Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-14
SQUADRON STARTLED
vEsryrUs RUNS THE BLoCKApn
WITHOUT ANY TROUBLE AT ALL.
NATTER MADE LIGHT OF Oh FLEET.
The Men OF the vesuvius, However,
Look Mt IL Very DinereptIy-
searchIights Could Not Penetrate .
Fog That Prevailed.

CHARLESTON. S. c., February Ia
They say down at Admiral Bunce's nees
to-day that 1t was neither fair nor an
official test. but the fact still remains
that the Vesuvius ran the blockade into
the harbor last night with an ease that
startled the squadron. The run was made
early in the evening. the cruiser crossing
the dead line and whistling a notice OF hes
success at 7:S2 o'clock.
Statements have been made to the effect
that the Vesuvius ran the blockade on
the first night that she Joined the fieet.
but these are absolutely Incorrect An
officer from one OF the warships who saw
the dynamiter come In is the authority
for this statement. Everybody Is Of
course, excited over the event OF last
night. The officers OF the blockading line
make very little OF the achievement OF
the cruiser, but the men Of the Vesuvius
look at it in a different light
The order for the ships to fall into the
blockading line were signalled from the
flagship a bit earlier than usual The
four ships then on duty. the battleship
Indiana and the cruiser Columbia, steam-
ed to the southwark, taking positions ~
intervals OF 5000 yards. Shortly after
o'clock the Vesuvius drew away to the
south also, and was soon lost In the FOG.
The weather had been bad for several
days, and as night came on a 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. and II was
for ha
to realize how small was their chance OF
detecting the Vesuvius. The lights which
usually throw a brilliant path OF radiance
for 5000 yards over the water, proved ut
terly inadequate to the task OF penetrating
the fog objects 800 yards away could
scarcely be distinguished with the aid OK
the most powerful of the search-lights,
and when II Is remembered that the ships
were 1900 yards apart, IL will be readily
imagined that the Vesuvius had pretty
much everything her own way. She had
gone several miles to sea and then re-
turned. AS she approached the blockad-
ing line, all OF her lights. were shrouded.
and orders were given In hushed tones.
The little cruiser can. under favorable
circumstances make a light better than
twenty-five knots, but she did not tax
her capacity last night. Her engines
were brought down to a normal speed.
ana meaning IN DcLWstn tWo VI TIC hctNs
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 well with her lights
going and never been seen.
The matter was made very light Of
on the fleet to-day. and II was claimed
that the test could not be counted as q
fair one. 1t Is a little difficult. however.
to grasp the cogency OF this reasoning.
1t is true that only four ships were on
duty. tha Amphitsite and the Marble.
head both being in port. and II Is Ike
wise true that the night was favorable
| 10 the blockade runner: but. II might be
| observed that were the Vesuvius a reai
| blockader, she would probably have Sc
! lected just such weather for her expedi-
| tion, and Admiral Bunce knew he had
! but four OF his ships In line when he
! gave the Vesuvius her orders The Vesu-
| vius seems to have demonstrated
fairly well, on the whole. that four OF
Uncle Sans best warships would not be
able to keep a blockader out OF Char
lesion harbor. All she would have TO do
would be to wait for heavy fog and
| then run in between the lines. The re-
suit OF the attempt to be made tonight
| will be awaited with interest. Tho
| battleship Massachusetts joined the feet
| 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 tho
conditions are far more propitious for
! the fleet