Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-06-23

mepts with the Spanish squadron, pup
lie attention has been largely occupied
with stories Of the blockade established
of Cuba. The dispatches have told OF
the capture of blockade runners OF the
excitement attending the chase and the
methods employed. of the character anu
value of the prizes, of the sleepless
vigilance observed on the blockadins
ships, of the all but impossibility OF es-
cape of incoming or outgoing Vesseis
engaged in the service of the enemy.
The creation of blockade is an In
itial measure in naval warfare; 1t was
the first undertaken by the administra-
tion in 1861, and by President Mckin-
ley in the present war. The conditions
as they existed then, and now, are TO-
tally different. There is an impassable
wall along the Cuban waters main
tanned by sufficient force Of cruisers
and various craft, fully equipped for
any emergency. But in 1861 the fed
eral government entered upon the task
of capturing or blockading the South
Atlantic coast. with four small vessels.
carrying in all twenty-five guns. This
was what 1t had at its immediate dis
posal in home ports as barrier to
commerce along 5000 miles of coast.
In the Gulf of Mexico were eight more
ships; in the Mediterranean three;
seven were on the coast OF Africa; two
on that of Brazil, three in the East In
dies, and eight in the Paciflc-scattered
far and wide. These had to be collect
ed to satisfy England and France that
a perfect blockade could be established.
according to the rule affecting 1t in the
declaration of Paris. They were Of the
opinion that it was impossible, yet, in
less than year. the governments OF
the world acknowledged that 1t was
the great feat OF the war. England re-
garded this country-or the North, at
Ieast-with feelings somewhat different
to those that move 1t now on account
Of its industrial interest in the cotton
raised exclusively in the South. But all
its skill and capital could not keep this
blockade open, though they did at
times succeed in getting vessels into
southern ports to supply the confeder-
ate armies with the means of carrying
on the war. Many English vessels were
captured; the coasts Of the South were
strewn with the wrecks of English
clipper steamers which were chased on
shore in calm and in storm by officers
who seldom slept, who scanned the
horizon night and day for the sight OF
an incoming blockade runner. An eff
fective blockade with such an made
Quate force as that at the beginning OF
the war was Unprecedented, even in the
operations Of the foremost naval pow
ers of the world. 1t looked like an at
tempt to revive the cabinet blockades
of half century before, when Eng
land and France laid an embargo upon
each others coasts and captured all
vessels at sea whose destination was
within the prescribed limits; when
Spain interdicted commerce with the
northern colonies in South America,
and, as matter of form, kept n brig
cruising in the Caribbean sea- Although
the United States was not a party to
the declaration OF Paris, 1t was pre-
pared to stand by its provisions: 1t un-
derstood its responsibilities, and pre-
pared to meet them. 1t did meet them:
the result opened the eyes of foreign
governments, and drew them with n
keener, steadier gaze on American
warfare: in recent operations against
the Spanish It has opened them again
and the end Is not yet.
Unsueccssfui Rnscs.
As liability for breach of blockade
begins with the mere act of sailing for
the blockaded port the distance of this
port from the point OF departure be-
comes an important consideration to
the blockade runner. The longer the
distance to be traversed the greater the
risk; some method of breaking the voy-
age must be devised, so that as much
Of 1t as possible may be technically in
nocent. The principal trade of the
South, during the war, was with Eng
land. and 1t became an object to evade
liability during the long transatlantic
passage. For this purpose all the avail
able neutral ports in the neighborhood
OF the coast were made entrepots for
covering the illegal traffic.
There were four principal points
which served as Intermediates for the
neutral trade with the South, Bermuda,
Nassau, Havana, and Matamoras. or
these, Nassau was the most prominent.
Situated on the island OF New Provi-
dence in the Bahamas. It was only
about $50 miles in straight line from
the coast of Florida. Florida, however,
was not the objective point of the lead
ing blockade runners. The chief seats
of commerce on the eastern coast were
Savannah, Charleston and Whining
ton. The run to these points from Mas
sau was from 500 to 600 miles. or three
days, allowing for the usual delays of
the passage. For such trips. small
quantities of coal were needed which
gave great room for the storage of car
go.
When the advantage OF neutral des-
tination was fully understood, II be-