The times., 1898-05-08
A DIARY OF NAVAL EVENTS.
Letter From am Officer of the Gum
boat Nashville.

boat Nashville.
Annapolis. Md, May 7.-George T.
Southgste of Annapolis. pay clerk on the
gunboat Nashville, on blockade duty off
Cuba, has written to his father as fol-
lows:
April 25.-We have been on the block
ade now for three days. The novelty of
the situation made it very pleasant at
first. but it is getting monotonous now
We have stopped several steamers, only
to find that they were neutrals and did
not know that war had been declared.
So all we would do was to warn them
and let them go. But we have captured
several small schooners and sloops of very
little value. as regards prize money. The
big steamer we captured the first day of
the war has been the only important
event in the cruise of the Nashville.
We heard yesterday that the Detroit,
the ship Berkeley Iglehart is on, had
captured a 4,0O0-ton steamer loaded with
stores the only drawback being that
the Detroit was in signal distance of the
admiral and several other ships in which
case all vessels in sight participate in
the prize money. Our capture was under
the same conditions.
If You take map of Cuba and look
about . miles west of Havana, you will
see bay with a very narrow entrance,
called Mariel. That is the place We are
blockading al present. There are two of
our ships near US, the Newport to the
westward at Bahia Honda and the Cas-
tine TO the eastward of us at Banes,
though the Newport has a rowing COM
mission and only looks into Bahia Honda
occasionally. We have had no news from
the rest of the feet yet, and are very
anxious 10 know what has taken place
near Havana"
April 26.-Late last evening we sighted
the Marnlehead. who signaled 10 Us to
follow her She was informed that an
armed transport, the Montserrat with
$40 Spanish troops was expected TO arrive
al CieufuegOs, on the southern coast. We
both started out at full speed with great
satisfaction. but the Marbiehead had the
III luck 10 run hard aground on the west
END of Cuba, and we are now wasting val
liable time trying TO pull her of. If we
can start again before noon we may not
. be too late. The transport is accompanied
! b. a smaller vessel loaded with ammuni-
ton"
April 2.-We succeeded in getting the
Marblehead off. and we are now 10 the
southwark Of the Isle Of Pios. We shall
arrive of Cienfuegos tomorrow. and there
we wiil lay 10 and wait for our prize In
the meantime we have disquieting rumors
/ from a Cuban pilot we have with Us that
there is a Spanish cruiser, the Alfonso
XIII now in these waters. which is su-
4 perior in guns and arms 10 both of US.
! II We fall in with her We shall have a
! tough struggle"
April 2s.-We arrived of Cienfuegos at
] dawn this morning. but saw no signs of
( our quarry. We have been amusing our
| selves trying to catch the cable from
! this place to Jamaica. in order to cut it.
! but have not succeeded 50 far We can't
I stay here more than three days. as by
/ that time we shall need coal Yesterday
! evening We sighted white steamer, and
1 thought a first we had i small fight on
Our hands but she proved to be a Nor
| wegIan fruirer bound for New Orleans.
We are having magnificent weather. and
the canned food and warm water are the
| only things we have 10 complain Of
May 2.-We are nearly 10 Key West
! 50 I will tell you what has happened
| within the past day or two. We arrived
| of CienfuegOs tWenty-fOu- hours late to
I capture our prize. We learned afterward
! that she had on board 500 soldiers and
81 D03.000 in specie. and her cOnsort was
loaded with ammunition. Just think
what we missed ST. 600 0g0. exclusive of
the value Of the two ships and anmuni-
ton.
I'VE caught a small passenger steamer
with ten officers and ten soldiers. iSpan-
ishj. a colonel among them. We are tax
ing them 10 Key West and will turn them
over % the Army for imprisonment. They
| are certainly a nuisance. every one of
| them seasick. Our cOnsorts. the Marble
head and Eagle. were fired on at Cienfue-
gos. but no damage Was done. We We're
! busy at the time chasing the passenger
steamer. 80 missed the fire. The Marble
head is bringing our prize after US while
we hurry ahead with dispatches for the
| admiral.
we just went to quarter and thought
we had a fight on our hands but she
proved 10 be an English man-0'-War.''