Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-22
SLEEPLESS ANXIETY
THE UNHAPPY LOT OF THE WAR
CORRESPONDENTS AT KEY WEST,
CALTGRAPHY EXTRAORDINARY
Writing Stories of Battle and Bonn
fng-Racing for "News Beats"-The
Press Censorship.

KEY WEST, May A.-When the war is
over and the newspaper-men have leisure
to sit down and think and write some
thing that will better bear inspection
through a literary microscope than the
hurried dispatches that they are COM
PEELED to dash off at present, not the
least interesting of the articles they will
then prepare will be those descriptive OF
the extraordinary difficulties under which
they labored to get the news. There
never was a war in which the unfortu-
nate war correspondent was so beset with
perils, and SO harassed by that most
awful Of possibilities, getting left on the
news" as in this present remarkable war.
THE KEY WEST MEN.
To take the men who are stationed at
Key West as an exampls. This is, Of
course, the great centre for war news.
If Manila has had the first great story,
it is here in Key West. where the Cuban
news centres, that the most important
events Of the war are destined TO occur,
and where the newspapers have stationed
their best men. With the cable cut, there
is only one way of getting news-by
means of swift dispatch-boats. Now, the
broad eXpanss Of blue sea Is very wide
stretch for a little boat to cover. NO mat
ter how active the crew and how vigil
liant the captain and the newspaper-men
who are on the boat for the purpose OF
witnessing and writing up anything that
may occur Of Importance afioat. it Is not
possible for the boat to be in more than
one place at a time. and while she is
cruising off one section OF the coast of
Cuba, 1t is not at all improbable that a
great battle may be taking place at an
other point While one dispatch-boat is
piling up steam in an earnest and we'll
meaning effort to keep up with cruiser
or gunboat that is chasing a Spanish
fishing smack or lumber barge. the rival
dispatch-boat, better informed or more
lucky, may be racing to Key West with
news of a bombardment or Of a. capture
that double discounts that OF the fishing
smack or lumber barge.
A HURRY CALL.
And then the man at Key West. Out
across the sea there is a blank expanse
Of blue water. Away off in the distance
there suddenly appears a dispatch-boat,
piling along apparently for dear life The
men ashore are snatching q few hours
sleep. They have been watching all day
for the news that did not come, and Just
as soon as they are wrapped in sllIrnber
there comes a hurry call to get up and
so to meet the incoming craft. Then hur-
ryi slap. dashi down 10 the docks to
meet the incoming steamer. Any craft
the newspaper man can get hold of is
hired so that he car go out and be the
first, if possible. to catch the news from
the incoming steamer or at least get 1t
as soon the next man.
If the newcomer proves 10 be the dis
patch-boat OF a rival newspaper it is sad
for the man who meets her There is 10
such thing as dividing up down here.
IT is every man for himself, and a. sorry
fate for the hindmost. The beaten man
knows that his own dispatch-boat has
been giorously left when he sees the
rival come in and no other beat In sight,
but he must swallow his GRIEF and wait
for the next arrival. Meanwhile the tele-
graph office is in the possession OF the
victorious newspaper man, and there is
no sleep for the rest of the fraternity.
MEETING THE VESSELS.
Possibly the boat that comes in is a
gunboat towing a prize, or a captured
boar in charge Of a prize crew. in that
event the newspaper men must swarm
out and meet the vessel, catching at any
floating on the surface. The reporter
must ascertain the circumstances of the
capture, the name of the prize and her
value, get any interesting point about
the officers and crew, and get 1t the best
way he can. for United States naval Off
GERS, even when flushed with the happi-
ness OF walking the deck OF a captured
boat are not going out of their way TO
pi ovide news for the newspapers.
Having got the news, then the report
ers troubles are about over. thinks the
inexperienced reader. Are they? They are
just about beginning. 1t is the man who
first gets hold of the wire down here who
enables his newspaper TO be ahead with
an extra on live incident OF the war.
The reporter who allows himself. In his
enthusiasm. 20 stay too long getting ma
tcrial for his story, Is likely TO find the
telegraph wire pre-empted by whole row
of rivals. and his dispatch left until all
the others have been sent away.
WRITING ON SHrPBOARD.
uavs van svar tried Ia write on hard