The herald., 1898-02-21
SPAIN'S BIG CRUISER
PROTECTED AGAINST ATTACK
BY FANATICS
ROYAL ENSIGN F-MASTED
AS Token of Respect For the Death
of the Sailors Aboard
the Maine
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
NEW YORK, Feb. 2O--The Spanish cruis-
er Vizcaya, in command of Capt. Eulate.
came through the Narrows this afternoon
and anchored off Tompklnsvile S. l.,
where she is closely guarded by navy yard
tugs and police patrol boats. The Vizcaya
has been lying outside the bar since Friday
night and was unable to come into the har-
| Dor owing to the dense fog and rain storms
which have prevailed for over forty-eight
! hours.
The Spanish cruiser has been expected to
arrive here since last Monday and the un-
| fortunate catastrophe by which so many
| American sailors and marines lost their
/ lives in Havana harbor last Tuesday night
| aroused more than ordinary interest in the
arrival of the visitors. The feeling which
| prevails among "a great many people in this
| vicinity that the American battleship was
| destroyed deliberately by enemies, has
| prompted the naval authorities to guard
against any possible harm being done TO
the visiting Span!ards at the hands of IA
| natcs.
Rear Admiral Bunce, commandment of the
| New York navy yard, received orders from
Washington last week to establish a care
full and well appointed patrol to guard
against any such emergency. The COM
mandant Immediately put himself in COM
muncation with Chief of Police McCul-
lagh and appointed Lieut.. John A Dough-
erty of the navy to take charge of the pro-
! tectve patrol. Chief McCullagh respond
ed Immediately and informed Rear Ad-
miral Bunce that he had instructed Capt.
Smith of the harbor police to hold himself
| in readiness and supply the desired num-
I Der of patrolmen to assist in guarding the
visiting vessel. The navy yard tug boats
| Nina and Narkota, in charge of Captains
Bell and Cantain, respectively, were i'm
mediately placed at the disposal of Lieut..
| Dougherty. Lieut.. Neville of the marine
corps received instructions to take COM
mand of thirty-eight men, one first SER
geant, three sergeants, three corporals and
thirty-one private marines, who will re-
lieve each other in four-hour watches duf-
ing the stay of the Spanish cruiser 4
By special permission a representative
of the Associate ted Press was permitted to
go on board the tug Nina, in which Lieut..
Dougherty established his headquarters.
This boat, as well as the Narkota was
ready to go down the bay and meet The
Vizcaya the moment the latter was sight
cd off the Jersey coast last Friday, but 1t
was not until o'clock this afternoon that
the weather conditions permitted the naval
| guards to proceed down the bay.
! About that hour word was received at the
navy yard that the Spaniard was on her
| way over the bar, and the marines were i'm
| meQldlely ordered on DOdru the Nina.
| Lieut.. Aaron Ward, representing Admiral
| Bunce, lost no time in boarding the COM
mandant's steam barge Undine, and the
| three vessels left the navy yard at ten min
utes to o'clock There was a nasty north
| easterly wind blow ng at the time, accom-
panied by a continuous downpour of rain
| and a light fog. The tug Nina led the way
as she rounded the Battery. A large crowd
had assembled in the vicinity of pier A,
| where the little vessel was to take the
harbor police aboard. AS soon as the Nina
| got alongside the pier, Capt Smith ana
| Lieut.. Dougherty exchanged greetings as
| we'll as official documents Two rounds
men and eight patrolmen were immediate
| ly put aboard the tug and once more she
| turned her nose in the direction of Staten
| Island. Just then through the thick fog
could be heard the booming of cannon,
which was the salute given by the Vizcaya
as she came through the Narrows. This
salute was answered from the guns at
Castle William on Governors island.
AS the Nina neared Staten Island the
Spanish cruiser loomed up out of the mist.
and Lieut.. Neville ordered the marines to
stand at attention and salute the visitor,
which passed on her starboard. The police
officers on board also stood at attention
and the salute was answered by the officer
and men who We're grouped on the Vizca-
vas deck. The Spaniard was still under
way at the time with Pilot Gillespie on the
bridge.
At 3:S5 o'clock the big vessel reached her
anchorage ground and dropped her mud
hook. AS soon as she was anchored sew
eral boats in the vicinity made toward her,
but they were quickly warned off by the
naval vessels and backed away to a re-
spectful distance
Tho Undine with Lieut. Ward on board.
then made it's way alongside, and that
officer, in full uniform, ascended the gang
way, which was lowered on the port side.
AS soon as he reached the deck he was
greeted by the Spanish commander. TO
whom he rendered. in the name of Admiral
Bunce the courtesies of the port, which Is
the usual formality whenever a foreign
vessel arrives in American waters. Lieut..
Ward remained on board about q quarter
of an hour and as he descended the gang
way on his return to the Undine the royal
Spanish ensign was put at half mast. This
was the first sign that the spectators adoat
and ashore were given that the visiting
craft was aware of the disaster at Havana
harbor. Capt Euate ordered the flag at
half mast as a token of regret for the death
of the American sailors.
Almost Immediately a rowboat contains
ing three men, two of whom were rowing
and the third sitting in the stern. came out
from Tompkinsville and headed directly
for the Vizcaya. The Nina intercepted the
little craft and in response to inquiries the
man in the stern said that he had tele-
gram Tor the commander 1Or tne cruiser.
When this information was transferred
to Capt. Eulate the latter told them to let
the boat come alongside and also said that
he would see any newspaper reporters who
wished to come aboard. AS soon as this
was made known to the press boats which
were lowering around, number of news
paper men, in less than ten minutes. were
aboard plying questions to the commander
and officers of the cruiser While all this
was taking place the crowds on shore be-
came larger and the keenest interest was
taken in the every movement of the differ
ent vessels
Lieut.. Dougherty will remain in the vi
cinity of the cruiser while she remains in
mort and will direct every detail regarding
the protective watch From o'clock this
afternoon until midnight the Nina and
Narkota will patrol the waters In the
neighborhood of the big vessel. They will
be relieved at midnight by the tugs Daniel
S. Lamont and Scout, In command of Cap
tains Keyes and Coffey. These boats are
provided by the supervisors OF the port.
They win take on the police and marine
guards and remain on watch until o'clock
fomorroW uornlnG At that heur <oor