Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-04-23
NORTH ATLANTIC SQUADRON.
Captain SIMPSONS Formidable Flee
Sails for Cuba. '....
Il,


Sails for Cuba. ..
(By Teegraph.) .
KEY WEST, FLA. Apli! 22.-The
North Atlantic squadron. excepting
the monitors Terror and Puritan and
the smaller cruisers, sailed from Key
West at 5:45 o'clock this morning.
headed for the Florida straits. Be
sides the two monitors the ships left
behind are the cruisers Detroit and
Marbiehead, gunboat Helena dispatch
boat Dolphin and cable repair boat
Mangrove.
The Dauntless. dispatch boat of the
Associated Press. left here With the
fleet. 1a ."
The departure of the fleet was not so
imposing as had been anticipated. On
the contrary. there was something of
u scramble in getting away When all
was ready. the flagship swung round
and came well into the h:trbor. signal
ling to the other ships about to sail.
After receiving responses, she turned
and headed for the open sea with the
Iowa and Indiana closely in her rear.
| The Indiana had been coaling at the
Dry Tortugas. but WAS cabled for and
at midnight she Joined her two sister
ships at the anchorage held by the
| three While in the hnrbor. The gun
boat Machias lay nearest to the three
| big warships and WAS first to swing
| her squat bulk into line. She was fol-
lowed by the Newport, which also lay
outside. OFF the fleet, lying close TO
| the shore. the Amphltrite WAS the
| leader. -sssAr---z~-- 1854 "ioiis'-s.ef the
| ~. -rii...,, iler immense gun stretching
above her low freeboard She was the
first of the monitors to join the war
] Ike procession, looking the deadly in
strument she is. Then came the Nash
vile. her three smokestacks distin-
gushing her from the others. with the
gunboat Wilmington pumping along
1
little compared with the other mem
bers of the truculent family. but look
ed game for bloody work, should the
fortunes of war demand. The Cincin-
natl was delayed a little time, as she
was in the act of taking coal from a
schooner off Fort Taylor when the sig
MAJ To sail WAS given. But she got into
the Jagged line next. The other ships
of the fleet followed in navy mathe-
natlcal formation as viewed by the
shore spectators. The Maytlower
brought up the rear of the parade and
was the last to fade from view.
| The torpedo boats did not start until
o'clock, when most of the line was
under way: but, as If to exhibit their
capabilities, they darted ahead and
group. .
The boats Wore the Dupont. Porter,
Winsow. Ericsson and Gushing.
Ihe monitors Puritan and Terror Law
side by side. coalng from a large
barge which was between them. their
decks crowded With officers and blue
Jackets observing the naval pageant.
| II is believed the two monitors are to
t"ll"" the rest of the squadron.
Following the floating forts was the
meet OF newspaper dispatch boats.
numbering about twenty. Cuban nj
lots accompanied the fleet Juan san
10 was on board the New York. Pedro
H'rhan'lrZ was aboard the Cincinnati
ana h'e'iZ" Lnsa was the pilot OF the
ihalana These three men are exuerts
IN their business. They know the Gu
piln coast thoroughly and hay, sue
ceSSlulIy landed tilibuster expeditions
The monitor Puritan is taking an
cnhl and water and will sail to ioin the
fleet tonight e''e
W excellent authority it is reported
.nat the destination of the feet is Nh.
.anzas. ON board the fagship is Cav
1hih Aranguren. brother Of the ]ote
~ siiaier-Gencral Ncstor Aranc,,ren
IT., rne VIII pilot the fleet to AIntonyas
me Cuban pilots went on board Ii Ct
night after 10 o'clock. '7'
! ne Detroit sailed to ioin tho naat
e,'s titernn"n It is believed that one
or Two ships will be left at least ten,-
\ i'S'