conse-
| duently is not acting as the blockade run
| ner 10 Admiral Bunce's fleet for the pres
| ent at least. 1t is none the less true, how
ever that the entire squadron of Charles
! ton bar engaged tonight in blockade duty.
| Either the manouvers are being made pre-
/ paratory to the coming of the Nesuvius
or else the Marblehead Is acting for the
time being as the blockade runner The
men of that cruiser when they were ashore
expressed the hope that this work would
be assigned them and IT now seems pos
sible that their wishes have been gratlhed.
Washington Feb. 10.-The official re-
ports of Capt. Crowninshied Of the bat
tIeship Maine, and of Admiral Bunce, Of
the disastrous times on board the block
aiding fleet off the Caroinas, reached the
navy department to-day.
They have been anticipated by the re-
ports of the Southern Associated Press
from Charleston, and confirm the accu-
racy and completeness of those reports.
They are full of interesting detail, but
cortain no new facts.
Capt. CroWninshield recommends Lands
man William j. Creelman of the Maine
for llfe-savipg medal of the first-class
for his heroism in endeavoring to save
the lives of his comrades who were wash
ed overheard.
Washington, Feb. 1O-rhe Newark has
arrived at Port Royal and the Dolphin
has taken her place watching for flibus-
ters of the st. Johns river bar.
jacksonville. Fla, Feb. lO.-The Dolphin
Is Off the st. Johns bar, having taken tho
pace Of the cruiser Newark to prevent tho
escape Of hlibusters. The Newark has
gone 10 Charleston.
--s-e-s-
SCHOONER STRANDED.