The Indianapolis journal., 1898-06-19
INCIDENTS OF THE BLOCKADE.
Officers and Men Weary of Patrol
Duty in FitfuI Sens.

Copyright, 1885, by the Associated Press)
KEY WEST, Fla, June 12-The captain
of a vessel just returned from the blockade
of the northern coast of Cuba said to-day:
'We are all sick of the patrol duty, drifting
and cruising along the coast. The work
has become more disagreeabe since the
rainy season set it. Sometimes one squall
will follow the other all day long, and the
rough seas will drench u.s. even upon the
bridge. The smaller boats approach as near
to the coast as they can with proper depth
of water Between Port Banas and Bahia
Honda the blockade is run along about half
a mile from the beach and just outside of
the white water. From five to six fathoms
the bottom suddenly pitches to two hundred
or three hundred fathoms, and the boats
can safely skirt the outer edge of the surf.
The system of watch kept by the Spaniards
from Cardenas almost to Cape Antonio is ad-
mirable. Even the darkest, StormieSt nights
they see us, and we move slowly along
lanterns flash news of our approach down
the coast, so that it would be impossible to
make a landing with a small boat In the
daytime smoke signals are used and the
beach is patrolied also by Spanish cavalry
men. Our vessels move about five miles an
hour, and the Spanish horsemen can keep
up WIFI US. Three troopers IOllOW US dlOnS
the beach for several miles till they come
to the station of three others. These take
up the work and run along with us and so
on. They never lose track Of us, night or
day.
THE new fort at Port Cabanas looks to
be very strong. The old fort at Bahia
Honda does not seem to be occupied; at
least there is no flag on it. From Port Ca
I1o,, Dala; 1,tI vic Oh
of the beach, and between these hills and
the summit of the mountains, far inland,
are beautiful fields of sugar cane and other
crops. The land seems to be cultivated to
the utmost All of this territory is, of
course tributary to Havana, and furnishes
food to the city.
There may be vessels in.sHavana harbor
anxious to slip out but they are not war
ships. The Spaniards have two or three
small gunboats at Havana, but no other
dispatches about war ships entering and
leaving are all bombast. The gunboats, If
they ever got out, would never return. The
reports that the mouth of Havana has been
three or four boats prowling about that
would snap up even the smallest fishing
smack that tried to go in or out.
Commodore Watson's flagship is now the
Nashville, but he has moved about from one
toothbrush is on one vessel, his pajamas on
second, his hairbrush on a third and he
wonders when he will be able to collect his
personal Effects
A United States torpedo boat dashed out
of Key West harbor yesterday afternoon,
evidently carrying dispatches. This morn
ing the cause of her errand was seen soon
after her return. for a whole fleet of war
ships arrived The Eagle came in and an
chored. So did the Bancroft. Soon after
the Manning entered and then the monitor
Puritan, accompanied by the auxiliary
gunboats Wasp and Wampatuck. The battle
Skip Indiana and cruiser Detroit anchored
in the outer harbor These vessels, all ex-
cept the Eagle and Puritan, had left with
recalled from off Tampa by the Ericsson,
and it is supposed that new start from
Tampa it is to be made (since accom-
plished)
The auxiliary gunboat Osceola arrived at
$3.50 this afternoon from scouting trip. She
left port on Wednesday to seek the Eagles
mysterious Spanish fleet. She cruised as far
as Cardenas, but saw no Spaniards.