The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-05
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War News

Tha pssnliardi ifimltiss sttsneiug the
gathering and transmission of news
concerning the war from Key West to
the various newspapers throughout the
country have never before been encoun-
tered by this generation Of newspaper
men. However satisfactory Key West
may be to the United States government
as base Of supplies for its feet In the
operations against Havana it 10 far from
satisfactory a. base of operations for
the correspondents. In tba first place. it
is tucked away OF from the mainland.
with but two cables connecting il with
the telegraphic systems Of the country.
This renders II impossible to handle all
the correspondence dumped daily into
the cable ofice without the most vexa-
tious delays, TO say nothing Of the added
expense which. the use Of the cable ne
oessitates. Were 1t on the mainland ad-
ditional telegraph wires would be strung
to accommodate the business, but there
is no disposition on the part OF the Ca
BILE company to so to any increased ex-
pense just at this time. BY reason Of it's
location tho mail facilities are likewise
very poor. There are only three mails
week each way. and the steamship runs
to Port Tampa aud Miami occupy so
so much time that any news consigned
to Uncle Sam II stale almost before
reaching the mainland. Still all this Is
just as hard for. one fellow as another.
SO that the rival seekers for the truth
about this war start out inst even.
When the principal squadron Of the
navy began rendezvousing here and IL
became evideht that war was in sight,
newspaper correspondents began flock
ing in here to be ready for the harvest.
The destruction Of the Maine increased
its Importance AZ news center, and
upon the day the feet sailed away to
blockade the Cuban coast there were on
duty here more than so reporters of the
American press. Asa matter of fact it
had been very dull in Key West up to
this event. The newspaper men. the
naval officers and the army officers had
hobnobbed il the hotel corridors and
become acquainted, but as for putting
''stuf ON the wire" there was little to
be DONE Every one was waiting for the
feet to sail Occasionally there were
arrivals and departures Of vessels to be
recorded, accidents to the machinery on
shipboard to be investigated, the forti-
fcations at Fort Taylor to be watched,
and few other routine matters to be
kept track Of, but that was all. Time
hung heavily. and Key West, hot. dusty,
mosquito infasted and ies plagued, was
one big yawn.
The sailing Of tho feet wrougbs, q
marvellous change. The yachts of the
newspapers, which had been at anchor
in tho hurbor with the squadron, steam
ed out with it. leaving men On shore to
keep their eyes open, and fight for in
formation. The war was on for the COR
respondents before even the shores Of
Cuba were sighted. The duty OF the
men on the yachts was to follow the
feet and report it's movements, its cap.
lures and its battlea But Key West
must still be guarded. There might be
an action at sea and the newaof it reach
Key West by one of the speedy little
torpedo boats long before one of the dis.
patch boats could return. Prizes might
be brought in at any hour. The dispatch
. boats might be riddled in an engage
ment or captured by Spanish gunboat.
Key " est itself might be attacked by
Spanish men. n.of-war. Therefore watch
fulness was essential at this point.
Thus there are two sets Of men re-
sponsible to their respective newspapers
for the news at this center. Now, as to
tho work of the landsman. He can new
er sleep in peace. The news Of an event
of which the world may read In history
is likely to come into the harbor at any
minute Of the day or night, Some one
must always be on guard. Hence, in ad-
dition to keeping his own eyes open as
long as he can. he keeps watohman on
the water front all the time. This man
reports every ytbing be sees or hears. For
instance, it is o clock in the morning
The correspondent is snatching few
hours rest. The watchman sights
steamer out beyond the bar. He runs to
the hotel. The correspondent must get
up and go to the docks. As the steamer
approaches the glasses tell him that she
is q prize. He must get to her, and at
once. He hires launch or rowboat
or o tug, and out be goes to her. He gets
the story Of her capture, hastens on
shore. runs for the nearest cable Office
with q crowd OF other correspondents
before and around and behind him. II
be gets there first and gets his dispatch
fled first. he IL happy; II last, he 10
disconsolate. for he knows that before
his is reached there may be extras put
OH tho street by o rival paper IN mis- own
city. The incoming steamer may be
government dispatch boat. II 20. be
must learn oil be oan from her. Or she
may be . rival newspapers yacht,
bringing in big news from the squad
ron. He must learn what he can and
make the best Of his meager informa-
tion thus received. In addition TO this
constant vatchfulness Of the water
front he must keep track Of all the rou-
tine, and his lot is not happy one.
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