The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-22
CRUISE OF THE DAUNTLESS
STORY OF SIMPSONS SEARCH FOR
THE SPANIARDs.

and AmphitrIte "a Drag on the
FIeet-DOiIers of the Indiana and
Terror Out OF Order.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.
Copyright. 1885, by the Associated Press.
On Board the Associated Press Dispatch
Boat Dauntless, Key West, May 1S-The
Dauntless was member of Admiral
SIMPSONS fleet during the latter's cruise
10 intercept the phantom Spanish squad
ron. The dispatch boats voyage lasted
fifteen days and extended from Key West
to ST. Thomas and return, with two side
trips to Cape Haytien, Hayti, the total
distance Travelled being about 2,60O miles,
as against 2,S0O by the fleet. The Daunt-
less occupied grand stand position at the
battle of San Juan and bore the first details
of the engagement to the st. Thomas ca
BILE station.
Admiral SIMPSONS fleet which left Key
West May 8, was composed of the battle
ships Iowa and Indiana, the cruisers New
York (nagship). Montgomery and Detroit.
the monitors Amphitrite and Terror. the
torpedo boat Porter, the coal ship Mag
ara, the tug Wan patuck, and the Asso-
ciated Press boat Dauntless.
THE Dauntess Immediately on joining
the fleet in the outer harbor at Key West
was ordered by the admiral to take station
witnln hailing distance of the New York,
and to remain there. On the first day of
.he cruise the Dauutless towed coal
lighter from Key West to the Indiana TO
enable the battleship TO fill her
bunkers on time: later she carried dis
patches to Cape Haytien and St Thomas.
and her distribution of news, bananas,
newspapers. plantalns. chickens and pine
apples made her very popular on one
occasion she was able to furnish baking
powder to a vessel which had run shor,.
When the Dauntless was obliged to sepa-
rate temporarily from the feet she was
provided with light signals and sailing
course, so that she readily overlook the
fleet and was never held up" as sus-
picious
Eearly in the cruise, the Terror and the
Indiana became troublesome on account
Ipf mishaps to their boilers. The monitors
were from the outset a drag upon the
progress of the fleet and during most Of
the trip to San Juan, the New York tow
ed the Terror and the Iowa pulled TIE
Amphitrite, the Porter often hitchiag on
behind the Terror.
The officers Of the feet had many un-
kind things to say about the "crabs" as
they called the monitors.
on May T. the Montgomery went into
Cape Haytien to send dispatches to Wash
ingtou, and next morning the Dauntless
entered the same port for a like purpose.
The Montgomery's call caused some stir,
It is said, at Port au Prince where it
was reported that the whole North Atlantic
squadron was about to enter Capt Hay
tien and coal.
Cape Haytien's little pile of slatey coal,
price $25 per ton, would not fill the bunk
ers of one warship.
The Haytien government is said to have
ordered the guns of the port 10 enfroce
neutrality to the letter. The Haytiens are
almost unanimously ir sympathy with the
! United States against Spain.
The Dauntless returned to the fleet on
May 8, with dispatches from Washington.
When the Dauntless reached the feet she
was sent in again for further news, and
in order that President Sam might not be-
come excited, the Dauntless' captain stat
ed that the steamer had returned for a
bill Of health. On this visit the Dauntless
obtained from the American consul a cir
cumstantial report that fleet Of thirteen
Spanish warships had been reported head
ing for Porto Rico.
In this report the naval officers placed
some credonce and the bombardment OF
San Juan was planned in the hope that
the Spanish feet was in the harbor
The feet moved slowly eastward on May
10 and II, and in the afternoon of the lat
ter day, the Dauntless was ordered to be
ready to carry dispatches to st. Thomas at
II o'clock next morning.
At daylight on May Y the fleet lombard
ed San Juan, the seaport and metropolis
Of Porto Rico The Dauntess lay six miles
Off Fort Moro and viewed the lombard
ment and the reply Of the forts, a de-
scrlntion Of which event has already been
cabied from St Thomas and Key West
After the battle the Dauntless waited foi
an hour for Admiral SIMPSONS dispatches
to the navy department and Immediately
on receipt of them steamed for st. Thomas
The Dauntless hoped 10 reach Charlotte
Amalie. the port of the Danish Islands Of
ST Thomas before night, but darkness
dropped down all Of a sudden and the
steamer, pushing on to the town lights
gave mortal offense to the Danish harbol
master by failing 20 stop at his hail lie
! consolidated a long time
There was no delay in filing to the AS
sociated Press at New York the battle de-
scription prepared hours before. The dis
matches went in this order: The Associa-
led Press bulletin, Admiral SIMPSONS bull
letin to the Secretary Of the Navy, Aaso-
| ciated Press complete story, Admira
| samDson's cipher message.
on May 10, the cruiser Montgomery. the
auxiliary cruiser Yale and the French gun
boat Rigault de Gouilly came into port
and there was much saluting by the war
| chine and the castle. Before midnight ol
the 12th the Dauntess, carrying coal ant