The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-27
The War as a Spectacle.

4 emf IN the New York Evening Post says
Ii IS as If one were looking upon pro-
] oiglous exhibition of what vaudeville halls
4 can the "wargraph" TO journey now &c
: the line Of the Cuban blockade. One start:
out interested still in the reformed prima-
RES; out though he may have read with
out emotion of the DISARMAMENT of the
Thirteenth and looked unstirred upon the
departure OF militiamen to Camp Black
ne soon falls under the spell that is ex-
ercising Itself upon the nation. and moth
ing Is OF any concern 10 him any more
except the war and its progress. Al
washington it begins TO influence his
thoughts; at Hampton Roads he may have
gone 20 bali where the mortress and the
flying squadron serve 10 make 1t appear
that 20 De a civilian Is TO be strange and
conspicuous: and when in the midst OF
the reVel guns booming stops the mu-
sic and the dancing. and calls the naval
men TO their ships for an unknown duty.
Take good-luck glass with me-" says
a young friend, in uniform; NOW. good
by-give me a cigarette-we'u meet inside
Havana His eyes shine; war surely
means nothing save chance 10 do noble
things and be rewarded delightfully."-. That
impression remains: and down further, N
Virgins. passing through a little city.
one sees men marching, banners flying,
and hears band playing; then the train
stops somewhere IN Georgia, at a junction.
and blue-coated troops. filling many cars.
pass by 20 Chickamaugt or perhaps Mo-
bile. They are cheered by the gathered
townspeople; everybody is in a mood
which cheer relieves.
Further on some stalwart regulars from
a western fort are caught up with; they
are rather serious, as If there were bust
ness ahead. and the sight of their brown
faces and dusty cannon give a grimmer
turn TO ones fancy. Presently il is mill
| tia again-F1orida troops going to Tampa.
Ali the women of the town have turned
out 10 see them off; they have brought
wild flowers. and they are wearing light
white stuffs and pretty hats; but the scene
| is not gay. There Is not much talking;
anyway, one doesn't hear 1t, for over I'M
der tree stands desolate figure, little
| bent woman in black, holding very
white handkerchief in her two clasped
| hands.
| Nearing Tampa it seems that a huge I'll
| dal wave is sweeping soldiers from all the
| country to the tip end of Florida, where
| it is met by a reef-"the presidents pol
! icy"-that intercept it for moment on its
way to Cuba, and makes 1t boil with i'm
| patience.
| There is more repose al Key West, less
of the pomp of martial activity. In the
harbOr several warships frowning in their
war paint, and in the hotel numerous Of
ficers with stars on their sleeves. few wo-
men but many correspondents in duck
suits and sun helmets. are all that sug-
gest unusual times. In any New York
street car you will see more newspapers.
and in any New York home you will hear
more excited war-talk than here. There
is a remarkable reticence about every
thing that has just happened, because
each correspondent communicates what
he knows to his editor, and then tries to
forget it so no other editor will get the
same information. But presently one
meets survivor of the Maine, or the
priZe-master of a recent capture, or the
officer of torpedo boat which has been
in action, and war is again attractive be-
yond all the concerns Of peace.
Then one sails out on despatch-boat
some evening, and at dawn comes on
deck to find that the blockade has been
reached. From every direction warships
approach. black smoke from their tunnels
showing how quickly they are trying TO
overhaul US and see what business we
have there. A bundle of the latest papers,
son, or Schley make us welcome in ex-
change they have little to give it has been
a stupid day, with no incidents. Nothing
can be much duller than keeping a peace |
full blockade.
Next day an attempt is TO be made to |
land munitions of war for the insurgents, |
and our yacht lies drifting in the channel |
at Key West until the expedition starts. |
1t seemed very serious undertaking; and /
although ridiculously ill-managed (going |
close to shore all the way after sighting |
Havana, and allowing the Spanish to tel |
egraph alarms ahead, it made a specta-
Gle. Two boat-loads of regular soldiers |
went ashore and sent out pickets; in a |
few minutes there came a shot, then
quick, continuous firing. and there was a
sensational moment when it was felt that
after all the little landing force must be
dead in the bushes Two warships send
broadside after broadside into the woods
just beyond the bushes. and back come
rifle bullets near enough to make their
whistle heard. Our men come running
out, every one sound on his legs as though
he had merely been at rife practice. But
they had, they said. left twelve men on
the Spanish Coast Guard dead or wounded
on the ground behind them.
War continues 10 seem to one rather d.
verting and not in the least terrible. I'M
TIL getting back to Key West. funeral
Is going on. "Bagley. you know of the
we are told, Gin a scrap al Car
denas was struck by a shell from Span
ish field-piece and killed, along with six
men," Two of US enter the little church,
and after the service walk with the rest
past the open coffin. There the beautiful
flowers and the air is full of their odor
Bagley? Did we ever sec Bagley ashore?
We look and draw back stunned: why.
this is our friend Of a whist game night
before last, who left the harbor for Car
ienas when we left for Cab1nas. and
whom we remembered for his hulnor.
which was always good humor, and made
one like him. Looking upon him, war
suddenly appeared in a different aspect:
and so does peace.
The Cuban Junta here claim that while
cipher messages between Key West and
Cuba are prohibited. valuable information !
% the Spanish authorities Is constantly
in the form of private dc
spatches, which apparently refer 10 dones
ic and other matters, but which in re-
Atty are SO vvorded as to convey move
nents Of the feet. etc
Considerable apprehension exists here
hat the Spanish fleet may yet repay his /
dty for the prominent part it has al
ways taken in the Cubra libre cause. Ma
~ women are quietly takirg their denart-
sh ever get within the har5or no Guar.er
you'd be given the place
Remarkable despatch has been display
-