Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-19

Tell Denln0 so mucl as TO seriously uc-
lay the squadron, which was forced to
slow to speed of from to knots for
her to regain and hold her position. AS
! this rough head sea continued with no
apparent prospect of abating and as
| the Eagle coal supply was becoming
dangerously low, she was sent to Port
Antonio, Jamaica, for coal, with direc-
lions to make the best of her way back
to Key West.
"1O-On arriving off Santiago de Gu
| ba the collier Merrimac was disabled
by the breaking of her intermediate
pressure valve stem and the cracking
of the stuffing box This served as
further embarrassment to the squadron
an a source of
CONSIDERABLE ANXIETY,
as with the weather conditions that had
prevailed since leaving Cienfuegos it
appears absolutely necessary to aban-
don the position off Santiago and seek
place where the vessels could be coal
ed and the GOLFERS machinery repair
ed.
"11.-Off Santiago the st. Paul, Yale
and Minneapolis were sighted and
reported that she only had sufficient
coal to reach Key West, and that her
machinery was in bad condition. The
coal supply of the other two scouts
was also much reduced. Arrange
ments were at once made whereby the
Yale was to tow the collier and as the
prospect did not seem favorable for re-
plenishing the meagre coal supply of
the other vessels, the squadron stood
The operation of taking the collier in
tow proved to be quite difficult, owing
to the size and weight CT the two ships
and the repeated parting of the two
lines Finally, however, after twenty
four hours unremitting exertions, the
Golfers chain cable was gotten to the
Yale, and the squadron proceeded.
The st. Paul was ordered to remain Off
Santiago until her coal supply would
no longer
PERMIT OF FURTHER DELAY.
"12.-After standing to the westward
for about three hours, or about 70
miles, the conditions became less unfa-
vorable, and the squadron stopped.
The Texas and Marblehead were sent
alongside the collier, whose injury had
been temporarily repaired, and coaled
during the night.
"13.-Inasmuch as it was known
that, in case the Spanish squadron had
reached Santiago, Admiral Sampson
was able to block any move of the en-
envy through the Bahama channel, my
intentions standing to the westward
was, if it became necessary, to bar any
effort of the enemy to reach Havana
by dash through the Yucatan pass
age.
"14-On the oath inst. continued
coaling the Texas and Marblehead, and
fater the Vixen. In THE afternoon,
having managed to get sufficient coal
into these vessels as to enable them to
remain with the squadron, shaped
course for Santiago, off which port we
arrived about dusk. Established an
inner picket line, consisting Of the
Vixen and Marblehead, the remainder
of the squadron lying to off the en-
trance of the port, about four or five
miles out.
'15.-The next morning, 10Th inst,
steamed in to examine the entrance Of
the harbor and sighted the Cristobal
Colon, apparently m0ored, head and
stern, across the western channel
around Cay Smith also one of the yes
sells of the Vizcaya or Infanta Maria
Teresa class moored in the eastern
channel, and two small torpedo boats.
Later in the day made out the military
tops of a third vessel
FARTHER UP THE HARBOR.
"16.-A close blockade Of the harbor
has been maintained and no vessels
have entered or left since our arrival.
Yesterday morning H. NJ. S. Indefat
igable came up to the line of blockade
and made signal: Request permission
to communicate with the Commodore
which was. of course, granted. A
boarding officer came on board the
flagship with a letter from the COM
handing officer, Captain l.. A. Prim
rose. requesting permission for his yes
sci to pass the line of blockade in or
der to communicate with II. NJ. Consul
at this port My reply was
that there would not be the slightest
objection to his doing SO. Instead,
however, of availing himself of the
permission. the Indefatigable at once
steamed off in the direction from
whence she came, signalling no harm
done for courtesy 1t may have been
that his learning that the Spanish feet
was in this port was of more import
ance than H. NJ Consul, and he may
have desired first to communicate with
his government from Jamaica.
"17.-On the 30th instant, the New
rir1er hn on1 ins.