Evening star., 1898-07-25
THE DISTRICT BOYS
Their Trip From Key West to Santi-
ago de Cuba.
A PLUCKY LITTLE CONVOY
How the Time Was Spent on
Board the Ship.
\ ~ n II T A T r
MEN IN GOOD HEALTH
Special From STAFF Corr. of The Evening Star.
ON BOARD L. s. TRANSPORT

ICON at the SAore or thelr own country
about O'Clock Wednesday afternoon. To-
day, about the same hour, they caught the
first glimpse of the land which they hope
to help free from the hated rule of Spain.
The Catania's log shows that the noon OBJ
servation today places the ships position
in latitude u deg. % min. north, longitude
76 deg 02 minutes west This. translated
into shore language. means that we are
about ten miles north of point called Lu-
cretia. on the Cuban coast. With a con-
tiEuation of the good luck that we have
had up to this time, we should reach San
tiago de Cuba about noon tomorrow Sat
urday).
This is our sixth day aboard ship, and
the are standing the trip remarkably
well. Outside of few cases of seasick-
ness. Surgeons Pyies and Cox have had no
calls for their professional services.
without Water.
The Catania got away from Key West
about o'clock Wednesday afternoon, after
a vexatious delay of over twenty-four
hours. getting some broken-down machin-
cry repaired and our supply of fresh water
renewed. This was the most trying eXpe-
rience of the trip. Our men had the moru-
fication of seeing the fotiiia of transports
they expected to accompany sail away
Tuesday morning without them Then fol-
lowed a long wait in the sweitering sun,
which beats down on the harbor at Key
West until 1t would not seem surprising to
see steam arising from the waters but
they stood It like the real veterans they
are and stood it without complaining. To
add 10 the general discomfort, the circu-
lating pump Lad broken down, and there
was quite while when the men were
-a;e,
was treated as jest by most of the Dis
trict boys. l saw stalwart young fell
low go UP to his first sergeant and ask for
water.
There is lone; the pumps are out of
order" said the sergeant.
rs that SOP replied the trooper. well,
just believe they have shut off the water
because they thought l would get rusty If
I drank it. You know they all say 1 have
an iron constitution"
When it became apparent that the Dis
trict troops could not get away with the
other trans ports it became an interesting
question whether we would have to make
the trip without an escort. The Catania
CO rries no guns. and the small arms of
Col. Harries men would have been no
match for the smallest Spanish gunboat,
II ounting no heavier ordnance than l.
pounder. Our ship can only make about
ten knots under the most favorable cir
cumstances, and Oftener steams steadily
along at eight. Rumor places several
small Spanish gunboats in and around IIa-
vana. 1t would be well worth the risk for
some ambitious Spaniard to take the
chances Of the blockade for so helpless a
mark as We would make.
The gallant colonel, however after
consultation with the skipper of the Ca
tania. determined to take the risk going
around by the southwest passage. That
evening, however, he went ashore, and
Commodore Howell told him he could have
the Wasp one of the converted yachts of
the mosquito flotilla, to convoy him down.
A Plucky Little Convoy.
When we had gotten outside the bar next
day our welcome little companion steamed
up on our port side and hailed our cap
tain on the bridge.
Il have the honor to accompany you to
Santiago" shouted the commander of the
naval vessel through his megaphone. Then
after some inquiries as to the speed the
transport could make, he gave the follow
ing directions:
You will take and keep a place about
500 yards off my port quarter. In the event
that enemy approaches during the night
you will be warned of the fact by two
bright red rockets from the Wasp, upon
which you will make your escape by the
disengaged side, and l will attend to the
enemy"
While this was going on the Wasp had
almost crossed our bows and was steam
ing away rapidly to take the position she
had designated The faces of the District
Ia
looked at each other with an expression
like that one sometimes sees at a play
when some dramatic climax arouses feel
ings which can be expressed either in
laughter tears The Catania, about 400
feet long and her decks crowded with
thousand armed men eager to face any foe,
and this little cookie shell of gunboat,
about one-fourth as long and with a crew
of less than fifty grinning sailors, calmly
tells US to get away when danger ap-
proaches and leave the rest to him. 1t was
in a way, like the LOWE Randall Offering
three long glistening 4-pounders on the
deck of the Wasp explained it ALL and the
District boys understood it. 1t came al
most near to opera bouffe but the earnest
ness Of the commander of the little naval
craft saved the situation from that and
changed 1t TO tragedy-promising war
drama.
For two nights the eyes of the District
boys were turned, not without some little
anxiety, on bright white light ahead
which marked the position of our CONVOY:
but the red rockets, fortunately, were not
sent up.
Prospect of a Scrap.
Yesterday afternoon, however we were
treated to a prospect of scrap" Far
away on the horizon abe ad of US our keen
eyed captain on the br 1ge of the Catania
sighted a thin line of smoke. He promptly
rotified Col. Harries and soon had half a
dozen officers and the newspaper men
aboard with him on his high perch, peering
out to sea through their marine glasses to
try and make out the stranger.
Meantime there was evidence of the
greatest activity on the Wasp. The little
yacht-gunboat, which had been creeping
along at about half speed waiting on us,
began to wake up. and as the black smoke
poured out of her funnel she seemed to get
away like a greyhound after hare. A
hoist Of flags broke out on her signal hal
yards. notifying US to look out for trouble
as she sped away.