The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-02-14
RAN THE
BLOCKADE.
The Little VesuviuS EVaded Four
Big Ships.
HER CREW HIGHLY ELATED,
THOUGH THE REST OF THE
SQUADRON DO NOT THINK 1T A
WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE
SHE DEMONSTRATES THE FACT.
HOWEVER, THAT THE HARBOR
OF CHARLESTON CANNOT BE
SAFELY GUARDED.

SAFELY GUARDED.
Charleston, S. c., Feb. l3.-They say
down ut Admiral Bunce' s fleet to. day that
it was neither IL fair nor az official test
but the fact still remains that the Vesu-
vius ran the blockade into the harbor
last night with IN ease that startled the
squadron. The run was made early in
the evening the cruiser crossing the dead
line and whistling II notice of her success
ut 1852 o'clock
Statements have been made that the
NesuviuS ran the blockade on the first
night that she joined the fleet, but these
are Incorrect. An officer from one of the
warships who saw the dynamiter como in
Is authority for this statement. Every
body is of course excited over the event
of last night. The officers of the block
aiding line of course make very little
of the achievement of the cruiser, but
the men of the Nesuvus look ut it in II
different light. The order of the ships
to fail into the blocSading line were sig.
nailed from the flag ship Il bit earlier
than usual. The two ships then on duty,
the battleship Indiana. and cruiser Column
bin steamed to the outward, taking 20.
sitions ut intervals of 5000 yards.
Shortly after 6 O'Clock the Nesuvius
drew away to the south also and was
soon lost i'll the fog. The weather had
been bad for several days and rs night
came on fog settled down upon the face
OF the water that kept every fog bell out
beyond sumter ringing.
At o'clock the test was well begun.
The blockading ships brought their search
lights into play, ana it was then for the
first time that they began to realize how
small was their chance of detecting the
Nesuvius. The lights which usually
threw brilliant path of radiance for g..
OU0 yards over the water. proved utterly
inadequate to the task Of penetrating the
fog. The effect 800 yards away could
scarcely be distinguished with the aid of
the most powerful of the search lights,
and when it is remembered that the ships
were 5000 yards apart it will be readily
Imagined that the Vesuyius had every
thing her own way. She had gone sever
al miles to sea- and then returned.
AS she approached the bloclkadng line
all OF her lights were shrouded and or
dcrs were given in hushed tones. The
little cruiser can under favorable circum.
stances make % knots, but she did not
tax her capacity last night Her engines
were brought down to u normal speed and
heading i'll between two of the feet she
ran straight into the harbor without an
iota of trouble. All the precautions
which she had taken to escape detection
were useless for in that fog she could
have come in just as we'll with all her
lights going and never been seen.
The matter was made very light of on
the fleet to-day. and it was claimed that
the test could not be counted MS a fair
one. 1t is true that only four ships
were on duty, the Amphitrite and Marble
Ma m
wise true that the night was favorable to
the blockade runner: but it might be OBJ
served that were the Nesuvius IL real
blockader she would probably have Sc
ected just such weather. for her eXpedi-
tion and Admiral Bunce knew he did not
have but four of his. ships in line when he
gave the Vesuvius her orders.
The Nesuvius seems to have demon
strated fairly well on the whole that four
of Uncle Sans best warships woull not
be able to keep a blockader out of Char
lesion harbor. All she would have to do
would he to wait for n heavy fog and then
run in between The lines. The result OF
the attempt to be made to night will be
awaited with interest.
The battleship Massachusetts Joined
the fleet to-day and the Amphitrite has
resumed. her place in the line the attempt
will consequently be made with six ships
in action The weather is clear and CON
ditions are far more propitious for the
fleet.
FAILED THIS TIME.
Charleston, Feb. l3.-Thc dynamite
cruiser Neslvius made five unsuccessful
| attempts to run the blockade tonight
The conditions were exactly reversed from
last night, as the air was free from fog or
mist and the search lights worked per.
fectly. For Il stretch of nine miles the
| waters of the Atlantic bristled with I'M
Gle Sans floating forts and cleaned
with the restless arrows of dozens of
! search lights. From the Beach channel
on the north to Pumpkin Hill channel on
| the south the fleet held the line in the
| following order: Massachusetts, Maine,
Amphitrite, New York, Indiana aud CO.
| lumbia. The line was established at /,
| O'Clock and the Nesu Fius was sent out to
sen The search lights began ut once to
| play over the waters 1t was about 80
I when Il light from the Maine stopped In