The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-28
ANXIOUS FoR A FIGHT.
Admiral SIMPSONS Men Tired q
waiting and watching.

AOm1raA SIMPSONS Wen "a
waiting and Watching.
Copyright. 1898, by the Associated Press)
ON BOARD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DISPATCH BOAT DAUNTLESS, via Key
West, May o. $50 p. milf there are any
men anywhere just now who anxious for
fight and securing the horizon for it with
marine glasses from sunrise till dark they
are the 'Jackies" of Rear Admiral Samp-
sons squadron If there is anything that
looks less like the color of war than loafng
round over blue gulf waters with that same
squadron, 1t would be hard to name it, A
fight may come at any moment. and when
it does the strongest naval force that ever
gathered in our southern waters is here to
welcome 1t with open guns. Meantime.
viewed from the dispatch boats hanging on
the quarters of the fleet, the whole thing is
more like big naval parade than anything
else, moving slowly and majestically from
point to point the formation changing from
time to time. from Zine ahead to double
column, or to two long lines of vessels
travelling parallel five or six miles apart,
but always alert and always confidently
waiting their shifty foes. In every fighting
top, even at most mastheads, there are
lookouts with glasses sweeping the horizon.
Every light feather of smoke tainting the
glasses. Each cloud of smoke may mean a
fight. That is the first thrill that comes
with each new discovery but sober second
thought says: NO. no such luck as that
The Dons are not hunting trouble" Still, if
not the Spaniards, 1t may be a dispatch
boat with definite news of their where
abouts. Admiral Sampson has swift naval
scouts always out below the horizon, whose
first duty is to come steaming in with news
wherever they find it, like reporter TO his
city editor. If smoke on the horizon comes
up fast, 1t is probably the smoke of a dis
patch boat. If the smoke comes up slowly
and dies away at intervals, then it is prob
ably collier or a supply ship with coal or
food for the fleet.
A glimpse of a strangers top hamper as
she looms up over the lip of the ocean suf-
fees to tell her class. If 1t be a dispatch
boats she comes in speedily. with two white
shoulders of foam rolling of her sharp bows,
and makes straight for the New York, at
the bead of the slow-moving squadron. a
boat quickly boards the flagship, and. after
anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour,
a signal flag of every shape and color VIII
f1utter down again, telling other vessels as
much as they need to know of the news. or
eise me ~, wswag man. sittlhg pare1eg;gua
on his cask, fiip-haps out messages to the
nearest vessel, whence 1t is passed on for
miles down the length Of the fleet, while
from the top of every pilot house another
man with his red and white rag wig-wags
back that the messages is understood
asks further questions. The fleet is at
signal work of one sort or another almost
every hour of the day and night, too, for
that matter for after dark there is string
of red and white electric lamps in the rig
ging of each vessel that takes the place
of flags and there winks and flashes in q
helograph code from a small key board
worked on deck In the day time. too. Off
cial messages are not the only ones trans
mtted per wig-wag. A red bandana waved
by jackie against the grav of the Indians
by jackie against the gray of the Indi-
ana's turret will flutteT a message to an
other jackie on the New York. one-half mile
away without aid of glasses.