Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-22

| 49, f''N"eu "itn light signals and SAIL
ing course. so that she readily overlook
the feet and was never "heId up. Nd
| suspicious.
THE GRABS" TROUBLESOME.
Early in the cruise the Terror and the
Ano,aha became troublesome because of
mishaps TO their boilers. The monitors
were from tho outset a DRAG upon the
progress OF the feet. and during most OF
.ne TIP 10 San Juan the New York lowed
me isiror and the Iowa pulled the Am
! piutIi'e tne Porter often hitching on be-
hind the Terror. The officers OF the
Meet had many unkind things 10 sav
apout me crabs as they called the
| monitors.
On May eth the Montgomery went into
APE Haitien TO send dispatches TO Wash
'ne ION, ana next morning the Dauntless
vntered the same port for q like purpose
Ine Montgomerys call caused some stir.
" y ssid. at Port-au-Prince. where It was
reported that the whole North Atlantic
squadron was about 10 enter Cape Hal
een and coal. Cape Haitien's little pile
Oh slate coal. price $25 per ton, would not
I'll inc bunkers OF one warship. The
nntien Government 10 said TO have or
uereu the general OF the port to enforce
neutrality to the letter. The Haitiens
are almost unanimously in sympathy with
The Dauntless returned TO the fleet on
May 9Th. with dispatches from Washing
'on. When the Dauntless reached the
meet she was sent IN again for further
news, and in order that President Sam
might not become excited, the Danntless's
captain stated that the steamer had re-
turned for a bill OF health. On this visit
the Dauntless obtained from the. Ameri-
can consul eircumstantial report that
meet OF thirteen Spanish washIps had
peen heading for Porto Rico. In this re-
port the naval officers placed some cred
ence, and the bombardment of San Juan
was planned in the hope that the Spanish
feet was in the harbor
The fleet moved slowly eastward on
May 10th and 18th, and in the afternoon
OF the latter day the Dauntless was or
9ered to be ready to carry dispatches to
81 Ibomas at IL O'Clock next morning.
THE COMMANDMENT.
AT daylight on May 18th tho fleet bonn
barded San Juan, the seaport and me-
ucpohs OF Porto Rico. The Dauntless
Jay SIX miles of Fort Moro, and viewed
the bombardment and the reply of the
tCrts, description OF which event has
already been cabled from st. Thomas
and Key West
After the battle the Dauntless waited |
Tor an hour for Admiral SIMPSONS dis |
patches TO the Navy Department, and |
immediately on receipt of them steamed |
Tor 81. Ihomas. The Dauntless hoped |
To reach Charlotte Amalia, the port Of |
the Danish Island of ST. Thomas. before |
dark, but darkness dropped down all Of /
sudden, and the steamer, pushing on |
10 the town-lights, gave mortal offence |
10 the Danish harbor-master by failing |
TO stop at his hail. He expostulated a |
long time There was no delay in filing |
TO the Associated Press at New York the |
battle description prepared hours before.
The dispatches went in this order: As
ISOLATED Press bulletin. Admiral Samp-
sons bulletin TO the Secretary Of the
Navy; Associated Press complete story;
Admiral SIMPSONS cypher message.
on May 18th the cruiser Montgomery
the auxiliary cruiser Yale, and the
French gunboat Rigault de Genouilly
came into port, and there was much sa-
luting by the warships and tho Castle
Before midnight Of the 18th the Daunt-
less, carrying a few precious New York
newspapers, set out 10 overtake the feet,
then moving slowly back to Key West.
THE SOIAACE AND THE ST. LOUIS.
Early Sunday morning, May 18th, off
Puerto Plata, San Domingo, the Daunt-
less resumed her old station near the
New York. The fleet had I'm the paunt-
less's absence been Joined by the hospi-
tal-ship Solace and the auxiliary cruiser
st. Louis. The st. Louis, towing the tug
left for Santiago de Cuba
on the morning of the 18th, to cut the |
cable that connects Spain and Cuba; the
Porter went to Puerto Plata to send dis
patches, and the New York went cruls-
Ing. leaving the Iowa, Indiana Amphi-
trite, Terror, Detroit. and Niagara
The Terror had broken down, and was
being towed by the Niagara, and the I
Iowa pulled the Amphitrite. The Mont
sonery which went into SANTANA bay on
the afternoon Of the 18th, had not rejoin-
ed the fleet when the Dauntless off the
west coast of Haiti, May 10th, pushed
ahead for Key West, taking the most
iirect course in arriving there May 18th.