The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-22
direction, but after proceeding several miles
turned and took westerly course.
CRUISE of A DISPATCH BOAT.
The DauntIess with Admiral Sampson
on His Trip to Porto Rico.

on His Trip to Porto Rico.
Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.)
KEY WEST Fla, May 21-The Asso-
ciated Press dispatch boat Dauntless was a
member of Admiral SIMPSONS fleet during
the latter's cruise to intercept the phantom
Spanish squadron. The dispatch boats
voyage lasted fifteen days, and extended
from Key West to st. Thomas and return,
with two side trips to Cape Haiten, Haiti,
the toal distance travelled being about 1900
| miles as against 1900 by the fleet. The
Dauntless occupied grand stand position
| at the battle of San Juan, and bore the first
details of the engagement to the st. Thomas
cable station.
When the cruise began it was believed
that the Spanish squadron of cruisers, tor
pedo boat destroyers and torpedo boats,
which had already sailed from the Cape
Verde islands, was bound for the West In
dies. 1t was Admiral SIMPSONS plan to
put his fleet between the Spanish vessels
and the port of San Juan de Puerto Rico
falling in this, to attack the fleet before it
could leave San Juan; or if too late, to en-
gage the Spaniards on sight anywhere.
Admiral SIMPSONS fleet, which left Key
West May 3, was composed of the battle
ships Iowa and Indiana, the cruisers New
York Flagship, Montgomery and Detroit
the monitors Amphitrite and Terror, the
torpedo boat Porter, the coal ship Niagara,
the tug Wampatuck and the Associated
Press boat Dauntless. The Dauntess, i'm
mediately on joining the fleet in the outer
harbor at Key West, was ordered by the
admiral to take station within hailing dis
lance of the New York and to remain there
On the first day of the cruise the Daunt-
less towed coal lighter from Key West to
the Indiana to enable the battle ship to fill
her bunkers on time; later she carried dis
patches to Cape Haitien and st. Thomas,
and her distribution of news, bananas
newspapers, plantains, chickens and pine
apples made her very popular. When the
Dauntless was obliged to separate tempo
rarily from the fleet she was provided with
light signals and sailing course. so that
she readily overlook the fleet and was never
held up as suspicious.
Leaving Key West on May 3, the fleet
sailed in the direction of Havana, then
turned eastward, keeping in sight the lofty
coast of Cuba AT night the beacons on the
Cuban coast were lighted as usual, but they
gave guidance to few vessels besides the
enemies of Spain, for the war has driven
ships from the seas At night the fleet car
ried no lights, but there was much signal
practice with colored lamps.
Early in the cruise the Terror and the
Indiana became troublesome because of mis-
haps to their boilers. The monitors were
from the outset a drag upon the progress
of the fleet, and during most of the way to
San Juan the New York lowed the Terror
and the Iowa pulled the Amphitrite the
Porter often hitching on behind the Terror
The officers of the fleet had many unkind
things to say about the crabs as they
called the monitors.
On May the Montgomery went into Cape
Haitien to send dispatches to Washington,
and next morning the Dauntless entered the
same port for a like purpose. The Mont
gomerys call caused some stir, 1t is said,
at Port-au- Prince, where it was reported
that the whole North Atlantic squadron was
about TO enter Cape Haitien and coal. Cape
Haitens little pile of slatey coal. prices
SIS per ton, would not fill the bunkers of one
war ship. The Haitien government is said
to have ordered the general of the port to
enforce neutrality to the letter The
Haitiens are almost unanimously in sym-
patty with the United States against Spain
The Dauntless returned to the feet on
May with dispatches from Washington
In Cape Haitien rumors that the Spanish
fleet had been sighted at Martinioue St
Thomas and other West Indian islands were
current. None OF these rumors the As
ISOLATED Press credited at all, and some az
them the Dauntless was able to demolish nv
a little cabling. When the Dauntless
reached the fleet she was sent in again for
further news. and in order that President
Continued on Second PaEe.J