The times., 1898-04-14
EXODUS FRoK 0EY WEST.
Hard Work Aboard Ship and i'm the
Forts.


Key West, Fla. April 13.-The rush from
Key West to the mainland continues
The desire to get away while yet there is
time seems to have taken possession Of
nearly every one. and all who can get
away are Fastening to avail themselves
of the opportunity. The rush TO the
mainland was continued today with in
creased hurry and precipitateness.
Two vessels. the Mascotte and the City
of Key West. sailed tonight loaded with
passengers. These, with what have gone
before. make up a large proportion of
the population. Most of them are going
to Tampa or to Miami.
To add to the situation a water famine
is threatened. There is no lack of drink
water, but the ships are having difficulty
in keeping up their supply of fresh water.
Meanwhile the vessels of the fleet are
busy at the grim work of preparation for
conflict. The Nashville and Helena are
taking on coal today but the rest are
either at drill or taget practice. and keep
ing up the incessant grind to secure the
highest possible lighting efficiency.
The only American ship that has gone
TO Havana since Sunday is the Ward liner
Vigilancia. She will sail from Havana
direct for New York il she is permitted
to get out at all. Some are indulging in
serious speculations whether or not she
will.
Work on the Notifications here contir-
ues without aba atement. Guns are being
placed in position, and in few days
Key West will be capable OF vigorous
defense against any attack.
The schooner Davis Farlin arrived to-
day from New York with guns and mu-
nitionS consigned TO Lieutenant c. III.
McKinstry. of the Engineer Corps. There
We're unloaded today four l0-inch breech-
loading rifles, two S-inch bkreech loading
rifles, twelve boxes OF mechanism and
two 12-inch mortars. These were for
warded from New York by Lieutenant
Colonel A. S. Kimball.
Great interest is felt here in the pre-
parations made by the Government Off
| cials TO land troops in Cuba should such
| a step become necessary. An officer of
| high rank with the feet, when question
| ed on the subject today, said he was not
| aware of any such arrangements hav-
| ing been made, but he presumed the nee
[ eSsary steps in that direction had been
| taken.
| He added that the fleet itself could not
/ transport a sufficient number of men to
! make an efficient landing party. There
/ fore transports must be provided, as 1t
| will be necessary to disembark a strong
| force of troops in Cuba, failing which the
( first few shots fired are likely TO be the
Y signal Tor ri0tnR IN the city OF havana
| and elsewhere, notably in the provinces
| of MatanZas and Pinar del Rio in which
| case many innocent lives will be sacri-
| feed.
A Spaniard of position said to an Eng
lishman, just before the latter left Ha-
vana, on Saturday last:
LAS soon as the certainty of war is
! known here there will surely be such 9
! demonstration as Havana has never
| known before. / dread to think of tbs
| consequences to life and property. Many
| of the volunteers are mere lads of twelve
| or fourteen vars of age. They have new.
| er handled rifles until recently. and they
| have no idea how to handle them prop
| erly. These boys. even if they wanted
| TO do so, could not keep their rifles out
of the hands of the rebels. The govern
| ment cannot furnish protection. and we
| shall be fortunate if we are able to save
| our own skins
| Dispatches received this morning from
| the Sand Key fleet show that great quiet
| ude prevails on board the warships. al.
| though the officers and men believe they
| are almost certain to be off TO Havana
| very shortly. The work of coaling anC
| watering goes on, so that the ships may
start with full supplies; but all such
operations could be stopped instantly
were orders received for the fleet tC
| move.
IL is not known that any additiGna
ships have been ordered here. The indi
cations are that the cxpectant sailors
will have another very hot day of wait
ing for news from Washington