The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-30
WITH THE BIG SQUADRON
SOME EXCITING EVENTS ON
COMMODORE SCHLEY'S SHIPS
Frequent Calls to Guns When Sus-
piciOus Smoke Was Sighted Con-
tradict All Spanish Stories of
Lack of Discipline in the Amer
lean Navy - CienfuegOs Harder
Found to Be Mined.

Lack of Discipline in the Amer
Found to BE Mined.
Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.
OFF CIENFUEGOS, Cuba, May &c.
The squadron assigned to special duty,
which found it's name from it's first nu-
cleus, ''the flying squadron" left Key
West on Thursday, May 10. 1t con-
sisted of the armored cruiser Brooklyn,
flying the commodore's flag of Winfield
Scott Schley, and under command Of
Capt. Francis A. Cook; the battleship
Massachusetts, commanded by Francis
J. Higginson; the battleship Texas,
commanded by John w. Phillip, and
the Scorpion, converted yacht, COM,
manded by Lieutenant Commander
Adolph Mannix.
Commodore Schley's orders were to
proceed to Cienfuegos, where he would
be joined by the Iowa, then taking coal
at Key West; the Marblehead, Nash
vile and two torpedo boats. The Iowa,
first-class battleship, in command of
Capt. Robley Evans; the Marblehead,
third-rate cruiser, in command Of Com
mander Rowman H. McCalla, and the
Nashville, thlrd-rate cruiser, in COM
mand of Washburn Maynard, together
with the torpedo boats and perhaps
some fast gunboats, it was believed.
would make an invincible squadron.
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 with
the Scorpion. Commodore Schley'S Or
ders were sent out to intercept her and
get news. She reported that the block
ade at Cienfuegos has been practically
abandoned by the slFall fleet which had
done such splendid work there, having
received the United States govern
ment's notice that the Spanish fleet
was supposed to be heading in that di
rection. She also reported that the
Nashville had blown out one of her
starboard high pressure cylinder heads
and was steaming in slowly for repairs.
There had been no firing at Cienfuegos
since the cable cutting episode. The
Wasp was allowed to proceed. The
squadron took an eleven knot speed.
and, after the ships were cleaned of
the dirt made by taking on coal, active
preparations for battle were made, the
decks being stripped for action and the
main batteries loaded.
At 1 o'clock the Nashville passed the
for Key West. She signaled her num-
Der and destination, and was not
stopped. h..
I FRIENDLY SMOKE.
On Friday morning at 9 o'clock, when
just in sight of Cape San Antonio light.
the smoke of two steamers was made
out on the horizon. a call to the guns
and to prepare for action awakened
the greatest enthusiasm among the
officers and men, and much disappoint-
ment was manifested when the strang-
ers were made out To be the United
States cruiser Cincinnati and the dyna-
mite cruiser Vesuvius. Capt. Chester,
of the Cincinnati, came aboard the
Brooklyn, and to Commodore Scnley
gave a summary Of their patrol work
about the coast They had not seen
the Spanish feet or any indications
of it. To Capt. Cook, the captain of
the Cincinnati said that he believed
munitions of war on the coast unless
we landed troops also, for absolutely
no dependence could be placed upon
the insurgents for assistance. He be-
lieved that the arms and ammunition
already landed were in the hands of
the Spanish. The insurgent leader had
not shown any interest in the matter,
but had claimed to have been insulted
because communications sent him at
great risk Of life were not officially adj
dressed. The Cincinnati and Vesuvius
left for.Key West to get coal.
On Saturday at o'clock, Cienfuegos
was sighted. Sunday morning at 1880
o'clock, while at breakfast a torpedo
boat was seen near the entrance of the
harbor. There was quick call to gen
eral quarters, but the boat disappear
ing, breakfast was resumed. At 8
o'clock, the smoke of a steamer was
seen to the northwest. 1t proved to be
the torpedo boat Dupont, with dis
patches for the fleet. A close in
spection of the harbor of Cienfuegos
failed to reveal any indication of the
Spanish fleet, although the shore bat
teries defiantly raised their Spanish
standards. group of cavalry was
seen on shore at one point, but no at
tempt was made to fire on them. At
noon the Iowa steamed within sight
and Joined the squadron.
IOWA CHEERED.
Commodore Schley allowed the men
to cheer, and Fighting Bob" and his
splendid battleship were cheered to the
echo. The Iowa announced that the
Marblehead, Castine and collier Merri-
mac would be here in the morning. At
5 o'clock, Commodore Schley took his
squadron, now most formidable ag-
gregation of ships, and ran close into
CienfdegOS harbor, discovering that
there were no warships there, but only
a few schooners and a small gunboat.
cit is the Spanish squadron I'm look
ing for" said the fighting commodore,
land not few almost ruined Spanish
subjects in Cuba" and so not a shot
was fired.
At o'clock the Scorpion was sent
away to Santiago de Cuba, 800 miles
distant, for the purpose of commune
eating with the Minneapolis or the
Harvard. either of which is supposed
to be there, so that it could take dis
patches from the fleet to Hayti for di-
rect cable to the United States navy
department. The Minneapolis, which is
still attached to the flying squadron,
left Hampton Roads one day later than
the rest of the squadron and went to
the east, completing with the rest OF
the squadron a complete circle of the
island.
Sunday evening on the flagship took
the place Of a christening day. The
eight-inch turrets had Signs painted to
put over their guns. labeled
the Dewey and the Schley. In the star
board turret they named them the Far
ragut and the Cushing, and in the for
ward turret the Kid Mccoy and John
L. Sullivan. One of the five-inch was
named the Paul Jones, and In Lieut..
Rush's after eight-ineh turret two big
guns were named the Lawrence and the
Perry
EXCITING NEWS.
On, Monday morning, May %, 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