The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-04-26

are in good view from the flagship
| with glasses, but the coast, as is al
| ways the case, is covered with a haze
| Soon after 8 o'clock yesterday morn
| ing the Amphitrite, Puritan, Cincin-
| natl, Castine, or Machias, and three
| torpedo boats, after much interchange
| of signals parted company with the
| flagship, sailing in a northeasterly di-
| rection, presumably to blockade Ma
! tanzas, Cardenas and Sagua La
Grande.
| Owing to her late arrival on the pre-
| vious night and with necessary delays
on the following day, the Associated
| Press. dispatch boat Dauntless saw the
| last boat of the naval and newspaper
| fleets leave Key West harbor on Fri
| day morning with her anchor still down
| at 1850 o'clock when the stern of the
| United States dispatch gunboat Dol
| phin nearly fouled her while the latter
vessel was swinging out from a coal
pier. The captain of the Dolphin sang
| out: Il guess you are all right We
| usually ram with the other end
At 7:55 o'clock g.. M, with her anchor
| apeak, the Dauntiess got underway
! AS e,Ir passed out a hearty cheer was
| given for the United States cruiser and
| her prize, the Buena Ventura. Then
| she squared away for the fleet, not
| even the smoke of which was visible
| at that time. The Dauntless dashed
ahead until o'clock, when many
| black streaks were seen lnaking paral-
| lei lines across the southern horizon.
| Ten o'clock, and the vessels of the fleet
| could be counted, even to the torpedo
| boats. The Dauntless left Key West
| one hour and twenty minutes behind
| the other boats, but in four hours and
! a half she was at the head of the pro-
| ceSSiOn. and quiet Captain Floyd, who
knows the boat better than any other
| person living, remarked She can't
beat fourteen knots at her best, but it's
| funny how many sixteen and seventeen
knot clippers she does leave as
| term When the flagship New York,
| after the hills of Cuba had been sight
| ed and she had started off at twenty
knot clip to capture Spanish steamer
! Pedro, the Dauntless veered and fol-
! lowed and was in at the death. Those
! on the Dauntless saw the first hostile
shot fired, and as the flagship swung
| around for her chase after what proved
| to be German trading steamer, they
| gave the New York the first cheer Af-
| ter a night of rolling through heavy
| sea, to get underway in the morning
| the better to see the Iowa and the
Indiana in fighting trim, start sea-
ward and better still to follow the New
| York as she raced eastward to inter-
| cept what proved to be the Italian
| man Of-war, Giovanni Ransan, from
| which vessel Rear Admiral Sampson
| received his fleet rear admiral's salute
from a foreign warship, came the stir
| ring incident of the Mathilde, follow
ed by the determination to return to
| Key West with dispatches.
! THE DAUNTLESS' TOW.
The Associated Press dispatch boat
| Dauntless was asked through the meg
| aphone to tow the Spanish prize to Key
| West. which was a fitting ending for
| the day. 1t was an example of the
| grim irony of fate which gave to the
| most famous ex-filibuster the first op-
pOrtunity to tow Spanish prize to the
United States, for which the thanks of
| Captain Chadwick were received. AS
| the Dauntless passed under the lee of
| the New York, she received the heart
list of cheers from the blue jackets,
while the officers of the flagship clap
| ped their hands, the megaphOne roar
| ed some encouraging words and Rear
| Admiral Sampson lifted his cap in an
| swer to the salute of the correspond
entS.
! The sea picture there presented had
| for a background a pale haze, beyond
| which were the mountains of Cuba,
and in the middle distance saffron lin
! ed Havana, with a Speck of yellow
striped with red, floating from Moro
castle. How long will that standard
stay there? This was the thought
which entered every mind as the haw-
ser frightened and the Mathilde, follow
ing the DauntleSS, was rushed through
the water towards Key West. The
| passage to this port was a rough one.
| of course, but it was no worse than
usual To the flagship New York be-
longs the honor of firing the first shot
that announced the intention OF the
United States to establish blockade
| of the port of Havana.
| While this was transpiring the out
lines of another steamer were seen sew
| eral miles to the westward
The New York then fired another
blank shot of warning to "neave-to in
the direction of the second vessel sight
| ed by the flagship and upon gaining
| proper distance, the New York fired a
! second shot this time across the bows
| OF the second steamer amt the latter
| hove-to at once. Upon inve Stgation 1t
| was learned that she was n German
| steamer that had just left Havana and
she was allowed to proceed. This was
the second seizure of the day, the first
| being that of the Spanish steamer
| Buena Ventura, which the fleet of war
| ships met early in the morning, soon
! after they left their anchorage at Key
| West.
THE THIRD SEIZURE.
| A third seizure occurred this morning
| a few miles west of the entrance to
Havana harbor. 1t was a small schoon-
err, apparently fishing craft, and she
| was captured by the Cincinnati. The
] cruiser towed her to the flagship and
her captain made satisfactory explana-