The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-31
THE SEARCH FOR CERVERA
Schley's Cruise Along
the Cuban Coast.
A FORMIDABLE FLEET.

-
Over the False Alarm The Men Chris
ten the Guns On the FIagshfp-Ex-
element Over News of the Spanish
Fleet Being at Santfago-The Insur.
Becomes Offended.
| Correspondence Of Associated Press
Copyright by Associated Press.)
Off C~ienfuegos, Cuba, May 23.-The
squadron assigned to special duty and
which found it's name from it's first
nucleus the flying squadron" left
Key West on Thursday, May 18th.
Commodore Schley's orders were to
proceed to Cienfuegos where he would
be joined by the Iowa, then taking
coal at Key West, the M~arblehead and
the Nashville and two torpedo boats.
Less than two hours out from Key
West and while running to the south
west, the cruiser Marblehead was seen
going to the northeast. She signaled
that she was running into Key West
for coal. A half hour later the con-
verted yacht Wasp was sighted and
the Scorpion, AT Commodore Schley's
order, was sent out to intercept her
and get news. She reported that the
blockade at Cienfuegos had been prac-
tically abandoned by the small fleet
that had done such splendid work
there, having received the United
states government notice that the
Spanish fleet was supposed to be
heading in that direction, She also re-
DOrtp6 that tho NocL1;11o Iol l11--
out one Of her s%tarboard high-pressure
cylinder heads and was steaming in
slowly for repairs. There had been no
firing at Cienfuegos since the cable
cutting episode.
On Friday morning at 9 o'clock,
when just in sight Of Cape San An
onio light, the smoke of two steamers
was made out on the horizon. A call
to the guns and to prepare for action
the greatest enthusiasm
among officers and men and much dis
appointment was manifest when the
strangers were made out to be the
United States cruiser Cincinnati and
the dynamite cruiser Vesuvius. Cap
air Chester, of the Cincinnati, came
aboard the Brooklyn n to Commo-
dore Schley gave a summary of their
patrol work about the coast. They
had not seen the Spanish fleet or any
indications of it. To Captain Cook,
the captain of the Cincinnati said that
he believed it to be of no utility to
attempt to land munitions of war on
the coast unless we iaa.Hded troops also,
for absolutely no dependence could be
placed upon the insurgents for assist
ance. He believed that the arms and
ammunition already landed was in
the hands Of the Spanish. Maceo, the
insurgent leader, had not shown any
interest in the matter, but had claim
II 49,
communications sent him at great risk
of life were not officially addressed.
Saturday at S o'clock Cienfuegos was
sighted. Sunday morning at 1880
o'clock while at breakfast, a torperdo
boa was seen near the entrance of the
harbor. 1t proved to be the torpedo
boat Dupont with dispatches for the
fleet.
A close inspection Of the harbor of
Cienfuegos failed to reveal any indica-
ton of the Spanish fleet, although the
shore batteries defiantly raised their
Spanish standards. A group Of caval-
ry was seen on shore at one point, but
no attempt was made to fire on them.
At noon the Iowa steamed within
sight and joined the squadron.
At S o'clock Commodore Schley took
his squadron, now a most formidable
aggregation of ships, and ran close in
to Cienfuegos harbor, discovering that
there were no warshipS there, but only
a few schOoners and a small gunbOat.
'It is the Spanish squadron I'm lOok
ing for" said the fighting commodore,
land not a few almost ruined Spanish
subjects in Cuba" and so not a shot
was fired.
Sunday evening on the flagship took
place the christening of the guns. The
men in the port S-inch turret had
signs painted to put over their guns
and labelled the Dewey and the
'Schley," in the starboard turret they
named them the "Farragut" and the
'Cushing'' and in the forward turret
the kid McKoy" and John L. Sulli-
van." One of the 5-inch guns was
named the Paul Jones' and in Lieu
tenant Rush's after S-inch turret two
big guns were named the Lawrence"
and the Perry"
On Monday morning, May 23rd great
excitement was caused by news that
the Spanish fleet was at Santiago de
Cuba. The news was brought by the
Hawk, the converted yacht, which
came from Key West with the gun
boat Castine and the collier Merrimac.
Her captain said that the Minneapo-
lis, which had been sent scouting
through the Windward passage had
discovered the fleet on Thursday
morning and had run to Hayti and
cabled it. The Hawk came down with
all speed.
Much concern was felt for the safe
ty of the Scorpion, which left Sunday
bearing dispatches from Commodore
Schley and the Associated Press CORE
%spondent.
The work of coaling all the vessels
was proceeded with Immediately and
activity continued all the morning.
Off Cienfuegos, May A.-The
plan to seek the Spanish fleet at
Santiago de Cuba, where it was believ-
I'd to be was changed later on May
oath, by the information brought by the
British ship Adula, stopped outside OF
the Nienfuegos blockade by order OF