The herald., 1898-05-30
SHIPS WAIT SILENTLY The OFFICIAL SUNDAY
SAILORS oRUMBLE = POSSIBLY Is NOT DISTURBED NEWS
SWEAR FROM THE FLEET
LIFE OF SOUTHERN LANGUOR NOT BULLETIN DISPLAYED
Departments the
Chance to Strike at the Span Carefully
SHIPS WAIT SILENTLY
SAILORS GRUMBLE - POSSIBLY
THEY SWEAR
LIFE OF SOUTHERN LANGU0R
Would Be Gladly Exchanged for a
Chance to Strike at the Span
ish Fleet
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
ON BOARD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DISPATCH BOAT WANDA, Key West,
May 29.-(Copyright. 1881 Sunday, with
the fleet waiting, watching, in silent sunlit
seas, a group of great battleships, motion
less under the tropical sun; broad decks,
scorched by heat and scared by day; Ian
guild and dreamy under the stars by night;
q fleet of powerful sea-fghters; an army
Of brave men, drifting at sea, waiting for
something to do-that tells the story of
Rear Admiral SIMPSONS fleet for past days
and nights. The ships of the fleet stand
close together, in small groups hour after
hour passes, and the positions are not
changed. Great volumes of smoke occa-
sionally issue from the tunnels and curl
unswayed by the wind into the sky.
The men drag impatiently through the
drills and crawl away into the shaded
hooks of the decks and grumble at the In
activity. During the day the music on
board swells out over the silent water, and
at night voices are plainly heard from
ship to ship. Stretching away to the sea
line the sky is cleaning and motionless,
and one can scarcely imagine 1t the same
sea that has been tumbling for weeks past
1t is picture of tropical languor. but there
Is method in SIMPSONS inactivity. Until
he Is definitely advised that the Spanish
fleet is imprisoned in Santiago de Cuba
.harbor. he is here in position to move
quickly in any direction where the Spanish
ships may appear.
If the Spaniards should escape Schley
and make for eastern seaports of the
United States, he is in position In a
few hours to run and cut them off in the
Windward passage. One or more scout
boats are kept in that position constantly.
On the other hand, If the Spaniards should
come around the western end of Cuba
with the hope of getting into Havana, he
Is here where he can intercept them on
short notice. 1t is irksome to wait here
day after day.
A most vigilant watch is kept by the
feet day and night in apprehension. In
hope that the Spanish fleet may come in
sight. The sailors hang over the rail scam
ming the horizon. and the gunners lie in
the shadow of the big rifles, longing for
chance to set the monsters laundering.
what a perfect day for BATTLE" they
say, looking out over the motionless sea.
But days and nights go by and the enemy
does not come. At night the lights are
all put out and the torpedo boats and
small gunboats constantly patrol the sur
rounding waters.
The New York left the fleet Friday night
with the torpedo boat Porter. The Porter
returned to the fleet yesterday with mail
and dispatches. In the absence of the New
York the little Mayflower Is the flagship,
but she does not gather her brood about
her at night. At dusk last night she lay
far astern of the other ships of the squad
ron. and as darkness came on she ran down
toward them, signaled each in turn, and
went away out of sight to the eastward on
IA scout. At midnight she was back again
Signals went up and she led the fleet slow
ly westward.
Mosquitoes EnjoyIt
KEY WEST. Fla, May 29.-Life on
blockade duty has its bright. as well as its
dull, sides. While the large vessels of the
blockading feet are envied by the smaller
craft as those likely to "be in at the DEATH"
In a naval battle, the boats of the mosquito
= feet are the only ones at present getting
the benefit of the sport attendant upon a
summer cruise in southern seas.
The battleships and cruisers stand too
high out of water, and the decks of the
monitors lie too low, often buried under the
waters, to offer fair advantage for fishing
shooting, or other sports; the gunboats
yachts and dispatch boats, on the other
hand, are especially adapted. by reason OF
their little draft and low freeboard, to fol-
low the chase after fish and fowl while full.
filling the duties to which they are as
signed.
OF Diana Key, commanding the entrance
to Cardenas harbor, there was gunboat
placed to prevent the escape of gunboats
said to be bottled up there. The men spent
the day ashore, shooting gulls and hunting
eggs on the solitary reefs, which were
= thickly populated by sea fowl of every de-
scription.
The lee under Point Dacos light the rocks
form a natural breakwater, which renders
bathing perfectly safe and secure from the
unwelcome interference of sharks. which
abound in Cuban waters. No better means
of discovering masked batteries exists thar
that Of Offering to the enemy human tar
get ready to take plungein hostile waters
or the Playa bel Coce, east end Of Morre
castle, where the upright plates of the "City
of Alexandra" jutting out of the restles.
more recent wrecking in Havana harbor
where the hungry sharks Of the gulf seen
to have established their headquarters, fif
teen or twenty of those brown-skinned
white-bellied monsters hang around pass
ing vessel or follow it for miles with thei
sharp-pointed fms sticking out Of thu
water.
A chunk of meat tossed overheard viii
bring three or four of these ravenou
creatures to the surface, presenting al
ample bullseye to the men, who peppel
them with pistol and rifle shots. It is sci
dom that shot buries itself in any vulner
able portion Of the shark, but it AFFORD
rare sport and offers an excellent oppor
tunity for rifle practice and good marks
manship.
Taken all in all, life on blockade duty fa
its joys and pleasures, as well as Its weari
ness and disappointments.
Social Labor Ticket
SAN FRANCISCO. May 2s-The socialis