The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-25
WITH THE FLEET OFF CUBA
STORY OF THE BLOCKADE
UP TO DATE

1t Indicates That Every Ship I'm the
Squadron Is on the Alert and
That the Investment of Havana
Is CompIete-Spanish Get a Les
son In Trying to Avoid the ''TOy
Boat, Porter and Find 1t Can Bite
BY Associated Press.
ON BOARD. THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS DISPATCH BOAT DAUNT-
LESS, KEY WEST, Fla, April "a
The Associated Press dispatch boat
Dauntless arrived in this harbor yes
terday. before midnight, having in tow
the first sailing vessel prize of the
campaign, the schooner Mathilde, Of
Havana, sixty tons, loaded with rum.
When the Dauntless left the main
fleet, under Rear Admiral Sampson, at
6:15 o'clock on Friday afternoon, what
seemed a thorough blockade Of Hava-
ma had been successfully effected.
The fleet range from eight to ten
miles from shore. along which they
are extended to fully twenty miles in
the following order, running from west
TO east: Mayfiower Iowa, Newport,
Detroit, Marblehead, Indiana, New
York and Wilmington, with the torpe-
do boat Porter attending the flagship.
Moro castle and the city of Havana
are in good view of the flagship with
glasses. but the coast as always is
the case, is covered with a haze. No
news OF what is occurring in the block
AIDED city has been obtained, and the
newspaper men are equally in doubt
as to the intention of Rear Admiral
Sampson and the United States gov
eminent.
Soon after 9 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 northwesterly di-
rection, presumably to blockade Ma
tanzas, Cardenas and Sagua la Grande.
rs II peace or war;"
Has Spain backed down, or is she
Fastening her fleet westward with or
ders to attempt to raise the blockade,
which, despite all stories to the con-
trary, cannot long be resisted in Cuba?"
are samples of scores of similar Ques-.
lions which are puzzling every one in
the fleet, unless 1t be Rear Admiral
Sampson, who, as ever, keeps his own
counsel.
The Dauntless Late.
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 newspa-
per fleets leave Key West harbor on
Friday morning with her anchor still
down at 1850 o'clock, when an officer
in the stern of the United States dis
patch boat Dolphin sang out: II
guess you are all right. We usually
ram with the other end"
AT 1855 a. m, with her anchor up, the
Dauntless got under way with plenty
of steam up and with determination
prevailing among those on board not
TO be the last to pass the Sand Key
light. She sped along at twelve-knot
rate of speed, and, as she passed out, a.
hearty cheer was given for the United
States cruiser Nashville 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 making parallel lines across the
southern horizon. Ten o'clock, and
the vessels of the fleet could be
counted, even to the torpedo boats.
The maneuvers of the squadron were
noted, but, of course, their purpose
was not understood.
At IL o'clock the Dauntless passed the
cruiser Wilmington, a.. the rear Of the
long strung out line, with it's torpedo
boat fiankers. Until noon there were
more or less exciting brushes with one
or the other Of the newspaper boats
AT 1880 p. m. the order was given to
slow down, the Dauntless then being to
the eastward and abeam Of the flag
ship New York, and in the lead Of the
long thanking line Of newspaper tugs
and yachts. The Dauntless left Key
West hour and 20 minutes behind the
other boats, but in 4 hours and a half
she was at the head Of the procession,
and quiet Capt. Floyd, who knows the
poat better than any other person liv-
Ing, remarked: She can't beat four
Teen knots at her best, but It's funny
bow many sixteen and seventeen knot
clippers she does leave astern.''
First Hostile Shot.
When the flagship New York, after
the hills Of Cuba had been sighted,
started off at twenty-knot clip to
capture the Spanish steamer Pedro, the
Dauntless veered and followed and was
in at the death. Those on the Daunt-
less saw the first hostile shot fired, and
as the flagship swung around for her
chase after what proved to be a Ger
man trading steamer they gave the
New York the first cheer. All these
things were seen by a lot of cor
respondents, wet from head to foot
with spray by the barrelful thrown
constantly higher than the pilot house,