The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-02
CRUISE OF CORRESPONDENTS.
STORY OF THEIR LIFE WITH THE
FLEET OFF HAVANA.

Them-LtghtS OF the OItg seen at
Ni.-bt Bring Up Pictures of What
Is probably TRANSPORTING Within.
From a staff Correspondent of the Asso-
ciated Press; Copyright, 1898. by the As
ISOLATED Preston Board the Dauntless
pisnatch Boat of the Associated Press,
Midway Between Havana and Key West,
Fla. April 2S.-Newsgathering at sea has
its attractions, but il also has its draw
backs.
Incident after incident could be written,
describing how out of semi-darkness rush
ed a long black torpedo boat and the
boarse order to heave TO was followed on
the ins ant by the threat of Shot. Then
there nave been times when all steam was
called Tor because we were in grave doubt
whether an approaching stranger was
American or Spanish, and in no doubt at
all as to what our fate should the I'M
known vessel prove to be a Spanish gun.
boat for the Spaniards would rather
gather in the Dauntless than almost any
other craft that sails these seas.
OF Matanzas the other night, a man
of-wars man assured some of the crew of
the Dauntless that two Spanish gunboats
had escaped the blockade at Cardenas and
we're cruising outside. seeking to capture
any unarmed craft carrying the United
States cOlors.s
Probably The yarn was false, but its
effect on the crew was far from reassur-
ing, and it was positive comfort, the
next night off Havana TO be hailed by
the Indiana, ordered to heave to and
boarded by an officer, who evidently want
ed TO be well assured of our identity.
The big battleship gave a sense of abb
solute security and now none of the crew
believes any Spaniards brave enough to
come within a score of miles of similar
instruments oftprotection and of offense.
At sea and visiting them day after day.
the personality of the warships grows on
you, and your regard is totally different
from that which you feel toward the same
vessels when they are in a home harbor
or peacefully cruising up and down a
friendly coast.
If they seem grimmer they certainly
seem greater for defense, for honor for
success
If any person has the idea that the ships
of the blockading squadron off Havana re-
main punched together opposite the Moro
and the harbors mouth, they should at
once change their notion. Last night the
distance between the Wilmington, on the
eastern flank and the Iowa on the western
could not have been less than thirty miles
Lookouts in the lofty tops, with long tele-
scope glasses can sweep the coast line and
the sea for many miles without letting
the smallest of coasting vessels escape
their observation. and as long as the
blockading vessels are within signaling
distance, one with another, the longer the
blockade line, the more effective il is. Re-
suits in the way of captures have proven
the truth of this
None the less true is It, however, that
Rear Admiral Sampson could use to great
advantage a number of small vessels.
They would render the blockade absolute
and a the same time relieve the crews
Of the bigger ships from constant calls
80 quarters. These calls are harassing
and as only one out of ten probably
amounts to anything, are apt to prove
irritating as well.
Newspaper boats give the fleet much
trouble at night 1t is unintentional, of
course, but true for all that. All the war
vessels are as dark as pitch at night, and
the correspondents boats often run di-
rectly within the prescribed limits of APP
proach before they have the faintest no
ton Of the proximity of a cruiser or
battleship.
The moon, which is nightly waxing in
power, will help greatly In quick identfti-
cation, but the Dauntless recently succeed
ed in getting a night order for signals,
which will be better still.
sitting near the Dauntless' pilot house
recently off FL Moro with a pair of ma
Zine glasses that brought the saffron bas-
lions within half mile, it was impossible
10 keep from specializing on the condition
OF things within that city, where for two
months many of us lived on patience and
the hope of a bombardment which, it now
seems, is not to occur. We knew as we'll
as If We were witnesses that famine is
within; that it is not confined to reconcen-
trados, most of whom must be dead by this
time; but embraces the lady of quality and
her liege lord, the professional man and
his family and the small storekeeper and
MS brood, the artisan and his helpmeet
Probably, as yet, the Spanish officer and
the wealthy contractor have food enough,
or the wherewithal to buy it even with
beef at $3.50 per pound. CThe last quota
ton reaching u.s.
8eyond question, a large majority of the
Havanese would welcome the lombard
ment they daily expect, If assured that
When it was over and the city In the
hands of the United States forces. food
conditions would change and the awful
uncertainty as to what the next hour
might bring forth be resolved into GER
tainty in the crucible of action.
When night came we could see the re-
Election in the city of lights in Parque
central Esprados We knew as well as If
we were at the Inglaterra Hotel that along
the broad streets the voluntarlos were
marching and countermarching, their Of
fcers swishlng the 1.-THE canes they are SO
fond of and their buglers in vain trying
to keep time to their own music We hoped
some Of these volunteers were hungry
since they certainly deserve to be. They
are so bloodthirsty with the helpless and
so cowardly when met by an armed foe.
Was the band playing stand around
the statue of the great Isabella? Proba-
bly, not,
Even these mercurial people would
scarcely be in musical mood when short
walk to the shore would show them the
pillars of fire" by night made by the
search lights of the blockaders.
OF course the principal cafes were
crowded The officers and the better class
Of civilians were surely congregating there
IN great numbers, drinking their
Light wines or a small glass of
absinthe-they are not given 10
drunkenness-and talking fifteen to the
dozen. while hands and arms XVaVed wildly