The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-08
er served by the government with good

ter served by the government with good
beans, corned beef and coffee. Apparently
no contract or agreement as 20 quality Or
quantity OF food for the officers had ben
made by the government with the Ward
line.
The squadron at night with the lights
showing from every part OF the horizon
made one think ne was entering harbor.
or leaving one. But by day we seemed
adrift on a sea as untrsveled as it was
when Columbus first crossed it. On the
third day out we saw Romano Key. It
was the first sight Of land, and after that
from time 10 time I'VE made out a line of
blue mountains on the starboard side. But
UP to the present We have not been near
enough TO the shore for the men TO clear
" distinguish the land they have waited
50 long TO see. The squadron, though,
has apparently been sighted from the
shore for the lighthouses along the shore
aare dark at night, which would seem to
show that the lesson of the armada has
not bee Most on the Spaniard.
Some one has said that God takes care
Of drunken men. sailors and the United
States" This expedition apparently re-
Iced on the probability that that axiom
would prove true. The Luck Of the Brit
ism Army" of which Mr.. Kipling boas
is the luck of Job in comparison 10 the
good fortune that has persued this expe-
dition so far. There has really been moth
ing TO prevent a Spanish tropedo boat
from running out and sinking four or five
spread out over the sea at such distance
that the vessels in the rear were lost to
sight for fourteen hours at atime ard no
one knew whether they had sunk or had
been blown up or had grown disguised
and gone back home. AS one of the gen.
erals on board said: This is God AL
mighty's war and we are only mis- agents
The foreign attaches regared the fair
weather that accompanied us, the brutal
good health of the men. the small loss of
horses and mules and the entire freedom
from Interference on the part of the
enemy with the same grudging envy that
one watches a successful beginner win
ming at roulette At night the fleet was
as conspicuous as Brooklyn or New York
with the lights Of the bridge included, but
the Spanish took no advantage of that
fact; no torpedo destr0yers slipped out
from Cardenas of Neuvitas or waited for
for twelve miles {lte ships were crowded
into a channe lonly seven miles across.
Of course, our own escort would have
finished them if they had, but not before
they could have thtrown torpedoes right
and left into the helpless hunks Of the
transports and given us a loss 10 remem-
Der even greater than thar Of the Main.
But as it was, nothing happened. We
rolled along a our own pace, with the
lights the navy had told us TO extinguish
blazing defianuy 10 the stars. with bands
banging out ragtime music, and with the
foremos vessels separated sometimes for
half a day at a time from the laggarrds
in the rear.
1t has been a most happy-s0-lucky ex-
petition, run with real American optimism
and readiness to take big chances. with
the spirit Of a people who recklessly trust
that it will come out all right in the end
and that the barely possible may not hap
petn. that the joker may not turn up 70
spoil the hand. who risk grade crossings
and all that they imply. who race trans
Atlantic steamers through = fog for the
sake Of A record. and who on this occasion (
certainly "euchered Gods almighty storm
and blufed the sea"
No one has complained and no one has /
grumbled. The soldiers turned over 70
sleep on the bare decks with final injunc-
lions not TO be awakened for anything
under a Spanish battleship. and whenever (
the ships drew up along side the men bonn /
barded each other with jokes on The cher |
full fact that they were hungry and thirs- |
" and sore for sleep Tomorrow they /
will be at least on the soil of Cuba. and /
what may befal Them there one does not (
care 70 consider. But. so far, Al least /
our army's greatest invasion OF foreign /!
land has been completely successful, but +
chiefly 50. one cannot help thinking. be-
cause the lord looks after MS ow-n.
RICHARD HARDING DAVIS